A strong man can sweep you off your feet, and onto the movie screen. Both Cary Grant and Robert Downey, Jr. have strong male undercurrents that invite movie goers to share some on-screen intimacy. These actors have both made an impact in the fashion and style choices of their fellow iron men. Cary Grant set the bar, and Robert Downey, Jr. continues to re-set his own bar, and does so again in the 2009 Sherlock Holmes.
Cary Grant
Suit-wearing men can strive to look half as good as Cary Grant on a bad day while wearing a suit. According to Cary Grant, his father used to say, ‘‘Let them see you and not the suit. That should be secondary.” He certainly took that to heart because in every scene in every one of his movies, he looks dapper. Being a trained acrobat helped him develop a physique that lent itself to wearing well-tailored clothing.
A casual look for Grant still looked dashing, complete with pleated pants, unbuttoned white dress shirt and a plain sweater. One key to Grant’s fashion success was that he did not wear a lot of patterns, and often wore plain or understated ties. Even a pair of pajamas looked strikingly fashionable on the endlessly charming Cary Grant.
Robert Downey Jr.
Robert Downey, Jr., who has been down and back, offers hope that any man can pick himself up again, dust himself off, like Charlie Chaplin, and excel as an immersive actor. Robert Downey Jr. can pull off wearing a monochromatic suit, similar to Cary Grant.
From his 1980s white suits and style trends set in the movie Less Than Zero to his role as Sherlock Holmes, Robert Downey, Jr. appears comfortable no matter what his role. He appears equally comfortable wearing a suit made of iron or a pair of wool trousers to play Sherlock Holmes.
