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| Image: Life |
I feel like a fraud admitting this, but I have never seen a Steve McQueen film. I only know of the man from his sartorial heritage - being a rugged bad-ass. He was named as one of GQ's 50 Most Stylish Men of the Past 50 Years, initially putting him on my style radar. They deemed the most fitting description of him as a "surf, bum, hippie... McQueen was at his best when he looked like he'd just washed up on the beach." Each day we are assaulted with an overabundance of casual attire, yet some can make it look downright enviable. McQueen was one. Simplicity reigned with regards to his wardrobe, proving to be as functional as it was cool in order to accommodate his robust hobbies, namely racing, aviation and marital arts. Confidence was his best accessory.
I recall giving my uncle The Magnificent Seven one Christmas in my youth and his subsequent disgust having heard that I'd never seen it. "Steve McQueen man! He's the coolest". One of my favorite style publications, The Rake, turned me on to his refined side in the lead role of the original The Thomas Crown Affair, in which he was outfitted almost entirely in custom British tailoring. Form fitting suits, waistcoats and pocket watches transformed the gritty hired gun from a life of dusty horses to elegant Rolls Royces.
Earlier this week I stumbled across a new series of pictures just released by Life showing various aspects of his short life. Bear witness to his bad-ass ways: Steve McQueen: 20 Never-Seen Photos
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| Image: Life |
And for the refined McQueen, sink into The Rake's online version of the Thomas Crown article: Crowning Glory
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| Image: IMDB |
Here's hoping Bullit or The Great Escape is playing OnDemand this weekend so that I can correct my McQueen-less shortcomings and earn the right to continue lauding ruggedness.
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