5 Style Lessons We Can Learn from Jeff Goldblum How to put together a look inspired by the iconic actor

Jeff Goldblum is a style icon? Perhaps. But rather than an example to be copied, Goldblum's style represents the practical application of very specific principles that are better suited to analysis. From this analysis, useful lessons can be drawn. If today Jeff Goldblum and his way of dressing seem so unique to us, it is not because of any characteristic that can simply be emulated, but rather because it is the fruit of a personality and a taste that does not yield to outside influences.

That said, like all well-dressed people, Goldblum also manages to apply — more or less instinctively — general rules that work universally. As Karl Lagerfeld once said, "Clothes are only a try. The interesting part happened before the person opened the wardrobe. It happened in the eye, in the judgment, in knowing what belongs to you and, perhaps more importantly, what does not." The same applies to Goldblum, whose outfits are so successful precisely because of the internal consistency of taste they possess.

To mark the star’s birthday, here are five style lessons we can learn from Jeff Goldblum’s style.

1. Silhouette and proportions

The very first element to note in Goldblum's wardrobe is his absolute command of silhouette and proportions. Regardless of what he wears, the actor's shoulders, waist and legs are never hidden by excess fabric or volume, but always create a well-defined silhouette. The game becomes even more subtle with tops, as the hems of shirts and jackets almost always stop above the waist when not held in place by a belt.

If he wears a longer outer layer — say, a coat or a puffer — it is in fact fitted as well and never spreads horizontally, nor does it engulf the actor's figure in any way. There is practically never any puffy or rounded element that widens him; on the contrary, even in the most layered looks, the shape of the body and its "divisions" — legs, torso, shoulders, and so on — can always be clearly distinguished.

Obviously the silhouette works on him because he has that type of physique. But the essential point here is the way in which the proportions of individual pieces can define those of the body: the effect would vanish if the trousers were too wide or the sweaters too droopy. The balance of filled and empty space is perfectly maintained. This attention to proportions creates that sense of "lightness" his looks possess, with nothing weighing him down or cluttering the overall effect.

2. Colour blocking and patterned layering

The second and most important element of Goldblum's style is his use of colour. There are three scenarios: in the first — that of his more '90s-inspired looks — we find very normcore colours, the kind everyone has in their wardrobe; in the second, we find outfits with primary base colours paired with secondary elements featuring patterns that are analogous to one another but not always identical; in the third and final case, we have outfits where different colours or patterns clash with each other, yet with a coherence across different tones.

It often happens that the trousers serve as the base colour element, while the top is decorated with more intense graphic motifs and engages chromatically with the rest of the accessories, unifying the look. Or there is a suit paired with a boldly patterned shirt. Even in simpler looks, the different areas of the body (torso, legs, feet) "dialogue" with one another while another area provides contrast. Some outfits, on the other hand, have a common colour base — such as black or grey — onto which more eccentric elements are layered. Another possibility is that the outfit has two dominant colours with a colourful detail added.

3. Classics with a twist

Here we move on to individual pieces. We certainly cannot catalogue everything Goldblum owns, but we can say with confidence that looking closely at his looks, one notices that all the various pieces are fairly "classic" yet endowed with a twist — whether that be texture, fur embellishments, bold graphics and decorative motifs, or a highly original colour.

If we were to name these pieces individually, we would not be listing anything out of the ordinary: a bowling shirt, pleated trousers, black ankle boots, coats, sweaters, blazers. Yet many looks that appear extravagant are, in reality, the result of ordinary styling elevated by ordinary pieces that are decorated in a maximalist way. The recurring piece that best symbolises this aspect of his style is a pair of studded black leather derby shoes (we are not entirely certain, but they appear to us to be from Prada FW09) — shoes that are both very conventional and formal, yet with a foreign element that makes them extravagant while keeping them recognisable.

4. Pattern clashing

Here we enter more advanced territory in Goldblum's styling. The actor's wardrobe would not be the same without micro-prints and highly "intense" geometric motifs, often paired with one another. The most famous example is the well-known shirt from Prada FW18, in which pattern clashing occurs within the same garment — but on one occasion the actor appeared in November 2019 on Jimmy Kimmel wearing zebra-print jeans, a black shirt with a white micro-print of lips, and a white tie with a patchwork motif. Completing the look: a shiny black bomber jacket and black ankle boots.

In general, the combination of two different graphic patterns sharing one or two colours — or even vague analogies in their decoration — is a Goldblum classic. That same year, the actor paired a light blue Prada shirt featuring a floral motif on the front panels with houndstooth trousers and creepers with a zebra-print upper: the shirt provided the colour and the primary "motif," the trousers and shoes were linked by colour, but the secret was that the decorative pattern on the trousers was much smaller, making it feel neutral and allowing the decorated shoe to stand out. The secret remains analogy: patterns may differ, but they must have something in common and echo one another.

5. Angular details

We now descend to an almost infinitesimal level of detail. Whatever garment or piece we consider, it possesses angular details: starting with the glasses he wears, but especially visible in the shape of collars and pockets, the pointed toes of his shoes, the shape of buckles and watches, as well as the construction of lapels and shoulders in jackets, and so on. Looking at Goldblum's outfits, one will notice that, in order to enhance his tall, lean figure, all the details in question share an emphasis on geometry and angularity: structural external elements that do not develop along straight, precise lines are rarely found, with particular emphasis on pockets and collars.

During the press tour for Wicked, the actor wore a green Prada crew-neck cardigan which was, in fact, unusual for him — since more often than not he favours very structured collars (sometimes more than one). The only exception to this rule is the Saint Laurent Teddy jackets or certain bombers he wears, which compensate for the absence of angular elements through the extreme precision of the fit and the simultaneous presence of other very sharp elements that fall within the actor's broader framework of internal consistency.