Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

Bonnie and Clyde hit theaters 50 years ago, and boy howdy was America not ready for it. At least, the critical community wasn’t. Americans hadn’t seen violence like this. Not since the Hays Code had been instituted in 1934 to prohibit the sex, violence and various other immoral acts from ruining the public mind.

This movie was incredibly violent. It was sexy. It was the moral degradation of the counterculture committed to celluloid. It was also pretty good. The initial reviews were poor, but the audiences loved it. Critical perception eventually turned around — hell, the New York Times’ film critic lost his job for being out of touch after he lambasted it.

Beatty: Navy three-piece suit with chalk stripe, shirt, silver tie and newsboy cap.

While we all have some vague idea of who Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were, the specifics don’t really matter. They’re two symbols of that romantic, fleeting rebellion against a broken government that resonated when they were active during the Great Depression and again when the American public was being lied to and shipped off to die in Vietnam. It was so popular that Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot made a kickass song about it and filmed a video where they were dressed as the titular Bonnie and Clyde.

Up and coming star and noted sex-haver Warren Beatty portrayed the virgin Clyde Barrow in what would be his first iconic role. (Although, more people really should see 1965’s Mickey One.) Bonnie Parker proved Faye Dunaway’s breakout role. It’s also a young Gene Hackman’s first major role. Well, you get the idea. Also, Gene Wilder’s in it.

Beatty: Double-breasted brown sport coat, white dress shirt, floral tie and panama hat.

And they all looked good while knocking over banks. Or at least as good as one can during the dust bowl. You’re gonna see plenty of filthy denim overalls alongside the more elegant menswear on display in Bonnie and Clyde.

Three-piece suits were big during the era, and we’re just lucky enough to have those back in style today. The cuts in this film are just about as slim as is popular today. While not as easy to find nowadays as one would hope, the nice lightweight hopsack fabric Clyde and Buck Barrow wear is a nice non-linen answer to warm weather.

Beatty: Gray three-piece suit, white dress shirt, white fedora and dark tie. Hackman: Brownish gray hopsack three-piece suit and brown tie.

Buck’s leather jacket when he meets up with Clyde and Bonnie is a solid and easy to find way to straddle the line between business casual and whatever is slightly more casual than business casual. It’s rugged, but without the mundanity of blue jeans. Mind you, I’ve never seen someone wear a tie with a leather jacket outside of the movies, but that doesn’t mean you can’t bring the look to life.

Bonnie and Clyde is a movie about rebellion for the hell of it. Why did Bonnie Parker start robbing banks? Well, she found a strange ex-con trying to jack her car one morning. Why did Clyde Barrow start robbing banks? Well, it seemed like a thing to do. So why aren’t you knocking over banks while wearing a leather jacket and silk necktie? Hell, why the hell not?

Bonnie and Clyde aired Monday October 16 at 10:15 pm.

Hackman: Brown leather jacket, white dress shirt, print tie, brown belt and slacks.

[Note: The blog in no way endorses robbing or “knocking off” banks because THAT WOULD BE ILLEGAL…and also it has a depressingly low success rate in our troubling modern age. — Ed.]

Monday 10.23.17 Posted by John Locanthi Newer / Older

Originally published at www.johnlocanthi.com on October 23, 2017.