Last week I came across a screen still of Kelly McGillis from Top Gun (1986), where she is wearing the bomber jacket with a white shirt, pencil skirt and red lipstick, and it struck me just how timeless the entire look was. This kind of feminine/masculine approach with military inflections is certainly not shy from my blog, nor from my personal style, but I doubt it that when I first saw Top Gun (was it more than 18 years ago, I wonder?) I paid any attention to the costumes. I wanted to watch the film again solely for that look, but I discovered a few more that could be advanced to today just as effortlessly.
In fact, I would name all the pieces Kelly McGillis is wearing (Bobbie Read was the costume designer) among those every woman should own: the white t-shirt, the white shirt, the pencil skirt, the stonewashed jeans, the oversized blazer (very ’80s Armani), the Aviator sunglasses, and, of course, the classic bomber jacket – Charlie, Kelly’s character, certainly knows how to make a cool menswear item even cooler: she rolls up the sleeves and wears it with a pencil skirt. She is a tomboy with a feminine edge. It was the 1980s and women around the world embarking the work-force were adopting the power silhouette: the broad, tapered shoulders and the pencil skirts were part of that.
What makes the bomber jacket even better is the aged leather.
Charlie’s squarer Aviator sunglasses complement Maverick’s (Tom Cruise’s) teardrop shape.
The Aviator sunglasses have a place of their own in this film. There is probably no other accessory which knew this kind of rebirth thanks to the appearance in a movie. Tom Cruise’s and the entire casts’ Ray-Bans sparked a fantastic revival and massive worldwide sales for the brand, and reconfirmed the Aviator shades as a classic. 1936 was the year when the Ray-Ban Aviators went on sale for the public, after, in 1929, they had been commissioned by the US military as eye protection for the United States Air Force pilots. Once again, cinema was helpful in winning a fashion item the status of a style-setter. Fashion may have taken note of the style because of the movie, but the costume designers did so for its authenticity. The Aviators were worn by the cast precisely because they were what fighter pilots wore, and still wear. Therein lies the enduring power of fashion in film: characters that embody real people, fashion that has a story.
bibliography: Icons of Mens Style
photos: stills from the film, captured by me from this Blu-ray edition
Thank you for highlighting Kelly’s style in Top Gun because I’ve always admired it and I didn’t think anyone else thought it was worthy of classic status, so thank you! I think there is some real style in movies of the 80s, don’t you?
I was surprised that it hasn’t been written much about her style. These are such classic looks, all looks that I could easily wear today. The 80s may not have been the most elegant or praised fashion decade, but I’ve always loved the freedom and deconstructed styles that it brought along. American Gigolo is another great example of the fashions of the day.
I have always found bomber jackets incredibly cool…. and this film confirms it with Kelly McGillis’ one-of-the-boys sexiness…
I started reading your post yesterday but had to run out the door. I was looking forward to come back to it with my morning coffee. I still remember going to see this film with my friends and the Ray-Ban mania that followed … memories. I probably didn’t pay attention to the costumes but I do remember loving Kelly’s hair.
I still love her hair. I don’t think it will ever go out of style.
i saw this movie at a drive-in theater when it came out. i absolutely loved Kelly McGillis after seeing it – she really embodied that powerful woman of the 80’s, but in such a real/down-to-earth way. i watched it again last summer my oldest for the first time in years.
I came across this while looking at images of my mother’s work. Thank you for this post. Bobbie Read is the costume designer of Top Gun. It makes me proud to see her work praised like this and I love that there are people out there who appreciate how timeless this style is.
Jessica, thank you for your comment. It’s unlike me, but this time I had overlooked to mention the costume designer – I have taken care of that now. This style truly is timeless and worth referencing much more often.
what is the style of sunglasses that Kelly wore in Top Gun? I’m pretty sure they’re Ray Ban, but what style number if anyone knows? Thanks love her classic look.
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