Style classic “Trainspotting” knocks 30

It’s the ultimate style movie of the nineties: Danny Boyle’s cult film “Trainspotting” is 30 years old.

Danny Boyle’s movie “Trainspotting” first premiered on 23^rd of February 1996. Mostly filmed in Glasgow, it circles around the lives and times of a group of heroin addicts in Edinburgh during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Based on a novel by Irwin Welch, it deals with a variety of dark topics, such as drug addiction, AIDS and infant mortality. Combined with surreal imagery and great soundtrack, it became a defining film of 1990s British cinema. It does not romanticise addiction but depict its chaotic pull, balancing grim humour with moments of stark tragedy, and it is also the ultimate style movie. From Ewan McGregor’s ill-fitting T-shirts and skinny jeans to Kelly Macdonald’s slip dress and Ewen Bremner’s thrift shop suits, it is the movie best sums up the fashion of the 1990s. As the cult classic is 30, let’s take a look at the film’s sartorial legacy.

The controversially titled “heroin chic”-trend that emerged around the time of the film’s release drew clear aesthetic parallels with the world depicted in Trainspotting. It was characterised by gaunt figures, pallid complexions and a deliberately dishevelled appearance, the look quickly gained traction within high fashion. While it engaged with themes of androgyny and anti-establishment rebellion, qualities that continue to influence contemporary style, it was widely criticised for glamorising unhealthy, emaciated ideals.

For Trainspotting, costume designer Rachel Fleming have said she used modified everyday clothing, most of it found in thrift shops. She has been credited for having “invented” the skinny jean and slip dress long before they appeared on the runway for Dior and Chloé. As actor Ewen Bremner, who plays Spud in the movie, told Time Out Magazine: “She would adapt regular jeans and take them in to develop that drainpipe silhouette that appeared in the movie, predating Hedi Slimane’s jeans for Dior Homme”. So, let’s break down the styles of the 6 main characters: Renton, Spud, Diane, Sick Boy, Begbie and Tommy.

Mark Renton, played by Ewan McGregor, was the actor’s international film breakthrough. His famous opening monologue “Choose life…” frames the film’s central tension: whether to conform to conventional expectations or to reject them entirely. His clothing style can be summed up as “skaghead rebel non-conformist” as … dressed him in thrifted junkie chic: tattered skinny jeans, bomber jacket and midriff baring T-shirts. Most memorable is that ill-fitting yellow T with a crass print of a woman on it, shaved head and some Adidas 3-stripe zipups thrown in.

Kelly McDonald plays Diane, is dressed, both in sparkly slip dress as well as a school uniform, as she is supposed to be only 15 in the movie. Her screen time is minimal but wardrobe choices, especially the spaghetti strap slip dress, is iconic. Her Justine from Elastica-hair style, strappy sandals and pink coat could have been all picked straight from any club in the 90s as well as off the adverts for H&M. The slip dress in particular seems to get recircled every decade.

Spud, played by Ewen Bremner, has the most interesting style of them all, as it sums up fashion’s neve rending circulation of trends: his suits are classic 1970s-meet-1990s. Paired with garish shirts with huge collars, and funky coloured sunglasses his character literally scream thrift shop Gucci.

Then we have the infamous Begbie, the hard-ass working class psycho. Played eminently by Rober Carlyle, he is and the only one in the movie not addicted to heroin, in fact he despises it. His vice is cigarettes, alcohol and extreme violence. Clad in denim jackets, snug argyle sweaters, tailored slacks, and polished loafers, he looks every inch the prep-school gentleman—until you sense the volatility beneath, like a pitbull disguised in Ivy League trim. Labels of choice are Lacoste and Pringle.

Johnny Lee-Miller as Sick Boy is the fashionista of the group. Obsessed with Sean Connery and James Bond-movies, he wears trench coats and blazers with everything, from jeans to camo print cargo pants. Hair in bleached platinum and he has a classic pretty boy-face.

Tommy, played by Kevin McKidd is total norm core. In the beginning of the movie he is not an addict and so more physically fit than the rest. He sports double denim, headbands and athletic wear, functional outdoorsy clothes that reflects his non-junkie lifestyle. Later on, when he descends into addiction, he becomes more unkept and dishevelled and finally ends up catching HIV.

You might assume that the wardrobe of a group of destitute addicts holed up in a squat two decades ago wouldn’t exactly scream cutting-edge style, but you’d be mistaken. Though the heroin chic is long past, the looks from in the movie has been recirculated repeatedly, like some of the most defining trends, especially in men’s fashion.

Photos: © 1996 Miramax Films – All illustrations: Styletalkmagazine