Look at the online excitement over Kendall Roy’s baseball cap; logo-less, likely in cashmere from a brand like Ermenegildo Zegna or Brunello Cucinelli, it nods to non-conformity and a life outside the boardroom, a free-thinker (with daddy’s money to do as he wishes) and wannabe tech disruptor.
The character’s style has evolved as he tries to break free of the familial shackles; less stylistically in-line with his brother and father in their plush gilets, shades and button-down shirts. Instead, costume designer Michelle Matland has created a wardrobe for Kendall that shows how keen he is to find his tribe; see the emerald polo neck and giant chain, like a 1980s rapper, or the rare, embroidered Gucci jacket at his painful-to-watch 40th birthday party. He, like so many tortured little rich boys from priviledged backgrounds, is desperate to be cool, that most nebulous and hard-to-define concept.
His opposite number, sartorially speaking, is his younger brother Roman, who tows the path familiar in safe, sleek shirts and suit trousers, spray-on tight to emphasise a kind of dynamism and zippiness. And, as we tire of casualwear and dressing down (please, it’s almost been two years now), perhaps there’s a case to be made for this minimalist, sharp, glossy approach – crisp white shirts (with collars, shock) and well-made, proper trousers for a clean, unfettered approach.