Welcome to TBT, a look back at the epic style moves from decades past. Up today: The undeniable style influence of Martin Scorsese's 1976 film Taxi Driver.
Who: Robert DeNiro as Travis Bickle
When: 1976
Where: The once grimy streets of New York City
Why: In 1976, a mohawk, aviator sunglasses, and a Vietnam-era M-65 field jacket was not sartorial business as usual. Quite the opposite, it was a proto-punk style statement. But ever since the release of Taxi Driver, designers and regular guys alike have been obsessed with the combination. And now, 40 years later, the fashion world in entrenched in its influences. Among the many examples are Junya Watanabe's Fall 2006 runway show (with entire looks devoted to DeNiro's character), and updated M-65s from Christopher Bailey at Burberry this fall, and Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy for Pre-Spring 2017. But on an everyday scale, the military field jacket has become a fall wardrobe essential for stylish men the world over. And now you can find them at big box retailers pretty much everywhere—some complete with worn-in patches.
As for DeNiro's aviator sunglasses, they were definitely cool before the film, but it wasn't until then that a classic pair of aviators were synonymous with rebels with nothing to lose. And thanks to Taxi Driver they can take any outfit you own from bland to badass. We can't suggest you get a to-the-skin mohawk, but for a riff on DeNiro's 'do that isn't quite so scary, leave the sides a little longer and the fade a touch more gradual.
