The Grand Budapest Hotel Film Fashion: JP Jopling

The Grand Budapest Hotel was Wes Anderson’s 2014 romp, featuring the usual signatures we’ve come to expect.

JP Jopling in Grand Budapest Hotel

The Grand Budapest Hotel – Look the Film’s return…

I had the honour of watching the film with one Peter Raben, who I count as one of three fans of the Look the Film series in the world (the second being me, and third being a stranger I have to convince myself is looking on). So taking the honourable Mr Raben as my inspiration, Look the Film is back, bringing you the JP Jopling style from The Grand Budapest Hotel.

I’ve decided to take a more catwalk approach to LTF from here on in, so we start with a Daks leather jacket, as reported from Milan Fashion Week 2013 on The Fashionisto (can’t find a listed priced on this number, but I’d plump for a clean £1,000 at a guess). The knee length cut brings out a suitably bad-guys-in-WWII look for what has to be Anderson’s most menacing character to date. The slow chase scene between Willem Defoe’s JP Jopling and Jeff Goldblum was a highlight for me in The Grand Budapest Hotel – funny, but Jopling’s dark wardrobe and underbite fangs gave it a suitable creepiness.

On the sorry excuse for trousers I have used, take your pick from the following:

  • I have no idea where you could possibly buy such impossibly short trousers, or
  • I am pretending to have no idea where you could possibly buy such impossibly short trousers.

As a result I have plumped for some Rick Owens DRKSHDW Men’s Black Prisoner Drawstring Trousers, £252.00 at Oki-Ni. They have a suitably short look, and while not being quite smart enough, they would give an extra layer of warmth when the elasticated cuffs (are they still called cuffs when they are all the way down there?) are stuffed into your jackboots.

Speaking of which, Ali Express offered up these Retro Combat Boots, which was probably exactly what wardrobe asked for when prepping for the film ($48.15 – £28.99). Now, as retail websites go Ali Express looks a little down market (who am I to scoff, I’ve referenced products from Surplus & Outdoors in the past) but here’s what I realised – The Grand Budapest Hotel is most definitely a winter film and we are creeping slowly towards summer, so I’m taking what I can get.

I stole a polo neck from the Versace Autumn/Winter 14-15 catwalk rundown via GQ (see image 22 – glancing on Amazon I would hazard a guess at this setting you back around £141.75) and finished up with gloves from Merola gloves found on Mr Porter (£135).

Total Cost: £1557.74 (not including the price of a fang-graft, which I am pretty sure you can’t get on the NHS).

Check out my JP Jopling Pinterest board to marvel at just how short those trousers really were.

Look the Film: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

All good outfits start from the shoes up, even at sea. That gets creating a sartorial (and not merely fancy dress) take on the Zissou look off to a ropey start. The highly coveted Team Zissou Adidas trainers from the film attracted such trainer-lust that the market is flooded with opportunist knock-offs. Whether these are rebranded trainers or complete do-it-yourself jobs is a £50 risk I am unwilling to take to find out.

As a compromise I turn happily to the 21st century’s shoe crisis resolution: the Converse All Star. Converse.co.uk currently offer the opportunity build your own from a variety of designs, colours and prints. Sticking the colour ways from the film’s three-stripe onto a Chuck Taylor All Star Ox Canvas (£54, Converse) gives us a shoe which may not belong to Wes Anderson’s vision, but at least now it belongs to us.Following the nautical military theme set out in the film sees us plump for the Dockers Bright Twill Chinos in light blue (£75, House of Fraser) for a crisp ordered feel. Up top the sharp military lines of an Alexander McQueen Epaulette Regular Fit Single Cuff Shirt (£325, Selfridges & Co.), and darker blue trim are evocative of the film’s detailing. The lack of a central stripe can be countered through a Turnbull & Asser Ribbed Blue Silk Tie (£75, Mr Porter) to pull the ensemble together. Some slight alterations might be needed, as the shirt comes long sleeved, sacrificing the sporty look worn by the crew of the Belafonte. But the McQueen costs the best part of £400, so it’s your call.
To complete the look add the Red Tiny Beanie (£8, ASOS) – shabby and bobble free for the Bill Murray look, with variations for the rest of the crew.

Outfit
Chuck Taylor All Star Ox Canvas – £54
Dockers Bright Twill Chinos in light blue – £75
Alexander McQueen Epaulette Regular Fit Single Cuff Shirt – £325
Turnbull & Asser Ribbed Blue Silk Tie – £75
Red Tiny Beanie – £8

Total Cost: £537
Total Cost with postage (UK): £550.90