The Holdovers: Paul Giamatti’s Tan Corduroy Suit and Sweater Vest
Background
One of my favorite new releases in 2023 is The Holdovers, Alexander Payne’s comedy-drama centered around the skeleton staff chaperoning a group of boarding school students who aren’t going home for the holidays.
Set through the 1970 winter break, The Holdovers centers around the cranky classics professor Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti), an odorous, lazy-eyed loner whose few friends among the Barton Academy staff include cafeteria manager Mary Lamb (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) and administrator Lydia Crane (Carrie Preston). After four of the five students are given the opportunity to leave Barton days before Christmas, Paul and the remaining student—the bright but troubled Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa)—transform their mutual dislike into a surprising bond.
As many are returning to work and school this week after the holidays, let’s take a deeper look at Paul’s classic Ivy fashions that he wears to bookend the Barton Academy holiday break.
“While I didn’t want to go completely into that stereotypical look, how could I not a little? Besides, the yearbooks demonstrated that was exactly the right look for the period.
”
What’d He Wear?
Despite his grumpy attitude, Paul Hunham takes pride in being a professor and dresses exactly as you’d expect of a long-time instructor at a New England prep school.
This two-piece suit, expertly crafted by Chuck's team, exudes a well-worn charm that seamlessly integrates into Paul's regular wardrobe. The medium-waled corduroy cotton, chosen for its comfortable softness, sacrifices some of the pristine structure found in thinner-waled corduroy. Despite this, it maintains an air of professorial authority.
The single-breasted jacket features narrower lapels, indicative of its early '60s origin, a testament to Paul's apparent indifference towards updating his attire. These lapels gracefully roll over three flat black buttons on the front, creating the timeless 3/2-roll configuration popularized by Ivy outfitters like Brooks Brothers and J. Press in the early 20th century. The jacket's lining showcases a burgundy-and-green-on-beige tattersall check.
Sporting distinctive elements such as patch pockets, a half-belted back, and suede elbow patches, the jacket pays homage to classic sport jackets. All three patch pockets boast rounded bottom corners, with the breast pocket left open and the larger hip pockets covered by rectangular flaps. The back, featuring a half-belt and double side vents, deviates from the conventional single vent seen in Paul's brown corduroy three-piece suit worn to Miss Crane's Christmas Eve party. The dark brown suede elbow patches, a nod to a professorial aesthetic, were originally designed to reinforce elbows on outdoorsmen's sport jackets, protecting them from regular wear and tear.
Worn frequently as standalone pieces or paired with various shirts and sweaters throughout The Holdovers, Paul's flat-front suit trousers exhibit a versatile design. Complete with belt loops, side pockets, jetted back pockets (featuring a button through the back-right pocket), and plain-hemmed bottoms, these trousers encapsulate both practicality and style.
Secured with a dark-brown leather belt, perfectly matching the uppers of his dark-brown leather apron-toe derby shoes, Paul's ensemble is a testament to thoughtful coordination. In contrast to traditional dress shoes, these everyman work shoes prioritize functionality over form, crafted to endure the rigors of everyday wear, including the unforgiving winters of New England.
“For Paul, there were two things that were important to get right—his hat and his jacket
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For an additional layer of warmth during this snowy season in Massachusetts, Paul wears an olive-colored V-neck sweater vest made from a thin, soft wool like merino.
Indeed, every element of Paul's ensemble, including his checked tweed trilby and duffel coat, is meticulously coordinated. The short-brimmed tweed trilby showcases a gun club check pattern, featuring a rust-and-black houndstooth check set against a beige ground.
The duffel coat, with its integrated hood and a loop-and-toggle front closure designed for easy operation with gloved hands, has a rich history. Originating from the coarse and heavy woolen cloth of Duffel, Belgium in the 15th century, it found fame through British outfitter John Partridge's design in the 1850s. Initially associated with the Royal Navy and later earning the moniker "Monty coat" for its connection to Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery of the British Army, the duffel coat became a military staple.
Post-war, civilian adoption of the duffle coat soared, thanks to companies like Gloverall. It firmly established itself as a campus staple in northern colleges on both sides of the Atlantic. Given Paul's lifelong association with Barton, it's likely that he acquired his duffel coat between his student days and early years as a faculty member, adding a touch of timeless military fashion to his wardrobe.
