Michael Caine is a recognisable household name, and arguably one of the most influential actors ever to come out of the UK. His influence stretches far further than the film industry, though. Throughout his fifty-year career he’s also had a massive influence on style and culture, and this week on the blog here at Acorn, we’re holding a magnifying glass to that influence, as well as giving you a few handy hints on how to get his look for yourself.
Michael Caine’s impact on British culture is far from a fleeting thing – it first started all the way back in the 1960s, when he first started appearing on our silver screens. With his Cockney accent mediated by an undeniably winning charm that permeated both his personal outlook and onscreen persona, Caine was the essence of what many young men in Britain aspired to be – the working class boy who’d made it big. This gentlemanly stance extended to his manner of dress, too, and he kept his styling sober and minimal throughout his early career and beyond. We’ll go onto that in just a moment!
Some commentators even argue that Michael Caine was a defining figure in cultivating the British subculture of modernism (of mods vs rockers fame). The mods styled themselves as young, cool, clean-cut but cultured, and Caine’s winning combination of charisma and sartorial grace made him the very personification of what the movement was all about.
The famously eccentric London tailor Douglas Hayward was the guiding inspiration for much of Caine’s wardrobe throughout the decades, and indeed personally styled him on several of his biggest films, including gems like the Italian Job. Hayward’s influence is still being felt on Savile Row today, with his masterful blend of its tailoring heritage with a more relaxed, casual Italian style; effortlessly modelled by Caine. Through his films, Caine reintroduced the public to the credentials of the button-down shirt, almost all of which with three-finger collar rolls, rounded off by a dark, slim-knitted tie.
Navy is a particularly favourite shade amongst many of Michael’s outfits, often in darker, heavier fabrics to keep him warm against the biting British weather. (This is exemplified amongst many fabrics in our own range, including our Gabardine Navy fabric.) These outfits made him a true master of the muted colour palette, but some have observed that he could equally pull off that most intimidating of colours: pink. In fact, pink and argyle were frequently featured in some of his lighter ensembles. Here at Acorn, we’ve got a number of fabrics that would have fit in perfectly with these; for example, our Gargrave Plain Pink fabric.
Caine’s style has that special quality that’s hard to articulate yet easy to see. With all his sartorial choices he shows an excellent knowledge of a muted yet balanced colour palette and a meticulous attention to detail, resulting in a grounded, gentlemanly air that lacks pretentiousness and oozes charm.
Here at Acorn, style is what we’re all about, and we’ve got a broad range of fantastic fabrics for you to choose from, so you can freely express yours. If you’re looking to follow in the footsteps of one of British culture’s most influential figures, we’d recommend taking a look at some of our Oxford & Pinpoint fabrics, for that touch of formality that’s a defining element in Caine’s style.
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