Paul Mescal does sexy menswear in a very approachable way. Yes. We know there are short shorts that are both functional and fawned over. But the internet has chewed over them ad nauseam. He’s done massive Gucci suits, for one—the sort that expertly deploy a scoop neck tank. There are cropped T-shirts, too (again, Gucci), that hint to a Gladiator 2-trained rig without a huge flash of muscle. This is how you do sexy in a quietly confident way.
And if you want to do it during awards season, look to the 44th London Critics’ Circle Film Awards earlier this week. Mescal doubled down on a tried-and-true method of red carpet sexiness that toes both the dress code and the Twitter thirsters. One tux. No shirt. Huge applause.
Karwai Tang
Walking the red carpet with All of Us Strangers co-star Andrew Scott, the double-breasted suit came from Savile Row outfit Huntsman. Going shirtless is still a bold move for sure, but this is the same dude that revived the henley shirt last month—a piece that, fairly or otherwise, has been excessively jeered at among menswear circles.
He then jumped into a pair of boots by Jimmy Choo, and finished off the fit with a white pocket square and a Cartier Tank Square Incurvée strapped to his wrist. First introduced in the ‘60s, this is basically an ultra-rare version of the classic Tank. With a tonneau-shaped case, rounded corners, and a simple white dial, it’s a beautiful timepiece, and it’s the ultimate representation of Mescal’s own aesthetic: all very simple, but all very sophisticated.
The watch comes straight from Cartier London’s own vintage collection, so you’ll never be able to own it. Sad! There’s good news though: Paul Mescal’s full suit is available to buy right now. Not so sad—and yes, it is just the right amount of sexy.
This story originally appeared on British GQ with the title’Once again, Paul Mescal quietly sexes up the shirtless tux’
