How to look spylish

... like the stars in The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Sep 16, 2015 06:00 am

The movie's title may reference uncles, but you won't find any ugly ah pek fashion in British director Guy Ritchie's new spy thriller.

Based on the 1960s TV series of the same name, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. showcases a fascinating array of Cold War-era fashion, all with a distinctly mod feel.

Though the film is set in 1963,English costume designer Joanna Johnston used late-60s fashion to give it a "continental Sixties style".

"It was all about colour," said Johnston.

"It was a very radical and adventurous time across all disciplines, from art to fashion and music.

"What really struck me was the freedom of design of the time; it shines through the photography, the models, the styling, everything."

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The four main characters in The Man from U.N.C.L.E are American spy Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill), Soviet agent Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer), rescued East German refugee Gaby Teller (Alicia Vikander) and English-Italian villainess Victoria Vinciguerra (Elizabeth Debicki).

Each has his or her own distinctive 60s look, based on the character's social status and personality.

Johnston, who worked on Forrest Gump, Death Becomes Her and Lincoln, said Ritchie gave her free reign with the characters' designs.

"He wanted it to look just cool and sexy," Johnston told fashion site Refinery29.

Rather than having cliched, over-the-top retro fashion, she chose pieces that were "more subtle and original", but still glossy and slick, "like those films you remember where everyone looked good no matter what they were doing."

"(The fashion is) incredibly elegant and it's got a timeless quality about it," Johnston said. "It's easy to see how it settles within summer 2015, how it suddenly falls back into a perfect position in current day."

We break down the four leads' luxe looks and show you how to replicate them for less.

NAPOLEON SOLO (HENRY CAVILL)

"You look important: or at least your suit does," a character tells Solo in the film's opening scene.

Like his British counterpart James Bond, American super-spy Solo saves the world while looking dapper in a suit.

"He's all about the vanity and projection of his appearance - so expensive, good-looking and chic," the movie's costume designer Joanna Johnston told Bloomberg.

"He has fine tailoring from Saville Row and handmade shoes, and looks like the proper gentleman. I used Timothy Everest, a well-known British tailor, to make all of Henry's suits."

Said the British actor, 32: "They were made of the most wonderful fabric. And as soon as I put them on, I felt like Napoleon Solo."

Topshop blue and grey check skinny three-piece suit ($518)

Celio* Baperfect blanc white shirt ($59.90)

Zara polka dot silk tie ($49.90)

Mango polka dot silk pocket square ($29)

ILLYA KURYAKIN (ARMIE HAMMER)

Hammer jokes that his Russian spy character "was on a Soviet budget", but the handsome 29-year-old US actor carried off his practical clothing with panache.

"It didn't feel like costuming," he said. "It felt just like clothes because it was never over the top."

Johnston told Boston Globe: "You could put Armie Hammer in a brown paper bag and he'd look good.

"His look was comprised of separates, suede and corduroy jackets, slacks and, of course, the turtleneck sweaters, which was the only element I had to keep from the TV show because it's the first thing everyone I talked to mentioned."

The low-key look works for Kuryakin, as it allows him to blend into the background, waiting for his chance to strike.

Luxottica Prada 14RS Logo Sunglasses Havana  ($420)

Fred Perry Prince of Wales flat cap ($99)

Club 21 Armani Exchange leather suede blocked jacket ($990)

Topman Blue Slubby turtle neck long sleeve T-Shirt ($46)

Zara structured trousers ($69.90)

GABY TELLER (ALICIA VIKANDER)

Teller is an East German mechanic recruited to help Solo and Kuryakin in their mission and she goes from dirty uniforms to chic dresses in her makeover.

"My mission was to find good, original clothing that needed to be on the conservative side, because they're trying to make (Gaby) into something she's not," Johnston told New York Post.

"Gaby is in these very clear, fresh, young colours, young styles."

The inspiration came from 60s model Jean Shrimpton, who was famed for her mod and glam looks.

When Teller visits the Vinciguerra estate, she wears a beautiful printed orange play-dress that helps her pop on screen.

Johnston also described Teller's look as "elegant and chic" and "not too heavily rooted in its time".

Swedish starlet Vikander, 26, told City TV she enjoyed both her wardrobe and the "very collaborative" process with Johnston.

Ray-Ban Round Fleck Brown Classic B-15 sunglasses ($330, Luxottica)

Dustbunny Vintage Tinkerbell Pomegranate dress with keyhole Cut-out ($129)

Deja Vu vintage white and goldtone triple loop earrings ($39)

Deja Vu vintage yellow button on silvertone ring ($59)

Zara messenger bag with golden clasp ($149)

VICTORIA VINCIGUERRA (ELIZABETH DEBICKI)

Devious and devastatingly beautiful, Vinciguerra is the true leader of her husband's criminal business empire.

She dresses almost exclusively in black and white, the classic mod colours of the decade which also reflect her "strength."

According to Johnston, her image was inspired by 101 Dalmations villainess Cruella de Vil and aristocratic 60s model Marisa Berenson.

Debecki enjoyed her role and felt that her power put her on a par with the male lead.

Said the 25-year-old Australian actress: "In her individual way, Victoria is sort of a match for (Solo), with the consideration and application, her projection of image. She likes a lot of drama in her look. She's a snake and she wants to snare people into her lair."