THE JOURNAL
From left: Daniel Craig in London, 10 December 2024. Photograph by Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/WireImage via Getty Images. Colman Domingo in Los Angeles, 19 November 2024. Photograph by ZZHollywood To You/Star Max/GC Images via Getty Images. Pedro Pascal in Brooklyn, New York, 29 April 2024. Photograph by Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images via Getty Images
One of the great tragedies for middle-aged men is that, statistically speaking, very few of us – almost none, in fact – are Daniel Craig. There is much to envy about the former 007, and it’s not just how he looks in a dinner jacket. His approach to getting older seems to be one of freewheeling creativity. While many of us hit our second let alone third act feeling tired or stifled, he’s out there making bold choices, like a starring role in Luca Guadagnino’s Queer or fronting a LOEWE campaign. He even looks good with a receding hairline, the swine.
In the past year, Craig also pulled off something that is near-impossible for men of a certain vintage: he changed his look. Not so long ago, his style was rooted in Bond-age. Luxe tailoring and smart-casual neatness executed with the cool precision of a secret agent. Suddenly, it’s bolder and more casual. Pantaloon-style fatigues, colourful knitwear, oversized jackets, tank tops and tinted glasses are all in the broth, mixing military menswear with preppy references. He still looks great in tailoring, of course, but that, too, is wavier and more expressive.
“This has been really interesting,” says the fashion creator Nicky Campbell, whose red-carpet reviews have fast become the final word on what looks good in Hollywood. “Women are constantly reinventing themselves, but it’s rare to see those changes in men. And it feels effortless with Daniel. It doesn’t look like he’s trying too hard.”
Trying too hard might be the Checkpoint Charlie between a successful style evolution and what looks like a midlife crisis. So, how do you stay on the right side of the border and freshen your look without a team of stylists or international designers paying you to wear their stuff?
“The most important thing is that the outfit never feels like it’s wearing him”
Campbell says that making a seismic shift like Craig’s is difficult – the secret is a few bold choices without completely losing who you were. “The most important thing for me is that the outfit never feels like it’s wearing him,” he says. “He might opt for a crazier print or a big silhouette, but it’s styled in such a way that it just adds a pop.”
Campbell recommends Marni and LOEWE as good places to shop for interesting knits. It’s the kind of item that anyone can buy, without having to overhaul their entire wardrobe.
“There’s so much within that category,” Campbell says. “Is it looser? Is it tighter? Is it a thick wool hair? Is it patterned?”
Another starting point is to switch your go-to fits to something comfortable and modern. It’s a move that Ilaria Urbinati, stylist to the likes of Donald Glover, Barry Keoghan and Ryan Reynolds, believes is more flattering for middle-aged men.
“There is a silhouette happening right now that feels more current than the old straight and skinny styles,” she says. “If you can nail that and lean your wardrobe in that direction, your look will feel less dated, while also not swerving too far from classic pieces or trying to look too young.”
Urbinati says to aim for slouchier proportions and less body-conscious fits, without letting it get too boxy or too baggy. Check out ZEGNA or Nili Lotan for the right balance between slouchy and lazy.
“It needs to be a holistic look, rather than zeroing in on one thing”
And remember it can be perilous to look at the red carpet alone. You might see Colman Domingo or Jeff Goldblum wearing something fabulous, but unless you’re on the guestlist for this year’s Met Gala, it’s quite impractical to copy their style. There is, after all, a finite amount of drip required for the average office or school run.
Instead, start with what you already have. You can experiment without completely ditching an aesthetic you’re comfortable with. Let’s say you’re into preppy menswear. Labels such as LOEWE, RRL or Drake’s will let you nudge the look in a new direction. Or if blokecore is your thing, watch how Wales Bonner remixes the look and add the odd piece to update your rotation.
Think also of long-term gains – clothing that is cohesive in terms of your wider wardrobe and therefore more likely to stick around. (It’s worth perusing MR PORTER’s Consciously Crafted collections for standout items that are purposely designed with durability and circularity in mind.)
“Don’t necessarily feel like you have to reinvent the entire wheel,” Campbell says. “Look at each category and then expand and do something that feels slightly out of your comfort zone.”
There’s a key distinction between this and one of the booby traps of middle-aged style. A common mistake is to find one thing that you like and hang your whole look around it. Just as some guys hit 40 and get into cycling or home brewing, others will suddenly start wearing outlandish sneakers without changing much else about their style. Or they’ll lean into one designer as though they have a sponsorship deal.
It’s great that you’re not sleepwalking into anonymous middle aged with an emphasis on “mid”, but if you want to evolve your style, have a mood board in mind, not a single idea. “It needs to be a holistic look, rather than zeroing in on one thing,” Campbell says. “Because otherwise your whole identity becomes tied to that and it’s not really an evolution.”
To echo the words of the great poet Dylan Thomas, do not go gentle into that good night. Just have a good look in the mirror first.