George fashion over the years - GQ magazine

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[size=56]Five surprising style lessons to learn from George Clooney[/size]

By Zak Maoui6 May 2020
The Hollywood heart-throb has made some serious style moves over the years
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Now a household name, George Clooney started his career with minor roles in 1980s TV shows such as The Facts Of Life and The Golden Girls. It wasn’t until he landed the role of Dr Doug Ross on 1990s medical drama ER that he rose to the heady heights of A-list stardom, joining the likes of Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman and Tom Hanks.

Over the years, the 59-year-old Ocean’s Eleven actor has been to his fair share of red-carpet gigs, from the Met Gala to the Oscars. On each occasion he has impressed in the style stakes, schooling every man on how to do traditional black tie at the 2018 Met Gala or nailing couple dressing with other half Amal at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding in the same year. His subtle sartorial tricks might even have been borrowed by Harry himself when it comes to couple dressing.

Along the way, among the exemplary display of classic menswear, Clooney has still managed to push the envelope a few times. Below are the surprising lessons we could all learn from his more renegade outfits.

1. Double up on denim

:copyright: Jim Smeal
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While you might be used to seeing Clooney in a suit, back in the late 1990s he was serving big fits that could’ve landed him a permanent role on Friends. One thing he got so right, and that we can all take away, is donning double denim. Easy enough to do, denim on denim is often overlooked, seen as something to save for dressing up as Justin and Britney on Halloween. 




In reality, double denim (triple if you dare) is one of the most on-trend moves you can make. A mainstay of catwalk collections by the likes of big-hitting brands Ralph Lauren, Versace, Dsquared2 and Louis Vuitton, double denim has seen a resurgence in popularity. Brit-based talents Martine Rose and Liam Hodges are at it for Spring/Summer 2020, as is NYC-based Heron Preston, and no one is doing matchy-matchy quite as good as British designer Jonathan Anderson over at Loewe (think oversized, loose and baggy).

2. Support your local businesses

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Last month you might have seen Jake Gyllenhaal rock a Russ & Daughters graphic T-shirt, promoting the iconic NYC deli. Well, Clooney was doing it first, although he showed his appreciation for something altogether more heavyweight: notably Planet Hollywood. 

Whether as an ode to the town that made him or just an admittance that he loves the establishment’s famous BBQ ribs, we’re into Clooney's cheek of wearing restaurant gear on the red carpet. Now, if only Pizza Express did merch…

3. Don your best normcore

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Sure, you might look at this picture of Clooney circa 1995 and think he’s channelling an all-American dad on a trip to Ponderosa’s all-you-can-eat, but that’s the point. Normcore, as described in the Cambridge English dictionary, refers to “wearers who do not wish to distinguish themselves from others by their clothing”.



It’s become a “thing” thanks to brands such as Ader Error, Balenciaga and Vetements, the latter doing it best. Headed up by Demna Gvasalia up until recently, Vetements was the first major label to put hoodies and chunky trainers on the catwalk back in 2016. In doing so, it sparked a revolution, with the catwalk turning down its high-fashion amplitude in favour of more accessible looks. In 2020 Aimé Leon Dore and New Balance are pushing it through their collaborative campaigns, with chunky dad trainers and nondescript baggy jeans taking centre stage.

4. The bolder the tie the better

:copyright: Jean-Paul Aussenard
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Throughout the 1990s, and even into the 2000s, Clooney was adventurous with his formalwear. Not shy to try something different, he treated us to knitted, button-up sweater vests under oversized, 1980s-style fits and Peaky Blinders-esque grandad-collared shirts under tuxedos. Though, honestly, we’re not going to recommend trying either of those. 



One thing we do vouch for, however, was his penchant for a bold tie. Favoured by Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, it was a power move popular in the 1980s and allowed Clooney to command all the attention on the red carpet, even when his then girlfriend, Celine Balitran, attempted to show him up in the suit department.

5. Pattern clash to your heart’s content

:copyright: Ron Galella
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It may look a shambles, but, to be totally honest, Clooney’s mismatched checks were spot on. Already being championed by the likes of Kurt Cobain and Johnny Depp, the throw-it-all-on grunge look was what all the cool kids were doing.

Today, it’s a major trend in menswear. Last year we were introduced to colour clashing at the men’s shows and now we’re going heavy on the patterns. For Autumn/Winter 2020 we’ve been served clashing check suits and coats at Paul Smith, while at Dunhill sky-blue striped shirts were worn under salmon-hued checked jackets.

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I am so grateful those fashion year are over , the clothes didn't look good on him or anybody.