It’s hard not to envy the rarified air inhabited by some of the coolest celebrities on the planet – actors who play superheroes, who’ve played James Bond, who’ve been rumored to play James Bond in the future… each with a distinct style all their own.
Glancing through images of celebs on the red carpet and indeed, out on the street, can inspire a sense of wanderlust and envy: The best watches, the most stylish denim and sneakers, even heritage-quality boots, all are well within reach of some of the best-dressed men on the planet. What’s the average consumer to do? Well, that’s easy – simply add those images to your mental mood board and move on, accepting your fate, right?
Not so fast: Dressing in style while imitating the look of a few of your favorite celebrities (whether on or off the red carpet) has actually never been easier. Think of these as celeb style hacks – more affordable replacements of the pieces your favorite celebrities can’t seem to get enough of, day in and day out. You can add these to your shopping cart and wardrobe with a few clicks, all without the budget of 007 himself.
The Style Hack: Daniel Craig’s Favorite Designer Jeans
Over the years, be it in acclaimed thriller “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” or as part of his many stylish outings around New York City and London, 007 himself tends to sport designer jeans from one brand: Scotch and Soda, founded in Amsterdam with an emphasis on the finest jeans on the planet.
He wears them with denim jackets in a contrasting shade, with buttondown shirts and simple crewneck sweaters, and rather famously, with a handsome cardigan in the aforementioned “Dragon Tattoo.”
Craig tends to favor the Scotch and Soda Ralston, which goes for well over $100 (and can run even higher than that, at times). Don’t quite feel like spending that much money on jeans? Here’s your style hack: Get a pair of the Banana Republic Factory Travel Jeans, which retail for $100 less than Scotch and Soda, all the while retaining the same blue denim perfection.
The Style Hack: Ryan Gosling’s Red Wing Boots
Whenever Ryan Gosling steps out in casual wear, he gravitates towards a few key items, like well-fitting T-shirts, crisp and classic blue jeans and of course, his favorite Red Wing boots. Gosling has a few pairs handy, like the Red Wing Iron Ranger or the Minnesota company’s famed moc toe boots.
But seeing as those are built in the U.S.A., they can run a pretty penny at times. The solution? You can get a highly stylish, affordable and well-made pair of boots from Thursday Boots (like the Thursday Boots Captain Boots), getting the same sense of distinctly rugged style at a solid discount compared to Red Wing boots.
The Style Hack: Chris Pine’s Red Carpet Suiting
Not everyone has the budget or the style resources to wear some of the outrageously cool suiting as favored by actor Chris Pine, but it’s fun to try, right? He wears a rich variety of suits, often without a tie and often made from breezy fabrics like linen and linen blends.
But what’s most inspiring about Pine’s looks is his use of color – a navy suit worn by Pine looks deeper and richer than plain ol’ navy. It could be the movie star “glow,” so to speak, but there’s a way to hack that style, too.
Pine might wear incredibly expensive, custom-made designer duds, but for a colorful alternative available at an agreeable price and in a range of sizes, the timeless J. Crew Ludlow Suit is a certified classic that saves you some dough in the long run.
The Style Hack: Idris Elba’s Knit Polos
Idris Elba, both a famed DJ and an actor acclaimed for roles in “The Wire” and more, knows his way around a polo. In fact, the actor goes beyond the typical cotton polo shirt and often tends to reach for polos that are more like a sweater or another piece of knitwear – known as a knit polo, as it were.
The knit polo is soft to the touch, stretchy and with some nice movement to it, all the while retaining the flattering fit of a traditional short-sleeve polo. And while Idris Elba opts for pieces both classic and extremely pricey, it’s surprisingly easy to find an affordable knit polo: For example, The Tie Bar makes a handsome birdseye sweater polo for under $60. It’s mighty tough to top that deal, right?
