Tom Ford. Ralph Lauren. George Clooney. Three men that, by very virtue of making (and indeed wearing) sharp clothes over the course of several decades, have found a uniform that works. You can now add Tom Hiddleston to this merry roster.
Which is no mean feat. As a man that has spent considerably less time in the limelight, the Avengers: Endgame star has already found his go-to. While his compatriots meddle with trends, and statements, and tailoring once reserved for Elton John's tour wardrobe of 1973, Hiddleston is an ardent classicist. Handy, especially as a new Loki -centric TV series will see an incline in perma-grin red carpet interviews and stampede press conferences.
Tom Hiddleston at a SiriusXM Studios visit in New York
Photo by GETTY IMAGES . Hiddleston attending the men's final at Wimbledon
Photo by GETTY IMAGES . Our advice? Never change, Tom. Never change. That's because the uniforms work. For the aforementioned industry darling circle, the 38-year-old has long settled for a navy suit. The most enduring of menswear shades thankfully works beyond the 90210, and, paired with similar blues elsewhere, is a risk-free way of scoring tonal points. Camel may seem cooler, but enlisting in the navy is foolproof, as Hiddleston demonstrated at the opening night of Jake Gyllenhaal's Broadway hit-in-waiting Sea Wall / A Life . And, with the main billing dressed in a glorious ode to the eighties, the Marvel star held his own by leaning on the familiar.
There are variables too. Spice of life, and all that. For Hiddleston, the suits are interchangeable from single-breasted to double-breasted (a smart way to create the illusion of bulk), with texture on rotation: pinstripes to elongate form, for instance, or a cross-hatch for depth. Again, these fabrics are a a menswear democracy frenzy: a free tuition, free car, free get out of jail card for all. The only prerequisite? Make sure it fits like a glove.
But the standard issue doesn't end at the suit. Oh no. Without sounding like the sales meeting on a Tuesday that's more a performance art piece on late capitalism, this is a multi-pronged approach. For the actor, when he's not rubbing shoulders with co-stars at Wimbledon, has a formula for the off-duty, too.
Photo by BRUCE GLIKAS . At the first Broadway public preview of his latest play Betrayal , we saw another textbook Hiddleston move: the crew neck sweat, the jean, and the boot, all in a darker monochrome shade. It turned up at Comic-Con (twice, actually), and has enjoyed mingling with tailoring of a similar shade.
Granted, it's not quite the queer culture accessories of Michael B. Jordan. Nor does it boast the showmanship of Harry Styles. But Hiddleston has found what he likes, stuck to it, and forged a capsule wardrobe that works just as well today as it will in 15 years time. That's what a uniform does.
This story originally appeared on Esquire.co.uk . Minor edits have been made by the Esquiremag.ph editors.
