Film and Fashion – Fight Club

Analysis
Written By Punya Heinonen

The oversaturation of hot pink, beginning in Valentino’s 2022 Autumn-Winter collection, enveloped the fashion scene. Shortly after, Florence Pugh graced the red carpets with it. From there it snaked its way into luxury brands to upscale retail outlets and then, eventually, to Target and Kmart before winding up in our local Salvos and Vinnies. After the initial trend faded away, the colour made a surprising comeback following the release of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie in mid 2023. People started wearing hot pink Barbie inspired outfits, not just to the movie or parties, but also in daily life. Considering this example, clearly films have an uncanny hand influencing fashion trends. Though the movie I will be dissecting today is a far cry from the feminist, bright, heartful and, above all, pink movie I mentioned earlier, it is still one with a largely unexamined impact on early 2000’s style. What I’m writing about, in case you haven’t read the title, is none other than David Fincher’s Fight Club. Before I begin, I’ll indulge in a little bit of history about the symbiotic relationship between film and clothing trends.

In the 1930s, Hollywood influenced fashion despite economic hardships. Movies provided an escape for many Americans, showcasing stunning costumes. Joan Crawford’s attire in Letty Lynton popularized padded shoulders and large sleeves (pictured left). Christian Dior was inspired to start his own brand after working on period costumes in 1942. Brigitte Bardot popularized the bikini at the 1953 Cannes Film Festival. Ralph Lauren's styling of Diane Keaton's wardrobe in Annie Hall contributed to 1970s fashion. The influence of cinema on style is evident.

Fashin in fight club

Known as the epitome of masculinity in its most natural, savage, and authentic form (despite all of it being fabricated – it’s a movie, after all), Fight Club is one of those films your fifteen-year-old younger brother will watch, after which you inevitably start catching him practicing punches shirtless in the bathroom mirror, hopelessly idolising Tyler Durden. Though technically the film flopped in box offices at its initial release in 1999, the effect it had on fashion was instantaneous. Less than two months after release Donatella Versace premiered her ‘00 Autumn Winter collection, which she affectionately called ‘a Fight Club collection.’ If you’re looking for some early y2k mob wife outfit inspiration, I suggest you take a look there.

The genius behind the costumes of the film is none other than Michael Kaplan, with notable films such as Bladerunner and Miami Vice under his belt. If we dissect the fashion choices by character, namely Tyler Durden, the Narrator, and Marla Singer, we get three wildly different styles. Kaplan’s meticulous approach to character attire is evident in how he dressed Tyler Durden. In contrast, the Narrator’s mundane attire epitomizes corporate conformity, while Marla Singer’s eclectic thrifted pieces exude a sense of desperation.

tyler durden

Kaplan’s approach to creating the outfits of Tyler Durden largely involved him going to second hand stores and buying whatever interesting pieces he could find. Some notable pieces included the long sleeve mesh/printed ‘HUSTLER’ shirt, the long fur coat, porno print t-shirts, and of course the iconic red leather jacket with various bold print wide collar button ups. The key idea behind Durden’s character is that he has no money, meaning his wardrobe is largely second hand. Despite that, the thought and effort put into his clothes reflect the character’s keen eye.

Kaplan’s ingenuity is also evident in the elements of the red leather jacket. The jacket was sourced specifically because colour of the jacket uncannily resembles the colour of dried blood, foreshadowing to the later violence of the film. Additionally, the pants Durden wears are all incredibly low waisted, and almost feminine in their cut. Though he represents raw, powerful masculinity, he never wears anything with a waistline higher than his hips. Masculinity in clothing often equates to mid-rise trousers, certainly not anything that show’s an individual’s V-line. This signifies Durden’s rejection of societal norms in every level, down to what he wears. Regardless, the gender fluid style seems powerful and admirable on Brad Pitt’s character.

The Narrator

Played by Edward Norton, the unnamed protagonist of the film is “just the most boring character you’ve ever seen, beiges and greys, terrible neckties, and awful polyester dress shirts that you could just fall asleep looking at,” said Kaplan in an interview. His intention was to create the living breathing consumed human incarnation of the late-capitalist 9 to 5, and he succeeded. Drab and dull, if you walked into the costume trailers of Pitt and Norton respectively you wouldn’t even believe they were from the same movie. Norton’s character is in essentially every way the total opposite of Pitt’s. If Tyler Durden is original, and wears loud colourful button up shirts, then the Narrator is a clone of every corporate worker, wearing humble white shirts.

Marla Singer

The wardrobe of this character was also all pulled from thrift stores, all but one Rick Owens jacket. Marla Singer is also flat broke, she steals jeans from dry cleaners and sells them to vintage denim stores, and her wardrobe consists of old pieces that were maybe once loved in another life but found their way to the dollar bin. She wears huge black sunglasses, a kitsch rose ring, and ratty clothes that bring to mind the word ‘sad.’

When looking back retrospectively, styles such as printed t-shirts with ironic slogans and prints, low rise pants, upcycled preloved thrifted clothing, and even turning somewhat boring office clothes into something stylish as seen in ‘office siren,’ and ‘sexy librarian’ styles, can find roots in this film. Moreover, Fight Club challenged traditional notions of gendered fashion. Tyler Durden’s androgynous wardrobe blurred the lines between masculine and feminine attire, signalling a shift toward gender-fluid fashion long before it entered the mainstream.

That is not to say that all of it has directly sprung from the mind of Michael Kaplan, but rather, this film heavily accelerated these styles and trends, effects of which are still felt today. The outfits worn by the characters, specifically Tyler Durden, are reflected in trends today. What I believe this film leaves audiences with is the idea that clothes on men don’t have to be boring, monotonous, and conventional. Experimenting with colour, prints, textures, and mixing men’s and women’s clothing, the fashion of Tyler Durden is a pillar of light in the innovation of fashion using the most accessible clothes of all – second hand ones.

P.S. bit of trivia! One of the looks for Tyler Durden that didn’t make it into the film was Brad Pitt in a tube top. Originally David Fincher told Kaplan that there was no such thing as too far concerning costumes, until he saw this one, to which he said “Uh… I know what I said, but this is too far.”

Sources (written):

Sources (images):

  • ‌(1932). Letty Lynton [Review of Letty Lynton]. MGM.

  • (1999). Fight Club [Review of Fight Club]. 20th Century Studios.

Punya Heinonen

I am one of the community members at Radio Monash, and in my free time I write articles for the journalism department. I usually write about fashion and it's impact on culture, otherwise I spend my time watching films and studying.

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