'Who are YOU wearing?" - If I were Richard's Red Carpet Stylist...

Time for something a little different...

I was watching a great interview by Richard the other day given while on the red carpet of a local premiere in New Zealand (featured below). It's a great clip which shows a sassier side to him, which was refreshing and fun to see, and in all honesty the interviewer on the other end of it was being pretty sarky!  I love how he gave the guy as good as he got - I thought at one point Richard might stare the guy into paralysis with those sparkly blue lapis-lazuli of his. This ice-blue stare happened in particular when the interviewer asked Richard: "Who are you wearing this evening?". Richard seemed amused and almost taken by surprise by this question, and responded, wittily: "Who are YOU wearing?".

RA: "Who are YOU wearing?"

This got me thinking... If I were to dress Richard for an event like that, what would I have him 'wear'? And when I say 'have' I don't mean I would force him to wear it - I tried to think of something which Richard might be comfortable to wear, but which was perhaps something out of the ordinary for him. Not that I can know what that would be, of course, I've only gone by what I've seen him wearing previously.

It was whilst pondering this thought that I came across a discussion on a Facebook group I'm (very proud to be) a part of, about what 'look' we would dress Richard in, for a Red Carpet event. I saw mention of one of my favourite designers there, and so thought I'd give this a go myself! So here goes...oh before I start, I must thank the group for allowing me to borrow some of their excellent images to illustrate my points - I speak for you all, though not on your behalf, of course ;)...right, here goes...

After looking around for ideas, I worked out there were three key elements important to me for the perfect Richard Red-Carpet-Look; the shirt, accessory choices, and ... here's the controversial one... a splash of colour. I've used each of these "elements" to explore some potential looks below. Keeping in mind I have a creative background in visual art and am a huge fan of anything quirky and colourful, so my choices may by not that conventional, but I've tried hard to look at what I've already seen Richard wearing and pick things he might realistically wear, even if a little different to the norm for him. Have a look and see what you think...

'Getting Shirty' - finding the perfect shirt

As we can see from this picture (below), Richard looks great in a well fitted shirt. But what I realised whilst doing a bit of research were how very many different type of shirt cuts/styles there were! Here are a some styles which I thought a little different, but in the right context, could provide a great alternative to the standard crisp white shirt (not that there's anything wrong with that of course ;) )...

This shirt is a great cut on Richard

"Granddad shirts" (yes, they really are called that ...*rolls eyes*)

I have been in love with this style of shirt for a really long time. I love what the collarless look does to the male form - it accentuates the neck and adams apple, makes the shoulders seem broader. I think it can work buttoned right to the top; or worn under a classic suit, as shown here by Jude Law; or a few buttons can be undone at the top without a suit jacket for a more casual look. I can definitely see Richard wearing this style of shirt in both contexts, and looking mighty fine in it too! 

Patterned Shirts

Patterned shirts can also be a great way to jazz up a suit. There are so many pattern styles to choose from for men these days - from retro paisley print, to geometric. I think a perfect example of a style of patterned shirt to suit Richard would be this polka dot one. The polka-dots are small enough not to seem to gimicky, but add a bit of vibrancy and movement to the suit (thanks to my facebook friends for this image!).

Two-Tone Shirts

These are a really interesting alternative to a plain shirt. They are often used to inject colour into an outfit, by using the colour as a highlight to a plain-toned shirt. Under a dark suit, or even on its own with smart trousers, I could see this as a great way for Richard to express his personality through a tease of colour.

This is a really contemporary two-tone look

Here's some tonal detail on a shirt - it would look great
with a colour-blocked tie under a plain suit.

These are just a few styles I can see Richard wearing. I had to stop myself, as I really could have gone on and on looking at these, but I still had accessories to consider! ;)

'It's all in the Accessories' - adding that little something extra 

Having explored the importance of a good shirt, I decided to move on to Accessories. A vital part of any outfit, accessories can provide a splash of quirkyness or class, and, of course, personality. Here are some accessories I thought Richard could use ...

BOW TIE

Yes, I said it! I would love to see Richard in a bowtie. And I don't mean part of a tux, as seen here (though of course I wouldn't object to that, hehehe) ...

Ohhh boy... What a handsome fella...

Call it geek-chic or quirky, I think with the right look, a bow tie would be perfect on Richard. (Thanks Clodagh Monet on Tumblr for these pics below :) ).

Waistcoats

i think a lot can be said for a great waistcoat. In the same was a great fitted skirt can accentuate the female form, so can a great waistcoat for a man. I could easily see Richard pulling of the "oh, I forgot my jacket at home" look and wearing a waistcoat with style on the Red Carpet. I particularly like these for their sleek fit and also the chain and handkerchief detailing. In fact, handkerchiefs could also be a great way to add a bit of something different to a suit, through colour and pattern choice.

With small additions - like a chain, handkerchief or rolled up sleeves -
a waistcoat can look smart and dashing all on its own.

Ties

Ties are a very underappreciated accessory, I think. They can add a striking statement of sophisitication or playfulness. I have included an example of this below, where Richard wears this very suave mauve/grey striped tie which just brings the whole outfit together beautifully. I think Richard's choice in tie could give him a variety of different looks to pick from..

Richard showing us how to wear a statement
tie with style

Colour statement

A simple, boldly coloured tie, can change the feeling of an outfit instantly. I can see Richard wearing a bright azure blue one to lift his eyes, or perhaps an aubergine to complement his dark hair.

This gorgeous magenta would really bring out Richard's
eyes, I think.

Stripes

Stripes come in all kinds of different pattern formations (who knew!). I am particularly a fan of horizontal stripes, as I think they look really sharp and contemporary. I think both chunkier and slimmer stripes would work on his build.

Here's a Chevron-type stripe which would work well in
vibrant colours

This ombre' type tie could also work
with the right colour-palette

Colour-blocking

I am a big fan of colour, and when I found this colour-blocked tie I thought I could maybe see Richard wearing it under a jet black suit with a crisp white shirt, held in place with a simple pin tie. It has a real 60's chic vibe about it.

In discovering this colour-block look, I started to think a little deeper about what exactly it was I think I would want to add to Richard's outfits if I were to style him with a look. And then it became clearer....

'A splash of colour' - being bold and brave

What I realised, after getting this far in my little project, was how important colour would be for me, and getting those colours right, if I were to dress Richard. 

The perfect example of this in action on Richard is seen in his outfit for the Premiere for 'Into the Storm'. I thought this look really suited him, and was something quite different to what I had seen him in before. Normally I was used to seeing him in neutral or monotone shades, but here he wore a bright and bold Royal Blue suit with style, accentuated perfectly with a crisp white shirt, brown brogues and that brilliant striped tie; the stripes were chunky and the red and blue tones vibrant and punchy. Richard seemed not afraid to wear colour and these colours really suited his complexion and perfectly brought out his eyes.

Richard at 'Into the Storm' Premiere, pulling off
a splash of colour

We tend to see Richard in muted and neutral tones - perhaps because they are classed as masculine? Well I think, as shown in Richard's choice in suit above, that a bit of colour could be a really exciting option for him, which I think he could pull off perfectly. That's not to say there isn't anything wrong with a good black, grey, or navy suit - they are classics - I am just exploring what I might dress him in, and I am always a fan of using colour to bring accent and personality to an outfit.

When I thought of colour, one particular designer came to mind; and funnily enough, this name was also raised on the discussion on the facebook group I mentioned earlier, who provided the inspiration for this post.

His name is Ozwald Boateng. A British fashion designer of Ghanaian descent, he is known for his use of bold colours and sleek, streamlined, tailoring, and has his own place in Saville Row, in London. I have always been a fan of Boateng, since first seeing his work in a documentary made about him which I saw whilst at art school. 

Boateng does seem to dress mostly Afro-Caribbean stars, though I have seen him dress men more of Richard's fairer complexion with perfect style too. Here are some of Boteng's looks I think would work perfectly on Richard, with the right colour choices, of course.

Where on the Spectrum?

And so begs the question - "what is the perfect colour choice, for Richard?". It's clear there is one feature of this lovely man which seems to act as a source of inspiration for colour choice. That is, of course, his eyes. They really do sparkle, and I think with the right colours they can be made to sparkle more. Some colours can be used also to bring out tones which are not so obvious, certainly in the eyes.

The colours I think of here are Blues, Greens, Purples. I even think, as splashes of colour, magenta, fuchsia and turquoise would work in complimenting his blue eyes and dark hair. 

I love these iridescent suits as a subtle way of introducing a
bit of colour

Deep purples and earthy greens, as well as
 blues would make a great colour palette for Richard

I can also see Richard pulling off a bit of 'colour-blocking'. A brightly coloured shirt and jacket, with dark, perhaps black-coloured, trousers, would work really well. I think this could provide him with an opportunity to wear what artists call 'complimentary colours', by which is meant; a complimentary opposite shade, like two sides of a coin. I've included a colour wheel below to show you what I mean by this.

Look diagonally opposite the colour of your choice
 to find its complimentary opposite.

So, in practice, Richard could try wearing a green toned suit with an accent of red on/with it, via an accessory. However, I will say here I think I would stay away from dressing Richard in certain shades - mostly citrussy ones -though I think green would work perfectly on him. The case seems for many fairer skinned people, like myself, that yellow and orange shades, even as accessory details, can be a little hit and miss. I think zingy tones could be incorporated into an outfit using more lime green tones, if that effect was desired.

An example of colour-blocking - though I would keep
Richard away from too zesty tones.

I think its also really important to note here how a coloured accessory on/with a neutral suit can work really effectively too. An example of this is seen below, where this gorgeous cream linen suit (which come to think of it, I could also see Richard wearing) is given a little kick by this bold striped tie, very similar to the one Richard wore in his Premiere outfit I mentioned earlier.

A splash of colour really works well here

Just a quick comment on Jackets...

I also thought I could see Richard wearing a double-breasted cut of Jacket - his broad shoulders and 'V' shaped upper body, would look great in a double breasted suit or with a trouser/double breasted suit combo, or so I think. Plus, I love the air of style these kinds of jackets give off, and if anyone could pull that off, Richard could...

And finally... (something even more quirky to get you thinking)...

We all know how good Richard looks in knitwear. But I would really love to see Richard bring back the cool polo-neck hipster-beatnik-type look. Especially now with his magnificent beard, I think he could pull off a well fitted polo neck with total elegance. I can see a dark one sitting quietly and stylishly under a dark suit, like shown here. Now what do you make of that? ;)...

In Reflection...

So, all in all, I learnt quite a bit about Richard from this little project, which, in truth, I probably spent a little more time on than I should have, muahaha ;). I hope by some form of psychic energy Richard is inspired to try wearing even more splashes of colour in his style choice in the near future, or even... dare I wish it... a Boateng suit!

Hope my ideas got you thinking about what you would like to see Richard 'wearing'...

Antigone x


P.S ... Just to say, I'm not a Fashion grad, so I might not use proper fashion terminology, sorry. It's just a bit of fun really... :)