5 looks inspired by Icons of Style - Fred Astaire

In our new series of articles, we look at the mesmerizing style of one of the most stylish men ever: Mr. Fred Astaire. More precisely, his personal looks worn outside the screen, full of personal idiosyncrasies and inspiration.

We believe that the concept of timeless elegance does exist, and Astaire was one of the few who truly conveyed it. While one can emulate style up to a certain degree, it shouldn’t be the point. However, by inspecting the fine details of Astaire’s style, we can all learn something about classical dress and more importantly, personal style.

Should we wear striped socks with a repp tie? Maybe not. A double-breasted gray flannel suit? Hell yes.

The aim was not to replicate the looks of Astaire but to create outfits (wearable today) around his use of color and texture. You’ll enjoy going through them as much, as we enjoyed putting them together.

Bold plaids are best worn as tailored jackets and Astaire surely knew how to style them in his own way. For an updated look, try this Isaia sportcoat. Easy to dress up with a tie (button-down shirt optional) or worn casually with a turtleneck and jeans.

Stripes made a big comeback this year in the sartorial scene. At the same time, a double-breasted pinstripe suit will always be a true classic and Fred Astaire can be surely credited for making this look an evergreen. In today's standards, leave it to Chiaia Napoli to tailor it to perfection.

It’s still too hot to wear a flannel suit, but it would have been a shame to leave this look out of our homage to Fred Astaire. In the classic grey shade, it is a timeless and versatile option, ready for your own interpretation.

From the tennis court to the casual weekend wardrobe. A softly tailored houndstooth sportcoat is always a great base for a casual look. To update the look to today’s standards, change Astaire’s white flannel trousers to a pair of white denim.  Such a chic look for a weekend coffee on a nice terrace.

While this look would be not the most practical to wear on the tennis court, it is a very stylish option for most leisure activities. We love the terry cloth polo shirt from Fedeli, they bring a slightly unexpected twist and much-needed texture to this style. White lace-ups were one of the peculiarities of Astaire’s style, these surely takes some guts to pull off. If you are not sure about them, a pair of white trainers or suede loafers will always suffice.