Clothing

A Good Look – The Shining (1980)

Few films need as little introduction as The Shining. Often cited as Stanley Kubrick’s true masterpiece, it’s one of those films that doesn’t seem to age, every time you watch it is as good as the last, if not better. Often film book adaptations don’t seem to go down that well, but this one definitely does. The chilling but infectious ambience only grows from the opening scene as you watch the camera pan above the Torrance’s car and into view of potentially Hollywood’s most infamous hotel, the Overlook.

When most people first watch The Shining, it’s probably either that they want to scare themselves, or someone’s told them they have to watch it. And whilst it definitely does have some pretty spooky moments, the reason that so many people love this film can’t simply be boiled down to its success as a horror.

It’s everything else that makes it such a classic – the unconventional use of sound, the location, the sense of desperation and obviously the clothes the characters have got on. With the film being set in 1977 Colorado you’re certainly not starved for good outfits to gawp at. The most obvious and frequently referenced of these being Jack Torrance’s knitwear or his wife’s flannel dungarees combo – both of which are great, but that’s not what we’re here for today.

We’re looking at a character from The Shining that is sometimes overlooked, excuse the pun. That character being the head chef and shining ability holder, Dick Hallorann, played by the legendary Scatman Crothers. As an audience we’re first introduced to Halloran as he shows the Torrances around the hotel, explaining what each and every inch of the kitchen is for – although he makes no mention of using the pantry to lock a rabid Jack in.

From that moment when he first appears on screen you can tell that Hallorann has got a bit about him, that effortless kind of style. Although he doesn’t spend all that much time on-screen, Dick appears in three separate rigs, each of them being very good and varying in degrees of formality. Firstly the most formal of the bunch – a navy suit, with a patterned shirt and pocket square. Secondly, the least formal, some kind of crazy patterned pyjamas, and finally the best of the bunch, a massive jacket, knit beanie, scarf and blazer.

We could probably dedicate A Good Look segment to each of these outfits, but we doubt anyone wants to hear us babble on for that long, so we’re placing all our focus on that final getup.

Obviously, The Shining is set in a very cold place, the antagonist does freeze to death after all, but throughout the film, you don’t actually see that many of the characters dressed all that appropriately. But when Hallorann has that fateful vision of the Torrance’s demise, he takes no chances – leaps out of his pyjamas and makes certain his wardrobe is fully raided for weather-appropriate garb.

The main spectacle of this outfit is, of course, the biggest coat he can find – a lengthy down-filled beige number with a fur-lined hood, he throws this over the top of a brown suit along with a pair of boots and a knitted burgundy beanie that can be spotted in most bars in the Northern Quarter during autumn.

The whole outfit blends Hallorann’s formal but quirky attire we see in earlier scenes with a host of weather-ready items, the only complaint we’ve got is that while his coat looks to be bulletproof, it sadly doesn’t end up being axe-proof.

One of the most frustrating things about the entire film is that the only time that you ever really get a good look at this massive uniform is during the brief sequence of him creeping around the Overlook’s corridors as he searches for the Torrance family, just moments before his demise. One positive from this though is that of all the spirits that inhabit the hotel, Hallorann’s would hands-down be the best dressed.

So, if you’re looking to steal the head chef of the Overlook Hotel’s look, we’ve compiled a list of appropriate screen-accurate garb to help you do so. In the process of doing this, we’ve discovered that burgundy has to easily be the least popular colour on the market. Anyway, I’ve made myself so excited by writing this that I’m off for another rewatch.


Frizmworks Karakoram Down Parka Jacket

Obviously, we were going to start with the jacket, and we’ve gone big for the selection. We’ve picked this Frizmworks Karakoram Down Parka for Mr Hallorann and if you know what’s good, you know this is very. We reckon it looks pretty identical to its on-screen counterpart but if anything it’s slightly bigger, which would be a good thing in Hallorann’s case – more duck feathers to protect him from that fatal axe blow.

Filson Knitted Watch Cap

Headwear is a staple of any trendy fellow’s wardrobe, and Hallorann opts for a lovely-looking burgundy piece. For this we’ve selected Filson’s Knitted Watch Cap, it’s the right colour, is knitted and looks warm. What more do you want?

Universal Works Two-Button Jacket

Retaining the business casual look we saw him wearing in earlier scenes, Hallorann keeps a blazer on under his parka – the thinking man’s choice. When we were selecting this blazer there was only one brand to look to, Universal Works. This jacket has two buttons, two hand pockets and one chest pocket.

Universal Works Oxford Pant

Hallorann obviously wasn’t going to spend his last moments in the land-of-the-living wearing a blazer and trousers that didn’t match, so this only left us with one option again – Universal Works. Although these Oxford Pants are slightly different to the jacket, they’re made from recycled wool, which we reckon Hallorann would be all over.

NN07 9014 Scarf Two

As we mentioned earlier in the article, Hallorann took no chances when venturing up to the Overlook, and this meant he didn’t overlook grabbing his scarf on the way out. This NN07 scarf is in a film-accurate navy and made from 100% Italian wool, we’re not sure what the Overlook were paying head-chefs in 1977, but there’s a chance this could be a bit out of Dick’s price range.

Arrow Moccasin Company 7 Inch Hunting Boot

We were struggling to find a pair of boots tall enough to be accurate to the film, until we came across these 7 inchers. We’re not all that familiar with Arrow Moccasin Company, but these look to be a very nice pair of boots. Make sure you tuck your suit trousers into these for added style points like Hallorann did.

Gramicci x and wander JQ Tape Fleece Glove

Hallorann can be spotted wearing a pair of gloves in his final moments, it’s a bit tricky to actually see what these gloves look like, but we think that he’d be a fan of these Gramicci & and wander ones. They’re so fleecy that a family of bears would probably take you in as your own.

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