Top 10 Sharpest Dressed Villains

31 January 2013 9 Comments

Sometimes being nasty is not the only thing a villain needs to distinguish himself. Take these 10 bad guys whose fashion sense is as sharp as their deadly intent.

10. Hans Gruber from Die Hard (Alan Rickman)

Hans Gruber is another one from the brand of villain that’s always smartly dressed whatever the situation. Often voted as one of the top villains of all time this list wouldn’t be complete without him.

9. Castor Troy from Face-Off (Nicholas Cage/John Travolta)

Castor Troy has a penchant for silk shirts, velvet suits and gold plated Desert Eagles. Maybe not a particularly stylish combo, but perhaps one of the sharpest dressed.

8. Michael Corleone from The Godfather (Al Pacino)

In this top ten list we just can’t get enough of gangsters. 50s crime-lord, Michael Corleone is suave and equally as well dressed as our other gangster villains.

7. Mr Blonde from Reservoir Dogs (Michael Madsen)

The suits for Reservoir Dogs were bought in a second hand store, so there are no designer labels here. But it’s still a well-fitting, smart suit and skinny tie combo which looks pretty sharp, especially with those shades.

6. Al Capone from the Untouchables (Robert De Niro)

Gangster number 2 – Al Capone’s misdeeds started in the early 20s, so same costume, slightly different era!

5. Magneto from X-Men (Ian McKellan)

With his smart grey suit and matching cape, Magneto doesn’t do dressed down days. Of all of the super hero villains he is arguably the sharpest dressed – and no spandex in sight!

4. Calvin Candie from Django Unchained (Leonardo DiCaprio)

A newcomer in the world of villains, Calvin Candie has a well-deserved place on this list. Inspired by Rhett Butler from Gone with the Wind, Candie is impeccably dressed in a burgundy suit, with a decorative waistcoat and cravat – a cigarette holder giving a finishing touch to the look.

3. John Dillinger from Public Enemies (Johnny Depp)

You can’t have a top 10 best dressed villains list without a gangster or two. And no list would be complete without Mr Depp. The 30s are one of the most stylish eras to depict in film, with the pinstripe three piece suits, the sharp shirts and ties and the infamous trilbies. They don’t make gangsters like they used to.

2. Agent Smith from the Matrix Trilogy (Hugo Weaving)

With his fitted dark green suit, matching tie and dark glasses, Agent Smith makes it into the top ten for his ability to stay sharp. Throughout the Matrix trilogy and the number of fight scenes, he never loses composure. His tie is always straight and his glasses are rarely off.

1. Patrick Bateman from American Psycho (Christian Bale)

Patrick Bateman makes this list for his vanity and obsession with his appearance. With a wardrobe filled with designer labels, Bateman is obsessively well groomed and wouldn’t be seen in anything other than the latest fashion.

Who are your best dressed villains?

Written and compiled by Sarah Leeds. Sarah’s guest post was written on behalf of ASOS, retailers of sharp suits and designer watches.

9 Comments »

ruth said:

LOVE this list! First one that came to mind is Hans Gruber, then Castor Troy. Nice to see both of ‘em in here! One of my fave scenes in Face/Off is when John Woo did a slo mo of Troy as he’s about to board on the plane, his long suit jacket blowing in the wind revealing his two golden guns on the back of his waist. And Patrick Bateman is one irresistible psycho!

# 31 January 2013 at 3:52 pm

ruth said:

Btw Sarah, I LOVE Asos! Very fitting that you did a post on fashion in movies, lots of these men wear them well. Btw, Michael Fassbender’s Magneto is a sharp dresser as well. Case in point: http://img2.bdbphotos.com/images/orig/l/2/l23lwkj0b0m30j0l.jpg

# 31 January 2013 at 3:55 pm

Mark said:

Others ….

(1) Chris Walken in The King of New York

(2) De Niro in Angel Heart

(3) Henry Fonda in Once Upon a Time in the West

(4) Tony Hopkins in Nixon

# 1 February 2013 at 9:21 am

Evan Crean said:

Patrick Bateman is the undisputed king of this list. To say he grooms and styles himself obsessively would be an understatement. Surprised you guys didn’t reference Gruber’s line in Die Hard to Takagi “Nice suit. John Phillips, London. I have two myself. Rumor has it Arafat buys his there.” The only oddball on this list for me is Magneto, who I never felt was sharply dressed. Love your inclusion of Mr. Blonde, Castor Troy, and Calvin Candie.

# 1 February 2013 at 1:50 pm

Dan Grant said:

Very cool list. I too think DeNiro from Angel Heart could make the list, but how can you argue with the villians on this one. Gruber, Smith and the rest are great choices.

# 1 February 2013 at 4:30 pm

Jack Deth said:

Hi, Sarah and company:

Excellent list of well attired bad guys!

Christian Bale’s Patrick Bateman is the most obsessive.

Allan Rickman’s Hans Gruber pulls it off with the most style and elan.

Heath Ledger’s Joker add a bit of colorful panache.

De Niro’s Al Capone still lets you see the uncultured slob beneath those fine, expensive threads.

Still love the slow rolling close up of Pacino’s Michael Corleone as he explains how he is going to take care of Sollozzo and Capt. McCluskey.

Honorable Mention:

A.J. Freeman’s fastidious Eddie Dane in ‘Miller’s Crossing’.

# 1 February 2013 at 9:34 pm

Pete said:

Nice list! If bad guys mostly wear suits then that should be enough of an excuse for me to never have to wear one again. I guess Vader doesn’t fit on here very well but I think that’s some pretty cool attire.

# 2 February 2013 at 8:39 am

Sarah said:

Thank you all for your feedback, it’s always good to know who other people would choose I know it’s prompted a few debates with friends!
Ruth, perhaps I should have chosen Michael Fassbender instead of Ian McKellan!