Steal This Look: Idris Elba at a London Premiere

Idris Elba pulled up to a Leicester Square premiere in a look that cemented his status as one of the best-dressed men on the planet. He wore a Gucci double-breasted pinstripe suit in charcoal with a subtle blue chalk stripe, paired with a black rollneck sweater and polished black Oxfords. Classic British tailoring meets Italian flair. Peak Elba.

The pinstripe suit is a bold choice that Elba wears with authority. The double-breasted closure adds width to his already imposing frame, turning what could be a banker's uniform into a style statement. Reiss and Charles Tyrwhitt both offer pinstripe suits for two-fifty to four hundred. Make sure the stripe is subtle, not Wall Street flashy.

The rollneck under a suit is borrowed from European cinema, and Elba executes it perfectly. A fine-gauge merino or cashmere turtleneck from Uniqlo at thirty dollars or John Smedley at one-fifty both work. The key is that the knit sits flat against the chest without bunching under the jacket. Thinner fabric is better.

Footwear was classic cap-toe Oxfords in a high polish. These are shoes that never go out of style and anchor any formal outfit. Meermin, Loake, and Beckett Simonon all make excellent Oxfords in the one-fifty to two-fifty range. A good shoe shine makes more difference than the brand name at this price tier.

Elba kept accessories to a watch and a simple pocket square in white linen, folded into a clean presidential fold. When your suit and sweater are doing the talking, you do not need to accessorize heavily. A clean white linen pocket square from Drake's or Amazon will cost between five and forty dollars. Check https://www.mrporter.com for options.

The lesson: a pinstripe suit does not have to read corporate. Pair it with a rollneck instead of a shirt, skip the tie, and let the tailoring speak for itself. Elba makes it natural because the proportions are right and nothing fights for attention. Total budget version: under five hundred dollars.