Film Inspiration: The Thin Man

Most nights this past week ended with me closing up the rest of my apartment, settling down in the bedroom, and turning on a movie. Now this isn’t unusual by any means, but this week I spent working my way through the wonderful The Thin Man films.

The stories all revolve around the tipsy detective Nick Charles (played by William Powell) and his lovely socialite wife Nora running between New York and San Francisco with their little pooch Asta to solve the crimes the always seem to pop up no matter which coast their on. Powell is always immaculately turned out, almost always in a dark, double breasted suit, but seems to breathe so much life into these seemingly standard suits. Most of the men in the films wear the dark DB uniform, not unusual mid-thirties America, and while there is an overall look of elegance and panache to the films, it’s the way Powell wears what he wears that really makes it for me.

Powell always has his hat just so and maintains his leisurely swagger even when chasing the villain. So while his suits might be eye-catching, its the way they emphasize his attitude that really makes them shine. He looks perfectly comfortable, and the medium-width peak lapels on his coats emphasize his upright posture. The long pointed collars and narrow tie-knots keep the long lines traveling upwards, bringing the eye right to his face – which is ultimately the purpose of a well cut collar.

While this uniform of sorts makes up the majority of Powell’s wardrobe, it would also be remiss of me to ignore the polar elements of his dress – white tie and dressing gowns. While many men look stiff in formal wear and sloppy in their house clothes, Powell looks stately in a dressing gown and relaxed as can be in a tailcoat. It’s really for me the ultimate lesson in style – everything you wear should accentuate and enhance you and your attitude rather than being an external facade. Comfort should always be apparent, and that means physical and emotional comfort.

If you’ve never seen The Thin Man, get thee to Amazon.com, and then please let me know what you think. Some are certainly better films than others, but they are all stylishly inspiring.