Stylish Moments in Film: Raiders of the Lost Ark

(first published April 20, 2016)

I recently watched Raiders of the Lost Ark for the first time (don't judge). I went in with no expectations because I was indifferent about the Indiana Jones franchise; I didn't not like it but nothing drove me to engage it either. Well, I regret putting it off for so long. Raiders is entertaining, funny, a little goofy, and charming in ways only Harrison Ford can be. Reminds me of a certain scruffy-looking nerf herder...

That smile though.

But this isn't a film review. What inspired me to write about Raiders happens about 13 minutes in. Everyone knows what Indiana Jones looks like: his earthy outfit, the brown patinaed leather jacket, swooping fedora, and his trusty bullwhip are instantly recognisable thanks to the ubiquity of his pop cultural significance.

Indiana Jones in his Wested 'Hero' A2-inspired brown leather jacket and Herbert Johnson Poet fedora.

He looks like this for about 90 percent of the film. So what happens 13 minutes into the movie?

Dr. Henry Walton Jones, Jr. has difficulty spelling ‘monolithic’

Wait, what? I had no idea he is also a PhD and college professor (shows how indifferent I was), AND a snazzy dresser. Brown tweed three-piece, pale yellow shirt and those frames—what are those!?

Indiana Jones' Beaufort P3 eyeglasses were made by Algha Group on Savile Row.

A full body shot reveals the suit in its entirety.

What a beautiful silhouette: the waist suppression, the way the jacket stays in place when his left arm is up, full cut pleated trouser that is almost certainly cuffed with the perfect amount of break. If his eyeglasses are crafted on the Golden Mile of Tailoring, surely his suits must be as well.

Doesn't Ford look debonair?

What I love about this meeting is the juxtaposition of Jones and the three gentlemen, specifically regarding their suits. They are wearing flannel or worsted while he’s wearing tweed—the most casual of the three fabrics. Tweed also tends to be thicker, rougher and rugged in appearance. It’s a fabric associated with the outdoors, lauded for its durability and its capacity to brave harsh climates. While Jones’ suit comfortably blends in with his companions’ the fabric it’s constructed from represents something else.

See the pleats running down the back? They make it easier to move the arms while keeping the body relatively in place. The band at the waist? A half belt vestige of military coats and jackets that sport full functioning belts, but this half belt serves to hold the pleats at the waist. Jones’ jacket demands the freedom to not only move but be animated and excitable as he aptly demonstrates in the meeting, which furthers his nuanced individuality and separation from the other three men. College professor, yes, a working stiff he is not!

Man knows how to indulge at home, too…

Back when flying was an occasion to dress for.

Jones dons a navy doubled breasted suit when he flies to Nepal, and again in his final meeting with the three suits after he retrieves the Ark.

I love Jones’ carefree style because regardless of whether he’s wearing a leather jacket or double breasted suit, he owns that fedora like no one else. Ford’s performance brings forth an effortlessness that makes the fedora work with both looks, whereas if anyone else tries they would inevitably fall short.

Alas, the Ark is lost to government custody, unseen and unstudied. How can a defeated hero look so dashing in the end?

Ford’s almost childish pout and attempt to hide his gaze under the swoop of his fedora is about as endearing as any action hero can look. And this is a poignant moment in the film that made me think about personal style and what it may mean, and here’s, I suppose, what I got out of this wonderful character: Unyielding confidence.

Indiana Jones is the same person no matter what he wears, whether it’s his iconic sepia attire, Savile Row tailored suits, or a jellabiya and turban to stay cool in the Egyptian heat, he is at ease. I dare say he probably doesn’t care what he wears, his unapologetic confidence proves that; it’s that same confidence that prompts him to chase the enemy convoy on a horse, or abandon his own safety to go on a solo mission to save Marion.

As long as you have confidence, whatever you wear will work for you. Maybe my observations are amplified because my idea of Indiana Jones has always been associated with the leather jacket, fedora, and bullwhip. I’ve been wrong.

Heroic wide angle shot!