How Insiders Are Dressing for Success

Agents

A few top agents — like Hylda Queally, who reps everyone from Cate Blanchett to Kate Winslet, and Ari Emanuel, whose wife happens to be fashion designer Sarah Staudinger — are still dressing up for dealmaking. But like everyone else in town who still has a job, most are toning it down, avoiding conspicuously costly attire. “You never want to compete with your clients,” as one agent explains to THR. “If you outdress them, they wonder if you’re making more money than they are. Particularly now.” Former WME agent turned style consultant Andrew Weitz says he’s seeing a return to pre-pandemic dressing, albeit considerably less ostentatiously: “Now it’s a blazer paired with a button-up or a sweater — a mix of professional and casual.” In other words, the suits are no longer always wearing suits. (Though his brother, WME’s Richard Weitz, hasn’t dispensed with his Armanis just yet.)

Producers 

“For screenings, I wear giant Levi’s or Altuzarra striped bell-bottoms, a tank top and various color Vince jackets,” says Mortal Kombat producer Valerie Van Galder. “People aren’t hiring me for my fashion sense!” But other producers signal power with wool and cashmere blends. Shonda Rhimes, who mostly works from her Connecticut home, is always wrapping herself in super-cozy sweaters (often paired with Gucci loafers) from St. John Knits, Chanel and Veronica Beard. Male producers, meanwhile, are still reaching for what they’ve mostly always donned: “I just wear black all the time,” says The Gentlemen’s Bill Block. “It requires almost no thought.” 

Directors

Blue jeans and baseball caps are practically mandatory while shooting on the set — and that goes for Ron Howard as well as Chloé Zhao. Steven Spielberg often wears denim top to bottom; Spike Lee is never without his varsity jacket; and Greta Gerwig donned a utility jacket while filming Barbie (but it wasn’t pink). A few directors dress it up a bit: Sofia Coppola sports button-down white shirts and flats, John Woo wears a dress shirt tucked into chinos, Paul Feig is sticking with the three-piece suit thing and Tim Burton continues to dress in goth black. 

Studio Execs

“Studio heads no longer wear suits every day,” reports stylist Gallagher. “It’s more democratic — everyone on the same level.” Still, that doesn’t mean they’re showing up for meetings in ripped jeans. “Less structure, more comfort,” is how producer Andre Caraco puts the new power look. “And more sneakers.” Female studio execs have traditionally been more fashion purists — Sherry Lansing famously wore Armani suits every day. More recently, Universal chairperson Donna Langley has leaned into avant garde pieces by Rick Owens, Margiela and The Row, while other female execs have adopted softer, subtler designs, like a Saint Laurent jacket tossed over a well-cut dress or skirt, as if it didn’t cost $2,200. 

Screenwriters

When’s the last time you saw Steven Zaillian in a suit? Exactly. “Screenwriters always wear a T-shirt and Levi’s or Ace or Carhartt jeans,” observes stylist Meg Gallagher. “Add in a jean jacket by Kapital and sneakers — Margiela, Sambas and Gazelles, or Adidas Handball Spezial.” Some exceptions: Aaron Sorkin dons more formal shirts, ties and chinos; Wes Anderson’s preppy college blazers are his signature look; Gus Van Sant is partial to oversized hoodies; while Taika Waititi is impossible to predict. He can show up in anything from a velvet tux to long pearls.

Actors

Two words: cashmere tracksuits. One major celebrity stylist tells THR that she has clients (male and female) who regularly attend meetings in Loro Piana cashmere two-piece sweat suits. “They’re comfy, but they cost 10 grand apiece,” she says. “And everyone who sees them knows it.” Other stars spruce it up a bit … and probably for a lot less money. Hugh Jackman, Ryan Gosling and Ryan Reynolds all gravitate toward T-shirts and jackets, even off-duty. Brad Pitt often models pieces from his own cashmere shirt line, God’s True Cashmere. Female stars, meanwhile, mix comfort with fabulousness in everything from loose dresses to baggy suits toned down with flats … and, of course, paparazzi-proof sunglasses and hats.

This story appeared in the Oct. 30 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.