Film Noir Buff Style Forum / Steve Style - Love With The Proper Stranger -

Taylor McIntyre · 2012-09-27 07:48:44

A thing I once wrote & then forgot about...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJjk9JlKTxo

http://cheerfulcynicism.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/highlights-of-love-with-proper-stranger.html

Every Steve McQueen fan has their favourite film. For me it's 1963's Love With The Proper Stranger - not because it's even remotely a good film, but because Steve's 'Ivy League' style is just so perfect in every shot.

He plays a Jazz musician who has both the good and bad luck to get Natalie Wood pregnant and together the young couple work out what to do next. All comes right in the end, even though the ending is completely bizarre, but it's the clothes that Steve wears in the meantime that always keep my eyes glued to the screen. Forget Humphrey Bogart - never has a trench coat been worn so well!

I'd also like to make the claim that this film has the ultimate McQueen hairstyle too, but that might be getting a little bit too OCD about his style... You can only take these obsessions so far...

Beyond the trench coat and the haircut, Steve wears pitch perfect 'Ivy League' - The white button-down shirt with the perfect collar roll, the slim dark tie, the softly tailored 'Natural Shoulder' suit with perfectly proportioned lapels to harmonise with the width of his tie and dimensions of his shirt collar. It's an absolute masterclass in the 'Ivy' style. And it was the style of clothing that Steve also wore off screen in those days too. A style associated with many facets of American society back then including Jazz musicians and actors, despite its patrician sounding name.

What impresses most is how at ease Steve is in his clothes throughout the film and the various difficult encounters that the plot presents him with. I might be watching them and obsessing over them, but Steve certainly isn't. They're just stuff to him. He looks completely natural and at home, never in 'costume'.

Relaxed, cool, handsome. Steve wore it well.

Jimmy Frost Mellor

steve mcqueen fan · 2012-09-27 09:10:16

Excellent essay Jimmy. One of my favorites too.

Chris_H · 2012-09-27 09:46:20

Yuuup!

Axelist · 2012-09-27 13:14:30

Absolutely. For me personally an important milestone on the road to ivy. I bought the first Claxton about McQueen at a time when my "mod" rennaissance turned into an deeper interest for the elements I actually liked about mod style - loafers, BDs, macs, striped watchbands, knitwear..I spend much time with the Blue Note cover books, watched "Jazz seen" and then there was SMQ in this book. I loved the pics of "Love with the proper stranger" and his attire at this period. I am a far from being at the end of my road - if there is one - but this book and film was an important stop which provided me with a full tank of fuel for quite some hundred kilometers of the journey, to stay in the picture.

12BarBlues · 2012-09-27 13:26:04

I've not seen this before, I'll have to watch it this weekend. My way into Ivy sounds quite similar to yours Axe, got interested mod and then slowly realised that most of what I liked about the style was Ivy. I have Jim to thank for that I suppose, I'd never even heard of Ivy till I read some of the threads started on modculture.

Liam Mac · 2012-09-27 13:53:00

Taylor McIntyre · 2012-09-27 13:54:00

Taylor McIntyre · 2012-09-27 13:56:55

It was (is?) on YouTube chaps. A few decades after Chris_H...

12BarBlues · 2012-09-27 14:04:55

I love that bottom pic. Know what you mean about his hair Jim it looks great. Mines slowly receding, I'm hoping that's all it will do as I'm not up for being bald.

Liam Mac · 2012-09-27 14:18:59

Is, Jim. But the audio is out of sync by a half beat. Makes it hard to watch.

You'll have to go all Richard Press and get a college boy wig Henry.

12BarBlues · 2012-09-27 14:39:35

Liam Mac · 2012-09-27 14:49:08

I'd consider a transplant if I went bald too. I'm hoping that science is advanced enough that I can just pop a few hair pills or something when I start to recede.

I wonder if this is still available.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GeF7A05zQ8

steve mcqueen fan · 2012-09-27 17:18:40

4F Hepcat · 2012-09-27 23:08:48

Axelist · 2012-09-28 00:00:45

In fact, balding e.g. losing body hair, is the final step from ape to homo sapiens.

Like 4f stated, the beginning and fear of it is the worst. To my surprise, I actually did not care much when it happened. I still have hair, but wear a crop 3. I think, short hair looks best when you're a bit thinner up there.

Interesting bit about Mc Queen's haircut. Think I'll also watch the movie again.

The book of Claxton came out about 10 years ago and caused some rennaissance of SMQ's status as a cat wih cool style. This was forgotten over time, at last in my country. I knew some of his films and had a copy of Bullitt, but the book with the pics of him and "love with the proper stranger" was eye-opening.

And Natalie Wood really looked sweet.

frenchquarter68 · 2012-09-28 01:52:50

Has anyone any idea what that mac is in pitures 1 and 3?

MarkCoyle · 2012-09-28 03:42:25

Great pictures. When I was on Chiltern Street last week there was a late night exhibition of SMQ B&W pictures open on the corner.

MarkCoyle · 2012-09-28 03:58:07

The film is on Sky Classics (and the HD) movie channel next week for anyone interested and with this service.

Chris_H · 2012-09-28 07:18:48

Nice montage.
http://vimeo.com/41760159

Saw the film when it first came out......his style left a lasting impression on me.
I've got the official VHS tape copy and an 'unofficial' DVD....I don't recall an official DVD release.

Axelist · 2012-09-28 13:56:54

This thread reminds me of an interview with his first wife which I stumbled across some years ago. The interview, not thebwife. Appearantly she had written a book about their marriage. Anybody know this book?

She said she was amazed by all the people who wrote books about thebtime they spend with him. "shouldn't I know and have met these people who claim they spend much time with Steve when we were together?"

Oh well. Back to ILWTPS?

steve mcqueen fan · 2012-09-28 14:22:29

Axelist · 2012-09-30 00:34:55

12BarBlues · 2012-09-30 02:14:42

I watched ILWAPS last night, it's actually quite funny. SMQ's wardrobe is great. One thing I noticed was that his shirt at the start of the film looked very fitted, definitely not a brooks brothers tent. iI wonder if it was a tailor made job?

A Fine Sadness · 2021-10-29 05:03:34

Thinking of Natalie reminded me of this - and what a bloody fool I was to trade the Italian poster for the movie with the local butcher for fillet steak.

#1 2012-09-27 07:48:44

Steve Style - Love With The Proper Stranger -

#2 2012-09-27 09:10:16

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#3 2012-09-27 09:46:20

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#4 2012-09-27 13:14:30

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#5 2012-09-27 13:26:04

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#6 2012-09-27 13:53:00

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#24 2021-10-29 05:03:34

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