Steve McQueen (March 24, 1930 – November 7, 1980) was one of the biggest film stars of the 1960s and one of the most stylish. He made clothes look as if he had not thought about them at all, which is the hardest trick in menswear.
The films and the looks
The Great Escape (1963)
Chinos, a sweatshirt with cut-off sleeves, a leather flight jacket and desert boots. It is the template for a century of casual American style, and every piece is still easy to buy.
The Cincinnati Kid (1965)
McQueen plays a young stud poker player in 1930s New Orleans who challenges the reigning master of the game, played by Edward G. Robinson. The clothes are period: open-collar shirts, braces, slim trousers. But the real lesson is the poker face. The film's final hand is one of the most famous in cinema, and it helped make the poker table a place for cool, quiet style. For the modern equivalent, see what to wear to a poker tournament.
The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)
As a millionaire who robs banks for fun, McQueen wore some of the best three-piece suits ever seen on screen, widely credited to the London tailor Douglas Hayward, with folding Persol sunglasses. It is the film to watch before commissioning a custom tailored suit.
Bullitt (1968)
A tweed sports jacket, a navy roll neck, slim trousers and suede desert boots, worn while driving a Ford Mustang through San Francisco. It remains a perfect smart-casual outfit.
How to borrow from McQueen
- Keep colours simple: navy, khaki, grey, brown.
- Choose a few great pieces and wear them constantly.
- Roll the sleeves, unbutton the collar, leave the tie at home.
- Get the fit right and then forget about it.
Monaco and the Monaco
For Le Mans (1971) McQueen wore a square TAG Heuer Monaco watch, still one of the most famous watches linked to a film star. The name fits: Monaco, with its Grand Prix and its casino, is where racing style and gambling glamour meet. Our guide to casino dress codes explains what you need to wear to walk into Monte Carlo's gaming rooms.
