Proving that even men with an unusual personal style love a good, classic outfit.
It’s no exaggeration to say that Chris Pine’s personal style has become a hot topic on social media. For the past few years, he has looked like he’s popped out of a leading man’s silicone ice mold, but he recently showed off his unique, nonchalant energy in the outfit and hairstyle he was filming. From bright red shorts and colorful thigh-length hippie sweaters to ruffled shirts and velvet blazers, Pine’s attire has often been the subject of praise or raised eyebrows from TikTokers and fashion media elites.
During a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel, the host described Pine’s personal aesthetic as “weird,” while mainstream Guillermo appeared in a recreation of the thrift store soup look the actor wore at LA pastrami joint Langer’s Deli. .
However, what caught my eye was not the quirky outfit, but the outfit worn in a recent recording. Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert Podcast:
In the post-interview photos shared by the podcast, we spotted Pine in incredibly classic, casual summer style that’s not a mess. Wearing a full-cut khaki shirt with a braided brown belt over a white t-shirt and a medium blue denim trucker jacket, Pine presents a timeless ’80s-influenced outfit that, with a few tweaks, could still look good 10 years later. This makes sense, as Pine has previously cited Tom Selleck and Harrison Ford as style heroes of the 1980s.
Here I reorganized the look twice. First with items that better match what he’s wearing, then with items I already own, proving that style inspiration doesn’t have to be 1:1, making putting outfits together much easier.
Rebuilt:
denim jacket: levis (Collage/Wear)
white t shirt: buck mason (collage/wear)/ Amazon ($)
Straight/classic fit chinos: J.Crew (collage) / Nautica (Wearing) / Double RL Officer Chino ($$$)
belt: LLBean Woven Belt (collage)
see: rectangular seiko (Collage) / Vintage Timex (wearing) / Orient Bambino ($)
sunglasses: huckberry (collage) / Christopher Clouse (worn) / Amazon ($)
loafers: Florsheim (old and updated version)
Pine’s outfit utilizes a vintage-inspired rectangular dress watch. The style has fallen out of favor since the ’90s, but has been worn by well-dressed men with a sophisticated menswear aesthetic almost every decade. Its presence, along with a braided leather belt, noticeably shifts the vibe of the outfit into a more 80s/retro aesthetic. It might be some kind of heirloom. This is why I chose my late grandfather’s mid-20th century Timex for my personal rebuild.
He also mixed black and brown in this outfit, which I have no problem with. As it happens, my rebuild ended up without any blacks. The sunglasses, belt (non-braided), watch strap, and loafers I have unintentionally have a similar brown color. More adventurous people might want to break it, but it just works.
For some people, the most problematic part of this outfit may be what’s inside the t-shirt. This would be hard to resist for anyone who established their style in the 90s and 00s, myself included. Similar to my thoughts on light wash denim pieces, as the general cultural aesthetic becomes more casual, details like tucking in a t-shirt can dramatically change the feel of the rest of your outfit to feel more differentiated. Check out how Primer contributor Daniel Baraka styled a white t-shirt.
I could wear this to many places in Los Angeles and feel like the best dressed man in the room simply by tucking in a shirt (even a t-shirt) and wearing loafers. A denim jacket/t-shirt/chino base is a smart uniform starter. All you have to do is switch to brown boots and tuck in a T-shirt, and you’ve transitioned away from the sophisticated 1980s and into a more casual, more rugged style. This isn’t a right or wrong decision, it’s one of using small details to enhance your uniform starter to match what you want.
Personally, I’m not a fan of big, black sunglasses, so I recently switched to tortoiseshell sunglasses, which I use as my default pair when I go out of the house.
Pine’s shoes are not visible in the Armchair Expert photo. For my latest personal style, penny loafers were the perfect choice for summer, given the khaki color and “classic” feel of the outfit. White sneakers would be fine, but you should check whether they look too bright when paired with a white t-shirt. A suede chukka or the right sandals also work well.
What is your opinion? Let’s talk in the comments!
