Is Nucky Thompson Wearing Your New Fall Coat?
Boardwalk Empire Fashion Recap
October 4, 2010 at 12:24AM by Elizabeth Valleau
Wow. There are some particularly nasty moments on the boardwalk in Episode Three. We get to see a sounding session with Lucky Luciano for his gonorrhea. Ouch. You gents better thank your lucky stars for modern sciences. And of course there's agent Van Alden torturing a man to death in a dentist's chair... after shooting him full of liquid cocaine. Also, lynching. Well at least everyone is looking snazzy, and I'd like to pause for a moment to appreciate the fact that Paz de la Huerta is basically nude in every scene she appears in. Basically.
In other good news, the amazing Michael K. Williams (better known as Omar from The Wire) is back in a big way, gaining share in Nucky's bootlegging industry and bringing a racial thread to the table when a young member of his crew regarding said lynching. And, man, what a coat on this Chalky character! Some kind of imposing, cherry-red, lamb-collared Chesterfield, I'm sure. And Williams pulls it off with such grim elegance that it looks lordly rather than pimpish for such a loud piece.
It also brings to bear the topic of outerwear. The temperature took a dive this past week, and I'm sure many of you are starting to think in earnest about your trendy new fall and winter coat selections. And while there are definitely going to be styles from Boardwalk that don't exactly translate to the modern age, a 1920's jacket is about as classic as it gets. From Al Capone's roughneck Shearling leathers to Nucky's elega\nt single-breasted camel coats, there's nary a shape nor color on this show that you couldn't rock today with impunity.
Boardwalk Empire costume designer John Dunn likes to emphasize the imposing double-breasted coat with wide, almost flying lapels, and lots of fur and padded shoulders to boot. It's an elegant look, but still very masculine — sexy, even, in a legitimately gangster kind of way. But you have to have the right frame: a wider or shorter gentleman would be better off with a simple, single-breasted coat, like Agent Van Alden's above. And while Chalky's red coat might seem a challenge to many of you, I certainly would encourage venturing into braver territories — maybe some vintage greens, warm browns, and plaids. While the behavior of our boys on the boardwalk might be nothing to emulate, at least you can stay cool in the cold with their classic outerwear.
(Non-Boardwalk side note before I leave you until next week's recap: Consider the smell of your overcoat. There are few moments more important to a woman than when she embraces a man in the cold and receives a warm burst of masculine scent. Think pipe smoke and cedar. And we will thank you.)
Photo Credit: Abbot Genser/HBO
Read more: http://www.esquire.com/blogs/mens-fashion/boardwalk-empire-episode-3-recap-100410#ixzz15GAvri8p
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