10. Frank – Once Upon a Time in the West
Frank (Henry Fonda) is the iconic villain of the west in Sergio Leone’s masterpiece Once Upon a Time in the West. Frank has earned his riches by being a man unafraid to kill and sharp attire reflects his deadly nature. If being a bad guy means you get to look this good, it might be worth a life of crime.
9. Leo O’Bannon – Miller’s Crossing
Gangsters were always going to make it onto this list. I don’t think there are many people who are sharper than a Hollywood Gangster, and one of the sharpest of the bunch is Leo O’Bannon (Albert Finney) in the Coen brothers’ classic Miller’s Crossing. His entire wardrobe is made up of the finest fashion. Even when an attempt is made on his life, O’Bannon can still be seen in a luxurious smoking jacket – even if he is giving chase with a Tommy gun.
8. Scaramanga – The Man with the Golden Gun
“He usually wears a white linen suit, black tie, and jewellery, all gold.” Yep, that’s Scaramanga (Christopher Lee), the titular villain of The Man with the Golden Gun. No other bond villain has had such an iconic look as Scaramanga, which is only fitting for a character in such admiration of James Bond (the only man he labels a worthy foe).
Also: Christopher Lee is without doubt one of the coolest actors ever.
7. John Dillinger – Public Enemies
John Dillinger = Johnny Depp + Some of the nicest suits known to Mann (sic). There isn’t much to be said about the suits worn by John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) in Michael Mann’s Public Enemies other than “wow!”. No wonder costume designer Colleen Atwood has won two Oscars during her career.
6. Calvin Candie – Django Unchained
With Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio) everything is over-the-top – and this includes his fashion. Candie is a man who prides himself on the power his money gives him over others, and the cruelty he can inflict on those less privileged.
Candie is a man who is virtually untouchable and his dress sense reflects his overabundance in confidence. It is also stunning.
5. Castor Troy – Face/Off
Ignore the ridiculousness of this movie (and there is a lot of it to ignore) and you’re left with the fantastic outfit of Castor Troy (Nicholas Cage/John Travolta). Strangely, he is the second person on this list who has a golden gun.
4. Hans Gruber – Die Hard
Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) is often voted one of the best movie villains of all time. He’s also one of the best dressed. His sharp suit is exquisite, especially compared to John McClain’s vest and no shoes combo (seriously, no shoes?).
3. Mr White – Reservoir Dogs
I can’t see someone wearing a black suit with a black tie and not think of Reservoir Dogs and Mr. White (Michael Madsen) which is testament to how iconic the fashion in in this movie. Nobody wears the suit as well as the unpredictable Mr. White.
2. Michael Corleone – The Godfather
Gangsters have been a staple of this list, but no celluloid Gangster comes close to Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) in Francis Ford Coppolla’s unarguably brilliant film The Godfather. In Corleone’s world dressing well is not just something you chose to do: it’s something you have to do, to show who’s in charge. From beginning to end Corleone looks like he means business – very fine business.
1. Patrick Bateman – American Psycho
Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) doesn’t just like to dress well: it’s his whole reason to be. That and killing people. This New York “Yuppie” values style over all else, and as a result has one of the finest wardrobes to grace a cinema screen. It’s so fine that even Bateman – a vicious and sadistic serial killer – doesn’t want to get blood on it.
This post was written on behalf of ASOS, who can help you get kitted out in some villainously sharp suits.