Robert Redford will be remembered for many things: his legacy as an acting legend of the ‘70s in films such as All the President’s Men and The Great Gatsby, the founder of the Sundance Film Festival, a staunch conservationist and activist.
Remembering Robert Redford’s Quiet Craft and Lasting Charm
The legendary actor, who died on Tuesday, used his good looks in a deceptively skillful wayBut that’s not all that the iconic actor, who passed away Tuesday at the age of 89, is celebrated for. Along with his career achievements, Redford is widely recognized as one of the heavy hitters of late 20th-century menswear, a Mount Rushmore-esque figure who, along with the likes of Paul Newman and Steve McQueen, simultaneously championed a rugged, masculine sensibility and caring about what you wore and how you wore it.
Luckily, Redford’s notoriety ensured that his idiosyncratic style — oversized aviator glasses, floppy bangs, soft-shouldered tailoring and, of course, his signature turtlenecks — was captured in spades over decades. Enjoy some of Robert Redford’s best looks below.
1965: Stripes can be perilous; a young Redford, on set for Inside Daisy Clover, made pulling them off look impossibly easy.
1973: Bootcut trousers, ornamental belt, dainty necklace — the man was pulling off trends half a century before they were cool.
1972: Redford keeping things Cannes International Film Festival casual.
1980: Redford’s signature turtleneck looks especially good with a pair of dark denim.
1994: Redford was an early adopter of the ’90s-era airport ‘fits, as seen here at LAX.
1980: Redford never shied away from a black (bow) tie.
1980: Tom Selleck could never.
1974: True to his badass persona, Redford was a fan of the classic aviator shades.
1975: Beer in hand, leather jacket in tow.
1990: Another Redford signature — a short scarf on a cold winter’s day.
2000: Redford helped pioneer Park City’s Sundance Film Festival…and some of the amazing merch that came with it, like this hi-viz patched puffer jacket.
1976: Suited — and ‘stached — up.
1974: Shaggy hair, soft-shouldered blazer, big-buckle belt — this is Redford at his best.
1988: Little did he know that this simple blazer-jean combo that would inspire a whole generation of TikTokers.
1975: Redford’s work on All the President’s Men was among his most celebrated, but the costuming (and his honking Rolex) don’t get enough credit.
1988: Steven Irwin Robert Redford in Cuba.
1994: Pinstripes, plaid check, printed silk — the man knew his way around patterning.
1981: Windswept hair, rugged charisma, oversized glasses, rakish tuxedo — Robert Redford was an all-time great.
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