The Most Iconic Movie Outfits of All Time
These are the outfits and costumes in movies that continue to stand the test of time.
Image via Complex Original
When a film achieves iconic status, it's because all facets of the production are firing on all cylinders. A crucial part of this creative vision? The costumes. The statistic stands that most, if not all of Hollywood's enduring classics, also feature memorable costumes. We're talking Halloween go-tos that you can recognize in an instant. And no, actual costumes don't apply. This list is for the mere clothes and getups that impacted popular culture to become transcendent alphets. Read on for The 25 Most Iconic Movie Outfits of All Time.
Tyler Durden — Fight Club
Portrayed by: Brad Pitt
Before he revealed the extent of his anarchism, Tyler, the soap-and-fisticuffs gawd, came through Ed Norton's consciousness with a straight up loan-shark, pool-table bar look.
Hai Tien — Game of Death
Portrayed by: Bruce Lee
Unfortunately Bruce Lee died before this film could be officially completed, but damn if he wasn't fresh 'til death. The fearless head-to-toe yellow complemented by body length black stripes is so bold and enduring that Quentin Tarantino, homage king that he is, threw the ultimate nod and reappropriated the look for The Bride's getup in the centerpiece fight sequence for Kill Bill.
Ferris Bueller — Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Portrayed by: Matthew Broderick
Cinephiles, or just lovers of great '80s high-school movies, will never forget what Ferris B. wore on the best day of his life. The standout piece that elevates him from typical truant to senior swag lord: That animal-print vest. Sometimes all you need is layering to take the day from 0-100.
Silent Bob — Various Kevin Smith films
Portrayed by: Kevin Smith
Silent Bob—who together with Jay forms the Shakespearean fool-duo that appears in most of Kevin Smith's films—lets the swag do the talking. He doesn't say, well, anything. The ankle-length overcoat and snapback, with a crewneck layered underneath, maintains from Clerks to Chasing Amy. It's more understated than you'd expect from a drug dealer, which is exactly why it works.
The Kid — Purple Rain
Portrayed by: Prince
Prince preserved his fresh code on film, just in case a musical legacy wasn't enough to cement it. Naturally, the film steered by his creative vision features some of the boldest looks of his greater career. The blouse under the purple suit, decked out with rhinestones, no less? Purple Rain may be the swag peak of Prince's lifetime.
Bender — The Breakfast Club
Portrayed by: Judd Nelson
The whole cast made for one fly poster, but if there was ever proof that fashion is cyclical, here it is. Peep Bender in the ill Fear of God flannel.
Bane — The Dark Knight Rises
Portrayed by: Tom Hardy
This is not a cheat. Bane is so much more than the mask despite whatever self-esteem issues he may have; dude may be the first #menswear villain in modern cinema. The ill lambskin coat, rugged boats, and cuffed, fitted cargo pants? This guy basically kidnapped an entire city while rocking the Kanye A.P.C. collection.
Smokey — Friday
Portrayed by: Chris Tucker
Smokey, along with Craig, embody classic L.A. swag with simple staples, fitting for a movie about a day in the life. But while Craig's simple flannel is almost too basic, Smokey's Cripset (jk) blue-on-blue with Cali khakis and Chucks is the kind of unmistakably West Coast look the movie aims to imitate: a hood uniform staple all the way through to the Kendrick era of the city.
Steve and Doug Butabi — A Night at the Roxbury
Portrayed by: Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan
More buddies should attack the club with a cohesive plan like this. The Roxbury dudes hit the streets with a carefully planned out, two-tone look that's so assured and complete, your girl can't help but stare. They aren't just participating in nightlife; with their neon, color-coded uniforms, they are nightlife.
Sam Rothstein — Casino
Portrayed by: Robert De Niro
Throughout Casino's three-hour running time, the gawd Ace Rothstein deploys some of the most vibrant and straight-up give-a-fuck-less successful suit combos man has ever laid eyes on in film or IRL. But amidst the sea of style risks shared by both him and Nicky Santoro, one look bubbles to the surface of the pack as the most memorable. Even if you've only seen this film once (which is impossible especially if you subscribe to HBO), there's no way you could ever forget Ace, laid up on house arrest and staring at the onset of his own downfall, in PINK-ON-PINK pajamas. Dude hid from his problems in luxurious, lean-colored cotton sleepwear and same-colored bathrobe. Extremely aspirational.
Ace Ventura — Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Portrayed by: Jim Carrey
A Hawaiian print shirt, boots, and thrift-store pants with a barely necessary belt? Is Ace Ventura the proto Williamsburg hipster?
Austin Powers — Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
Portrayed by: Mike Myers
The Austin Powers aesthetic extends beyond the heightened British accent and '60s-era come-ons. Mike Myers' assured, in-your-face vision for the character comes through before you even hear him speak because of its audacity. Velvet suit and a lace shirt underneath? Pretty sure players actually from the '60s didn't even dress like this, which is exactly why Austin Powers shines.
Alex DeLarge — A Clockwork Orange
Portrayed by: Malcolm McDowell
*When the clique commits to the same style uniform*
Jim Stark — Rebel Without a Cause
Portrayed by: James Dean
James Dean's steez legacy is mostly relegated to how effortlessly he pulls off the most basic of men's style staples. But for a rare moment of him doing a bit more, look no further than the classic Rebel Without a Cause, where he goes full Americana with his go-to tee, blue jeans, and finishes with a bright red spring jacket. This is the American Bad Boy uniform.
Mookie — Do the Right Thing
Portrayed by: Spike Lee
So Brooklyn. So summer in Brooklyn. Still fire, relevant and more than acceptable a full 25 years later.
Willy Wonka — Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Portrayed by: Gene Wilder
Salute, the only man who can pull off purple better than Prince. What's the point of owning the world's largest candy factory, basically heaven on earth, if your steez isn't god-level?
Freddy Krueger — A Nightmare on Elm St
Portrayed by: Robert Englund
This may be the only horror villain costume that you can successfully mimic without an actual facemask. You don't need the knives-glove either, just a fedora and the black-and-red striped sweater. Freddy's twisted Mr. Rogers steez is notable because of that contrast, which actually does more for the overall impact of the character than the big hulking guy in all-black-everything. The frays and tears there add to his burned-alive aesthetic and are lowkey kind of #fashion.
Indiana Jones — Raiders of the Lost Ark
Portrayed by: Harrison Ford
What is it about George Lucas and Harrison Ford that results in G.O.A.T. alphets? The only time brown leather ever came close to besting black is when it was draped on Indy while he was in some tropical jungle or duffing Nazis. Not only that, one of film's greatest action heroes' most signature accessory is a fucking fedora. Impossible, achieved.
The Dude — The Big Lebowski
Portrayed by: Jeff Bridges
The ultimate slacker look. The Dude isn't wearing anything different than suburban dads running to retrieve the paper before the sprinklers hit, but coupled with Jeff Bridges' casually towering performance, that ratty robe may as well be hall of fame worthy.
Marty McFly — Back to the Future
Portrayed by: Michael J. Fox
Forget the Air Mags. The aptly named Marty McFly scored legend status in the first installment, displaying both a fire knack for denim-on-denim and layering. Forget waiting for Halloween, this is a look you might want to appropriate for yourself on a random fall day. It's timeless.
Beetlejuice — Beetlejuice
Portrayed by: Michael Keaton
Beetlejuice's suit serves as the perfect opportunity for a disclaimer: just because an alphet is iconic doesn't mean you should try this at home. As an enigmatic, weirdo ghoul, Mike Keaton was swagged to the maximum, in one of his career's biggest touchstones. Meanwhile, the same suit marked the beginning of the end for the artist formerly known as Robin Thicke. Homage with caution, b.
Tony Manero — Saturday Night Fever
Portrayed by: John Travolta
It's utterly ridiculous and a go-to symbol for mocking a long dormant period in fashion. But for the moment in which it lived, it made John Travolta an absolute swag lord, with a look that has transcended film to even become synonymous with discussions on disco culture as a whole.
Lloyd Dobler — Say Anything
Portrayed by: John Cusack
Rarely does it ever get fresher than this. Lloyd looks like he's headed to a light Sunday brunch or maybe gym class and grabbed his Mom's (Elaine Benes'?) overcoat in a rush on his way out the door. Yet he posts up like he spent an hour putting the 'fit together, and isn't that what being fashionable is all about? Sense of style and execution reign supreme over brands and prices. Learn from Lloyd: if you're going to post outside shorty's house and petition her to fuck with a real one, then you have to come correct. Boombox optional.
Han Solo — Star Wars
Portrayed by: Harrison Ford
Forget the fact that Han has perhaps the coolest placed, alphet-enhancing gun holster of all time. The vest over that interstellar henley look is so enduring that even the slightest homage is enough to send the forum nerds into a frenzy. This is what a swag lord looks like in the fut-err, a long time ago in a galaxy far away.
Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega in — Pulp Fiction
Portrayed by: Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta
Two plain, basic black suits, and yet, let any two unoriginal herbs walk into a costume party wearing this, and you'll instantly know what they're going for. That's just a testament to Pulp Fiction's eternally reverberating influence on pop culture and to performances from the two legends who filled said plain suits and made them forever memorable.