Let's Hear it for the Boys
Best (Justin Timberlake) and Worst Dressed (Russell Brand) Men at the Oscars
Justin Timberlake, who presented an award with Mila Kunis, looked great in aclassic Tom Ford tux with wide lapelsPhoto by Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Russell Brand, left, looked far too casual for the Oscars. He poses withdirector Susanne Bier, center, winner of the award for Best Foreign Film for 'Ina Better World,' and Helen Mirren.Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images
As always, most of the focus on the red carpet at the 83rd annual Academy Awards was on what the women were wearing. But many of Hollywood’s leading men dressed to the nines for the occasion, and deserve some recognition.
Justin Timberlake was, without a doubt, the best-dressed man of the evening. He wore a black tux by Tom Ford, the man known for reinventing Gucci in the mid '90s and, more recently, establishing his eponymous label. Timberlake channeled '30s era Hollywood glamour with the wide lapels on his tux. The fit on everything – from the very slight break on the pants to the shoulder-hugging jacket – was spot on. I wish I could tie a bow tie this well. Hats off to Timberlake for doing something different without reaching “trying too hard” status.
Speaking of trying too hard, Russell Brand looked like a train wreck. Generally, navy blue is an excellent alternative to black formalwear. But the navy-blue and black plaid contrast-collar shirt was simply too much. The ridiculously long pants drew attention to Brand’s terrible footwear choice: I may be wrong, but those look like cowboy boots to me. Here’s to hoping that Brand fires his stylist and decides to actually wash his hair sometime in the near future.
I had lost all hope for navy formalwear, until I saw Robert Downey, Jr. He looked fantastic in a navy John Varvatos tux. I’m not usually a fan of white on white shirt/tie combos, but he makes it work. More importantly, Downey proved that a four-in-hand tie knot with an unbuttoned collar is a foolproof combination. Kevin Spacey opted for a more classic tux by Varvatos, but still looked great.
Josh Brolin wore Ermenegildo Zegna very well. As always with Zegna, the fit was impeccable: the tux made Brolin look ten years younger and much slimmer.
The Social Network star Jesse Einsenberg wore a classic black tux and black tie by ultra-hip L.A.-based Band of Outsiders. The artfully disheveled look adequately suited Einsberg’s youth, and his hair.
Christian Bale, with his Joaquin Phoenix-esque beard, reminded me that black-on-black-on-black simply does not look good. His outfit was barely high school prom material, let alone suitable for Hollywood’s biggest night.
As always,Matthew McConaughey looked fantastic in Dolce & Gabana. The slightly longer, yet still trim, jacket was perfectly suited to his tall frame.
Of course, we can’t forget the ever-dapper host James Franco. Esquire’s advance details about his Gucci tux made me extra excited for the awards, and he did not disappoint. The vintage-inspired white dinner jacket looked fantastic.
Gentlemen, if you learn from one thing from tonight’s Oscars, let it be this: Sometimes it’s best to stick with the classics. Sartorially speaking, taking risks is good: but if you aren’t careful, you may end up looking like Russell Brand. In the context of formalwear, it’s better to be safe than sorry: all of last night’ best dressed men opted for more classic options, and they look great.
