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Icons Only is The Quality Edit’s monthly film & TV inspired style guide. Every month, TQE fashion editor & film Substacker Hannah Baker celebrates an icon of on-screen style – and shows you how to get the look.
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When I think of autumnal style icons, my mind always drifts to the 1970s: Donald Sutherland’s professorial jackets in Don’t Look Now, Robert Redford’s popped coat collar in Three Days of the Condor, Elliott Gould in pretty much anything. It’s no wonder Kelly Reichardt’s new ‘70s-set art heist thriller The Mastermind has the best costume design of the year thus far. Josh O’Connor stars as James Mooney, an aimless art school dropout turned suburban dad who decides to rob a local art museum. It feels equally likely that he’s designed this scheme out of boredom rather than need, given his gently privileged milieu. Reichardt reframes the heist genre as an autumnal-hued neo-noir where no one can be relied on and every action feels meaningless – appropriate for a movie that draws a thin, chino veil over the Vietnam War simmering in the background.
The movie was a fun reminder of why 1970’s fashion feels so appropriate for fall. The palette of the 1970’s favored natural autumn colors like tan, maroon, forest green, and mustard, the era’s favorite camel-colored corduroy coordinating with dry leaves crunching underfoot. It’s now cold enough to make layering necessary, which the ‘70s love of texture makes visually interesting: thick, chunky knits in rich burgundy and deep olive peeking out from under smooth unzipped tan jackets, with pops of plaid flannel adding a little visual flair.
Costume designer Amy Roth (niece of legendary costume designer Ann Roth, who designed 70s classics like Klute and Marathon Man) somehow created a wardrobe that feels true to O’Connor’s character and the era, while being appealingly contemporary. Let’s break down why The Mastermind’s 1970s-chic costume design is the essential blueprint for menswear this fall:
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Like many 1970’s cinematic menswear icons, Josh O’Connor’s character James Mooney leans on a tan jacket to pull together most of his looks. He appears to be wearing the Leather City The Mastermind Cotton Jacket ($136), a perfect thin outer layer to wear over a knit. Tan and burgundy are one of my favorite color combos, so I’d take a page from O’Connor’s book and pair your tan jacket with the Quince Cashmere Crewneck Sweater in Rich Burgundy ($60). I love Quince’s cashmere sweaters, and the v-neck version of this burgundy sweater is one of my autumnal go-to’s.
Though his character is an art school dropout, his style leans more preppy than hippie, especially when he’s trying to keep a low profile casing the museum he’s going to rob. I love the clean lines and simple blocks of color in this look. For a chino pant, I prefer a slim fit like O’Connor wears – the J. Crew Classic Chino Pant ($98) is a great dupe. I’d pair that with a high quality green crewneck like the subtly-flecked Todd Snyder Donegal Crewneck in Oakmoss ($198). O’Connor’s patterned collar peeks out from under his plain sweater, adding some visual interest. The Quince Organic Cotton Stretch Twill Dress Shirt in Light Blue/White Check ($50) is a close match for O’Connor’s collared shirt with a blink-and-you’d-miss-it subtle pattern.
When he’s not loitering at the museum planning his heist, O’Connor is laying around at home in this hilarious boxer / sweater / sock combo. He doesn’t seem particularly interested in getting a job – why would he, when that would mean putting on pants? I discovered the French brand C’est Moi Qui Pilote on a recent visit to the Printemps department store. The unisex brand makes boxers well-tailored enough to leave the house in. The Caleçon Pilote Rayures Beige ($78) is close to the pinstripe pair O’Connor wears. When it comes to basics to lounge around in, Buck Mason is always the answer. The Buck Mason Field-Spec Rugby Crew in Dark Olive ($108) has a classic fit in a very ‘70s colorway. Complete the look with my favorite wool socks I’ve tried this fall: the Finisterre Bosun Sock in Timber Green and Chestnut Brown ($28). All of the color combinations on these Finisterre socks are excellent, from plum & greige to azure & mustard.
It wouldn’t be a movie set in the 1970’s without a plaid flannel. Plaid can feel overwhelming, clashing colors in a million not-quite-right variations. To narrow down your search, I’d search the specific colors you’re looking for and favor color combinations with a strong accent color over a more neutral base – that way the plaid pattern will feel bolder, like with the pop of thin dark blue plaid on O’Connor’s flannel shirt above. LL Bean Men’s Scotch Plaid Flannel Shirt in Bean of Freeport Natural ($60) is a nice combination of dark brown and grey plaid over a pale cream base. If you prefer a more oversized fit, the same principle applies to the Deon 5465 Organic Cotton Button-Up Shirt ($170). And if you want a slightly more Western collar in a brighter colorway, the mustard in the Buck Mason CabinEssence Flannel Camp Shirt in Calistoga Plaid ($178) feels very ‘70s-inspired.
Corduroy is both one of the most iconically 1960s-1970s fabrics and one of the best, most durable textiles for fall. I love how the fabric feels totally different depending on the wale, i.e. the width of the raised vertical ridges. As a rule of thumb, the higher the wale the skinnier the ridges: standard wale is 11 wales/inch, while “pincord” or “pinwale” is anything over 16 wale and is very thin. Brands will sometimes specify the wale of their corduroy in their item descriptions, so keep an eye out. Josh’s corduroy jacket is my favorite piece in the film. It feels perfectly worn-in and period-appropriate. I’d personally ditch the hat and let the jacket be the centerpiece of the fit. The Everlane Fine Wale Corduroy Chore Blazer in Cocoa ($198) is a beautifully-tailored pincord coat with a very fine, soft wale and a similar collar to O’Connor’s. I also love a cozy corduroy pant for fall - Josh O’Connor’s friend and collaborator Jonathan Anderson just released another excellent collab with Uniqlo, including the Uniqlo x JW Anderson Corduroy Work Pant in Brown ($60). If you’re looking for a slimmer, more classic fit, the tailoring on the Buck Mason Craftsman Corduroy Ford Standard Jean in Chocolate ($188) is perfect.
If you’d told me a week ago I’d be telling people to channel a suburban dad as their style icon for fall, I wouldn’t have believed you. But Josh O’Connor in Kelly Reichardt’s The Mastermind has the perfect mix of preppy chic basics and retro 70’s textures. That combined with a seasonally-appropriate 1970s color palette makes The Mastermind an undeniable blueprint for fall menswear this year.
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