For J.C. Chandor’s period crime drama A Most Violent Year, the film’s costume designer, Kasia Walicka-Maimone, collaborated with Armani on the mix of archival, vintage and contemporary designer pieces chosen for Jessica Chastain’s Anna. The wardrobe choices (and Scarface bob) nail the character’s aspirations in turbulent 1981 New York.
But Anna’s voluminous white coat isn’t the only notable fashion choice in the stylish film. Sartorialists have also made note of the knee-length camel overcoat worn throughout much of the movie by her husband, beleaguered businessman Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac). With peak lapels, flap patch side pockets, cuffed sleeves and a half belt, the double-breasted “polo” coat style, Walicka-Maimone explains by phone from New York, is so-called because of its original use: British polo players wore it to keep warm between chukkas. In the early 20th century what had once clothed aristocratic athletes like the Duke of Windsor was introduced by Brooks Brothers to America and made its way into the canon of prep style. That make it an apt choice of coat by design, a detail that speaks volumes about the character.
In A Most Violent Year, Morales “was on the path to achieve the American Dream, choosing the best of everything,” she explains in reference to her wardrobe choices. “He was influenced by that, though at times he takes things a little bit too far, so we pushed his costume a little further.” The white shirts have a faint shiny stripe, while the pinstriped ties are a little too glossy to be classic. “All are within [the] Ivy League vocabulary, but also with a past influence of quite a sophisticated culture, his own immigrant culture.”
The rest of Morales’s closet is just as impeccable. Walicka-Maimone created his entire wardrobe from scratch (including the coat), opting for a more structured look than the Armani silhouette of the era (see Richard Gere’s suits in 1980’s American Gigolo) to suit the character.
“He has no air of casualness in his attire,” she says with a laugh. The distinctive silhouettes – double-breasted, wide peak lapels and strong shoulders – “were inspired very much by 1981 [Nino] Cerruti, a style that was carried by Barney’s at that time,” she explains. The suits and coat were then custom-made by Martin Greenfield, the renowned Brooklyn clothier who has provided tailoring for clients ranging from U.S. President Barack Obama to the cast of Boardwalk Empire. “Martin and his fabulous young tailors really understand the period and can reproduce the styles. Contemporary suits now are made from very thin material,” Walicka-Maimone says. Plus, she adds, Greenfield “has a collection of classic fabrics from around the world that have more weight and more body. I think that’s why they tailored so beautifully – it just becomes armour. And then the way [Morales] wears his coat on top, it becomes almost a token of his achievements.”
The tan topper is also a nod, Walicka-Maimone acknowledges, to the camel coat’s popularity in 1970s fashion and costume design, from Ali McGraw in Love Story and Barbra Streisand in The Way We Were to the heavies in The Sting, Brando in Last Tango in Paris and, not least, the gritty crime dramas of the era that inspired Chandor’s film in the first place.