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When it comes to dressing Hollywood’s hottest men (think: George Clooney, Jamie Dornan, Robert Downey Jr.) for the red carpet, Jeanne Yang — number 16 on The Hollywood Reporter‘s list of Top 25 Power Stylists — knows how to create a striking look.
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At the opening celebration for the new men’s formalwear shop at Saks in Beverly Hills, Yang shared her tips for standing out in what’s often a sea of penguins.
“For many years tuxedos were made to be uniforms, they were made to put everybody on a level playing field,” she told the crowd who was gathered on the second floor of the men’s department and surrounded by designer suits from the likes of Calvin Klein, Armani, Ralph Lauren, Brunello Cucinelli and Dolce & Gabbana, to name a few.
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“Now, we live in this social media world — everyone wants to standout. Do something different!” From the shop’s vast selection of over 450 tuxedos, the seasoned stylist pulled three unconventional black-tie looks sure to turn heads. “A good tux,” she said, “will make you look so good that people are going to come up to you and say, ‘did you get a hair cut?’ Or, ‘you lost weight, didn’t you. You look so great.’ That truly is when you know you’ve found the right thing.”
Here, Yang’s best black-tie tips for looking your best, including how to dress like Bond — James Bond, that is.
1. Skip the white shirt:
“It’s not always about wearing a white shirt. You can wear burgundy,” said Yang, who dressed model Victor in a maroon velvet Dolce & Gabbana jacket with a burgundy shirt underneath. “You can wear something that expresses a little bit about your personality.” For a more casual look, she also styled Anthony in an unconventional pick: chambray.
“We are from California after all,” she said of the shirt, which she layered under a notched lapel Ralph Lauren Black Label jacket. “In fact, we’re from Hollywood. So there really are no rules.”
And if you’re looking to shake it up a bit more, a turtleneck is a sure attention-grabber with major Bond vibes. “It’s like 007 — suave chic. Don’t think you can’t do it. You can.”
2. Change up your shoes:
Dress shoes aren’t the only way to go. Yang suggests suave sneakers, like a pair of patent leather Lanvin kicks, or even some studded velvet smoking loafers for a youthful look. “Throw on some Lewis Leeman smoking loafers that can be used later on for protection as well,” she said.
3. Play with texture:
Velvet is a definite of-the-moment red-carpet trend, and Yang is a fan. “I love velvet. With the velvet shoes and the velvet jacket, we’ve got this really rich, elegant look. Velvet’s not just for underground anymore. It kind of sparks him up.”
4. Blue is better:
Though many tend to invest in black tuxes, Yang suggests trying blue, specifically a midnight navy, for a more playful yet still formal vibe. “Black tends to suck the light, whereas blue is really luminous,” she said. “Midnight navy, they say, is a rich man’s black.”
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5. Your tailor is your best friend:
Though adding a bit of flair is fun, the one point that Yang continued to drive home was the importance of tailoring and achieving the perfect fit. “If you have your suit tailored in such a way, you can get away with anything. It’s really all about making sure it fits you in the proper manner. One of the biggest mistakes I find that a lot of men do, is wear a suit that’s one size too big.”
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