Style icon Marlon Brando is alive and well

April 3 this year marks 100 years since Marlon Brando was born in Omaha, Nebraska.

His charisma on the screen and eccentric personality, soon made him famous in the 1950s, when he became one of Hollywood’s hottest stars. With a resume full of legendary films, much has been written about Brando’s acting, his activism and his eccentric, outspoken and occasionally belligerent personality – traits that gave him the nickname “Hollywood’s tormented king”.

From a style perspective, Brando is the person in the 20th century who, together with Marilyn Monroe, has had the greatest impact on fashion. In Brando’s case, it is primarily because he elevated affordable everyday wear to something cool – such as the tight T-shirt (photo above) from ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ (1951) and the plaid bomber jacket with the upturned collar from ‘On the Waterfront’ (1954).

However, it’s the role of Johnny – the leader of a motorcycle gang that terrorizes a small town in ‘The Wild One’ (1953) – that made Brando an undisputed style icon. Young men quickly copied the style from the movie: double-breasted black motorcycle jacket by Schott’s Perfecto, white T-shirt – which until then had been considered underwear – cuffed jeans and sturdy biker boots. This was not an adoption of upper-class style the fashion had often worked in the past, but a look that young working-class boys could afford and wear with a whole new confidence.

Johnny’s look and demeanor was something that resonated widely among young people in the fifties. When the character was asked in the movie “Hey Johnny, what are you rebelling against?”, his answer “Whattaya got?” became a mantra for a new and restless generation that grew up before the hippies and flower children of the 60s. The hyper-masculine look has since then been worshipped by rock stars and punks of all genders, fashion designers like Jean Paul Gaultier and homoerotic artists like Tom of Finland – as well as anyone with a rebel heart – keeping the Brando-look alive to this day.

All photos: Pinterest