How Paul Mescal became the style icon men secretly want to emulate
It used to be that it was only the female stars of a film that would get any attention for their fashion choices on the red carpet – whether they wanted to or not. Yet at Wednesday night’s London premiere for Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II, it was Gen Z heartthrob Paul Mescal whose choice of attire was pored over by commentators. Of course, he did not disappoint by turning up in a boring suit. His version had tweaks – a deliberately undone collar, a dainty diamond watch. These are the styling touches that Mescal fans obsess over and zoom in on – the subtle details that inspire copycats at home.
That’s because the 28-year-old Irish actor is at the vanguard of a new group of stylish, forward-thinking male stars who are using their fashion choices to showcase their interest in menswear trends and their appreciation of designer craftsmanship. Alongside the likes of former co-star Andrew Scott, (from whom he may have learnt his ‘one hand in your pocket’ pose), Eddie Redmayne and Ncuti Gatwa, he is swiftly making a name for himself as someone who will surprise – and thrill – with his fashion choices.
“Mescal’s affinity with major fashion labels has helped cement him as a ‘one to watch’ in the male fashion space,” explains stylist Ella Gaskell, whose clients include Sam Fender and Connor Swindells. “He pushes the boundaries in a way that speaks to men’s fashion, making it relatable for other men to emulate whilst also carving his own unique path in the fashion world.”
It’s difficult to believe thanks to his omnipresence today, but Mescal has only been a household name for four years, when he starred in the television adaptation of Sally Rooney’s beloved book, Normal People. That series was released at the height of the first Covid lockdown, so any opportunities for promotion or press appearances were limited to his living room and Zoom. Yet even then, there was a level of hysteria around his character Connell’s wardrobe, with his chain necklace in particular causing a generation of girls to swoon – ‘Connell’s Chain’ even garnered its own Instagram fan page.
Since then, he has won critical plaudits for choosing indie roles in the likes of The Lost Daughter, After Sun and All Of Us Strangers, with Gladiator II being the first blockbuster to his name and very much the biggest moment in his career to date. Simultaneously, Mescal has worked with the stylist Felicity Kay to carve out a fashion identity that is instantly recognisable as his own.
Today, he is somebody who is not afraid to take risks with fashion, who has fun with it, and who plays with our sense of what is and isn’t masculine style. Case in point would be the slightly off-the-shoulder cardigan that he wore for an appearance on the Graham Norton show in October, or the boxer shorts-and-shirt combo he wore to Gucci’s spring/summer show in July. Both were moments that prompted an equal amount of head-scratching and admiration, depending on your age.
“I think Paul’s style treads a very fine – and very hard to achieve – line between daring and traditional,” shares menswear editor Nick Carvell. “There’s the occasional eyebrow raise but it’s cheeky and sexy in a way that other men can appreciate. He makes the sort of menswear moves that feel just daring enough to be exciting, but still feel accessible as he generally plays with pieces that are already in most men’s wardrobes – his penchant for short shorts or more physique-hugging knitwear. It all feels very natural and fun, carefree and easy. Not forced or styled.”
It would be easy to assume that Mescal’s slightly more out-there fashion choices are strictly reserved for the red carpet and wouldn’t work for Joe Bloggs on the street, but it simply isn’t the case. Indeed, his off-duty style signatures: visible white socks, Adidas sneakers and baseball caps, have become de rigueur amongst twenty-somethings in metropolitan centres like London, Berlin, New York, Sydney and Copenhagen. As the writer Gabriella Paiella observed in a recent profile of the actor in GQ magazine, “The world is now filled with Mescal doppelgängers, such that you can’t even tell when the real one is in your midst.”
“We see so many photos of him dressing in a very similar way outside of styled shoots in magazines or in ad campaigns, so that adds a lot of authenticity to the way he dresses,” adds Carvell. “He demonstrates boundaries can still be pushed on a morning jog or at the airport or hanging out with friends. And I think that really resonates with guys. It proves it also works in ‘real life’”.
So far, his looks for the Gladiator II tour have marked a subtle evolution in his style, with more grown-up choices reflecting the momentousness of the occasion. In Sydney, he wore a double-breasted brown suit from Gucci, with the shirt underneath having a distinctly boho feel. Watch how the brown suit will now infiltrate the masses via the high street.
Meanwhile in Dublin, he turned again to Gucci, in black trousers with a white shirt and grey wool coat, but his shirt choice was also more flamboyant, a collarless style with undone ties draped down his chest.
At Wednesday night’s London premiere, his Gucci look was suitably smart yet boundary pushing. Sadly for his admirers, on this occasion, he left his signature short shorts at home.
Three Paul Mescal-inspired additions for your wardrobe...
Cotton overshirt, £49, Marks & Spencer
Moss Brown jacket, £149, John Lewis
Brown and white loafers, £240, Duke and Dexter
