THE JOURNAL
Messrs Al Martino and Marlon Brando in a scene from The Godfather, 1972. Photograph by Mr Steve Schapiro/Corbis via Getty Images
As with any great film, Mr Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather tells its story through far more than what the characters say or do. The story of the Corleone family of gangsters, which runs through feuds, violence, love and tragedy, is also conveyed through what they wear. The clothes bring narrative arc, period detail, place and, from Don Vito Corleone’s rose buttonhole to Michael’s pinstripes, power.
The Godfather celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, which gives us a chance to watch it again, but also an opportunity to reassess the clothes and the lasting influence they’ve had on men’s wardrobes.
Tailoring is the focus – the Corleone family don’t do casual – but through this we see the evolution of characters. Michael (Mr Al Pacino), initially a “civilian”, wears the corduroy trousers and sweaters of a preppy post-war, college-educated man for the first half of the film, moving to pinstripes and three-piece suits as he, inevitably, becomes the head of the family. His father, Vito (Mr Marlon Brando), starts with those suits, the famous red rose in his buttonhole, the slightly incongruous cat in his lap. Once retired, he moves to softer shirts and cardigans as the sharp edges of his life fade away.
From left to right: Messrs Abe Vigoda, Richard S Castellano, Marlon Brando, John Cazale, Al Lettieri, James Caan and Robert Duvall in The Godfather, 1972. Photograph by Paramount Pictures/Alamy
All this was the work of Ms Anna Hill Johnstone, the veteran costume designer who had worked with Brando on On The Waterfront, as well as with Mr James Dean on East Of Eden in the 1950s. Ms Christina Newland, film critic for the i newspaper, says Hill Johnstone’s experience was critical to The Godfather, which was made in the 1970s, but starts in 1945. “By 1972, she was more than capable of recreating the look, feel and fabrics of that time,” says Newland. “We’re not talking about a contemporary costume designer who is recreating period dress from long before they were born. She was there at the time.”
While Michael’s sojourn in Italy prompts him to adopt the flat caps and open-necked shirts of rural Sicily, it’s the suits (and the Homburg hats) that dominate the film’s fashion legacy. So iconic that they have become the stuff of fancy dress parties, they are also referenced in the wardrobes of the fictional gangsters who have followed (see the made guys of Mr Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas and Casino and the famous Godfather impressions by the impeccably turned out Silvio Dante in The Sopranos).
“It brought a sense of retro luxury to a mass audience, ensuring that the tux three-piece tailored suit and hat remained staples of menswear for some years to come”
Professor Christopher Breward, author of _The Suit: Form, Function & Style _and director of collection and research at the National Galleries of Scotland, believes the enduring success of the films guaranteed the influence they’ve had on men’s style. “It brought a sense of retro luxury to a mass audience, ensuring that the tux three-piece tailored suit and hat remained staples of menswear for some years to come,” he says.
Indeed, the pinstripe suits, pointed shirt collars and camel coats that were worn by the Corleones now have the untouchable status of classics. “The Godfather look is a survivor,” says Breward, “as immediately evocative as the movie’s theme tune and dialogue.” Elements can be seen in brands including Ermenegildo Zegna, Canali, Thom Sweeney, Giuliva Heritage, Paul Smith, TOM FORD and Richard James. “I love the cut and the proportions and the colour choices for the different occasions in The Godfather,” says designer Mr Gerardo Cavaliere from Rome-based Giuliva Heritage. “They remind me of the suits that my great uncle used to sew for my grandfather.”
Messrs Al Pacino and Marlon Brando in The Godfather, 1972. Photograph by Paramount Pictures/Photofest
This is not a “fashion” film. The clothes are used primarily for character and narrative. This may be partly why it has resonated with each new generation that has discovered the film in the five decades since it was released. “It’s because the clothes are an essential and beautifully rendered part of the entire design aesthetic,” says Mr Tom Santopietro, author of The Godfather Effect. “These clothes do not draw attention to themselves for the designer’s sake.”
You can read a lot into the characters through what they wear. Michael’s suits show how he is distancing himself from the showy mobster look, but also how he is rebranding organised crime. “Michael could pass for a Madison Avenue executive of the late 1940s,” says Santopietro. “He looks like a businessman because, to him, the Corleone family business is just that – a business.” If the motivation behind the look is morally suspect, the elegance remains irresistible.
“The clothes are an essential and beautifully rendered part of the entire design aesthetic”
Designer Mr Richard James predicts that the film’s reissue may make it a style reference once again. “Double-breasted suits are always threatening to make a comeback,” he says. “We regularly feature them in our collection. They feature a lot in The Godfather and I can see this having an effect.” To avoid looking like a costume party mafia boss, a little of the film’s character goes a long way. “I remember when Casino was released, people didn’t immediately want to dress like Robert De Niro’s character, but there was a definite shift towards clients requesting pastel colours in shirts and trousers,” says James.
For Santopietro, the importance of The Godfather’s wardrobe goes beyond cut and colour. It was the moment when wider American culture gave space – and status – to Italian American style. “Italian Americans used to have people make fun of them for their immigrant clothes,” he says. “The clothes in The Godfather charted a completely different course.” Giuliva also picks up on this point. “The Godfather is one of my favourite movies,” he says. “Beyond a purely aesthetic point of view, what I appreciate most is the portrait of the Italian American gangster communicating his power through elegant Italian clothes.”
The Godfather re-release is in selected cinemas from 25 February
The people featured in this story are not associated with and do not endorse MR PORTER or the products shown