From Ross Geller to Trigger, Raven Smith brings his pop cultural heroes of tailoring into the limelight
After NOWNESS' Raven Smith talked us through his Instagram devotion to Hilary Clinton's plethora of pantsuits, we asked him to develop his exploration into the most sharable suits from pop culture; the people who may sit outside of the conventionally defined realm of the fashion icon, but whose choice of tailoring gives them an edge that stands the test of time. While seasons may come and go, trends may shift and evolve, Trigger's sartorial styling in Only Fools and Horses is an enduring part of the cultural zeitgest and, according to Smith, deserve recognition as such. "A suit should fit well and seem effortless. The end. And wearing a suit is all about your accessories and attitude." From Ross Gellar to Miranda Hobbes, here are some of his favourites who have nailed the two...
On Trigger...
Possibly one of the greatest icons in British pop cultural history, Trigger's blue suit in Only Fools And Horses is a timeless classic that is as sharp as it is courageous when worn down The Nags's Head. "I know sheepskin is having a moment and half of Vogue is dressed as Del Boy but Trigger was THE ONE," explains Smith. And that is an indisputable fact.
On Ross Geller...
The tragedy of Ross Geller getting ready to take Rachel Greene to prom before being swiftly spurned is a wound only salved by Smith's stamp of approval. "If you think about it properly, Ross Geller invented the WAG; he was way ahead of the curve on the deep tan, the white teeth, and the leather trousers. Here he sports a classic tux with a classic perm."
On Poirot...
While plenty of people have tried to capture the inimitable suave of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot, nobody has ever managed to succeed with as much finesse as David Suchet – and certainly, nobody wears his wardrobe better. As Smith summates: "I’m not sure Poirot is officially out of the closet but the closet is full of these suits and they’re all in civil partnerships."
On Big...
On first watch, one might assume that the main message to be learned from Big is about the importance of maintaining youthful exuberance within our adult lives. In fact, its omniscience extends further... "I read once that Victoria Beckham wears shoes a size too big so she looks smaller," explains Smith. "I feel like she saw this scene in Big and realised the sartorial significance."
On Miranda Hobbes...
In a series that has inspired a cultish following for its fashion-forward styling, poor Miranda Hobbes never gets to wear the tutus that are bequeathed upon Carrie, embrace Sam's penchant for a plunging neckline or borrow any of Charlotte's WASPy headbands. For her super-boring office job (she's only a Harvard-grad lawyer), she has to wear suits. "This outfit shouldn’t work and doesn’t. Let’s subpoena Miranda for crimes against tailoring."
On David Byrne...
Of his iconic, ever-expanding Stop Making Sense suit, David Byrne once explained that, "I wanted my head to appear smaller, and the easiest way to do that was to make my body bigger.” Nothing more than that can or should be said.
On Trainspotting's Spud...
Spud's interview for a job in the leisure industry is one of Trainspotting's finest moments, not least because it pairs a suit jacket with a frantic, drug-addled temparment for the ultimate corporate demeanour. "Remember what you were wearing that time you took speed and went to a job interview?" asks Smith. "It worked surprisingly well."
On Paris, Texas...
Not only does Wim Wenders know how to sell us on the saddest love story ever told, but he also knows how to co-ordinate an impactful outfit. "The Sorting Hat‘s bastard child bought this drab suit to life in Paris, Texas. You could wear this combo to ‘Spoons and nobody would bat an eyelid. You could probably get away with this at Claridges, too (with the right shoe)."
On Dapper Laughs...
Who can forget the outfit that Dapper Laughs wore for his Newsnight moment of supposed contrition? "Nothing says remorse like a black turtleneck. Once the preserve of the Black Panther it’s now the go-to piece for any u-turning misogynist. This particular garment is actually three sizes too small, squeezing the neck closed and trapping the rape jokes inside him like a cork in a bottle"
On Gareth...
"2001 just sent you this sext."
