Christopher Abbott Found a Foolproof Heartthrob Uniform

Christopher Abbott loves a big fit. The 40-year-old actor, currently starring in Netflix’s buzzy adaptation of East of Eden, has spent the past few weeks bouncing around the globe in some seriously booming tailoring. But look closely at Abbott’s wardrobe, and you’ll notice he’s locked into a very particular formula: an enormous blazer, a finely ribbed tank top underneath, and just the right amount of jewelry—a fine necklace here, a signet ring there. Abbott isn’t the first guy to clue into the appeal of the big-suit-tank combo, but he’s figured out how to make it look like his own.The formula first appeared late last month via three Ferragamo looks. First up, at a photocall in London, was a Prince of Wales-check blazer in deep brown, worn with simple black pants, a white tank, and supremely shiny square-toed shoes. Then came a full tobacco-brown suit—again with a tank top instead of a button-up—at East of Eden’s UK premiere a few nights later. Both looks featured single-breasted jackets with fairly broad notch lapels, worn open and wide enough to give them the gravitas of a double-breasted power suit.London, September 21 John Phillips/Getty ImagesLondon, September 25 Handout / Getty ImagesThe next week, during a Q&A at the Paley Center in New York, Abbott followed it up with an oversized mid-gray wool suit—even bigger and baggier than the two before it—this time with a true double-breasted blazer. By then, a pattern was emerging, but his biggest suit—the black, single-breasted Balenciaga unit he wore to the show’s NYC premiere—was still on deck.New York, September 27 Jason Mendez/Getty ImagesNew York, September 30 TheStewartofNYWhen it comes to giant contemporary suits, it’s hard to beat Balenciaga. Abbott’s wasn’t quite as enormous as the one Justin Bieber wore to the 2022 Grammys, but it was still roomy enough to make a David Byrne comparison. Look closer, though, and you’ll find remarkably precise tailoring beneath the supersized silhouette. The sleeves are oversized without swallowing Abbott’s hands (unlike Bieber's Grammys suit), and the trousers are equally dialed-in: big and wide, with knife-sharp pleats before breaking into a deliberate pool of fabric over his shoes.In this recent hot streak, Abbott has not only taken one of menswear’s trendiest silhouettes and made it feel distinctive, but he’s also proven that, in the right hands, the big-ass suit remains a potent red carpet flex. As ever, the details are key: the classic ribbed Calvin Klein tanks instead of the expected dress shirt, the slender two-chain stack permanently fixed around his neck, the occasional square-toed shoes. Even the salt-and-pepper facial hair—an almost goatee blended into a closely cropped beard—adds grizzled contrast to all that sharp tailoring. It also speaks to one of the oldest rules in dressing, whether for a red carpet or the office: when you find a look that looks great on you, you’d best lock it in.