There comes a point in many a man’s life when, wooed by the movies, they decide to purchase a shearling jacket. “Tom Hardy in The Dark Knight Rises? I’ll have a bit of that,” goes the train of thought, only to discover that, in real life, these teddy-like creatures are tricky to wear. Often, the end result is more John Motson reporting early team news from Stamford Bridge than Bat-breaking revolutionary dictator.
But there are a courageous few who lead us towards the light — Shia LaBeouf, A$AP Rocky, Drake (remember that thing!?), and the IKEA monkey all come to mind — proving that when tamed properly, the shearling is a classically cool sartorial force to be reckoned with. You can now add Timothée Chalamet to that list after the reigning Hollywood heartthrob was papped in a razor-sharp Saint Laurent leather bomber that is both cozy and fly as hell.
Chalamet has carved a reputation for his grungy denim jackets, but if you ask me, he’s always looked better in leather (my pulse gets over 170 when I think of him in that Berluti by Haider Ackermann number). By this point, you’re probably bored with style sites like this talking about how “X item” is an investment piece, but really, a shearling, when cared for properly, should be a viable hand-me-down to the grandchildren. It’s fine to wear one with formal attire should you wish, but I think the proportions can look weird and kinda brittle. Instead, Chalamet makes the case for casual, tossing his over a gray hoodie and track pants. It’s a pretty straight-forward ensemble that subscribes to the pandemic-era rules of dressing, with the leather jacket providing a wee dash of je ne sais quoi.
It’s not the first time Chalamet has dabbled in a bit of shearling — you may remember his corduroy Prada jacket from some years back. When it comes to leathers, thrift stores are full of them, albeit finding one that fits snuggly is a bit of a moonshot. For a streamlined fit like our Chalamet's, it's probably best to buy new and then have it tailored to your frame.
Given the amount of fawning over Chalamet’s style (this publication included), it’s to be expected that a few dissenting voices have emerged to tell us that, no, he is not the messiah. IMHO, that’s always been a bit shitty. At 24, Chalamet, without a recognized stylist, is still figuring out his bearings, and part of that is taking risks that don’t always come off. By mastering the difficult shearling, he shows he’s well on the right track.
