The Robert De Niro guide to nailing a signature uniform
Since the beginning of his career Robert De Niro has carved out a signature look comprising of slouchy jackets and low-key underlayers. Here we show you how and why it works
French novelist Gustav Flaubert once famously said: “Be settled in your life and as ordinary as the bourgeois, in order to be fierce and original in your works.” Seemingly this is something that Hollywood veteran Robert De Niro has applied to both his film career and his wardrobe.
The man we know as Sam ‘Ace’ Rothstein in Casino, Jimmy Conway in Goodfellas, Don Corleone in The Godfather and the retired executive Ben Whittaker in The Intern has spent the past
50 years perfecting an Italianate take on casual tailoring, which has remained remarkably consistent in its low-key and slightly dishevelled elegance.
And sure multiple men have developed a literal uniform over the years. Mark Zuckerberg has his grey Loro Piana T-shirts, Steve Jobs had his roll necks, Bill Nighy is more-often-than-not in his blue suits, or Giorgio Armani and blue T-shirts, all of which can seem monk-like and severe. De Niro’s approach is softer, more chilled and less prescriptive and for that we salute him.
It's also a look that is remarkably easy to pull off and will suit practically anybody. In fact, you’ll probably already own a version of the slouchy jacket and shirt that he can be seen wearing as he left The Late Show With Stephen Colbert this week.
Here we present to you every time De Niro perfected his timeless style.