Style Icon – Gregory Peck
The epitome of tall dark and handsome, Gregory Peck needs little introduction. Star of the iconic “To Kill a Mockingbird”, this Irish-American film star was one of the most loved actors of the 40s, 50s and 60s and it’s no mystery why.
Just looking at Peck’s list of achievements is enough to make you weep. 6 foot 2 inches of good looks, charm, grace and just the right amount of ruggedness that a woman can’t help but go weak at the knees over. Oh, and did we mention that he’s a really nice guy, too? In fact, nice doesn’t even begin to explain it. A long-term activist against war, and racism, in 1969 President Lyndon Johnson honoured him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his lifetime humanitarian efforts. And to top it all off, he had the kind of timeless style that most covert, but few ever achieve.
The thing about Gregory Peck’s’ style is that it wasn’t just about the way he wore his clothes, or the maker of his fine leather shoes, it was more to do with an inner exuberance and kindness that shone through. That said, however, he was also a pretty damn good dresser – and as one of Hollywood’s greatest and most elegant film stars wore Huntsman for most of his sartorial needs, too.
And so, gentlemen, we thought we’d make life easy for you by imparting some wisdom on how you too, can become just a little more Gregory Peck…
Get some specs appeal
Seriously, has any man ever looked so great in a pair of glasses as Gregory Peck did as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird? Oliver Peoples and Cutler & Gross is the place to go to get some Peck-like frames, and for good reason too, as the classic round-frames never seem to tire in terms of gentlemanly style…
Culter & Gross round-frame tortoiseshell acetate optical glasses, £295, mrporter.com and Oliver Peoples Gregory Peck round acetate optical glasses,£215, davidclulow.com
Toughen up
“Tough times don’t last, tough people do, remember?” (GP) We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. So stop cowering in the corner when things get difficult, stand up and be a man about it. A good strong beard at some point in your life might help with this.
D.R. Harris beard oil, £19, mrporter.com, Baxter of California beard comb, £16, mrporter.com and D.R. Harris beard brush, £22, mrporter.com
Play golf in understated style
Ditch the novelty trousers or silly club covers and take a leaf out of Peck’s golfing stylebook. Relaxed, but smart and unassuming, Peck had golfing attire down to an absolute tee.
Love what you do
Ok, so we can’t all be A-list movie stars, but finding something that you love to do is a surefire way to be a more interesting man. No one really loves their job all the time, but as long as you can find something that you love doing, then you’re doing OK.
“I just do things I really enjoy. I enjoy acting. When I’m driving to the studio, I sing in the car. I love my work and my wife and my kids and my friends. And I think, ‘You’re a lucky man, Gregory Peck, a damn lucky man.”
Although with previous co-stars like Audrey Hepburn, it would have been hard not to love your job.
Do something that scares you
From parachuting out of a plane to taking the plunge and starting your own business, or even just asking the beautiful woman at the bar if she’d like to join you for a drink. Take your cue from Peck and read more of his words of wisdom:
“You have to dream, you have to have a vision, and you have to set a goal for yourself that might even scare you a little because sometimes that seems far beyond your reach. Then I think you have to develop a kind of resistance to rejection, and to the disappointments that are sure to come your way.”
Let the wind style your hair
What’s the quickest way to achieve that surfer’s hair look we hear you ask? Just take a trip to the English coast, and let the salt, sand and wind take over, it’s the kind of styling that money just can’t buy.
Alternatively when you’re not by the coast, a no-fuss texture spray will achieve the Gregory Peck windswept, beachy hair look in no time, too.
Sachajuan ocean mist texturising spray, £18, mrporter.com, Lavett & Chin sea salt texturising mist, £20, mrporter.com and Original Mineral surf bomb sea salt texture spray, £22, selfridges.com
Do well, but stay humble
If you had really done something to be selfless then you shouldn’t be talking about it now. Despite standing up for Gay Rights, Anti-Racism and a host of other exemplary causes, Peck said of receiving his Presidential Medal of Freedom, “I’m not a do-gooder. It embarrassed me to be classified as a humanitarian. I simply take part in activities that I believe in.”
Wear a hat, once in a while
What ever happened to the hat? We don’t just mean the cap, or the beanie; we’re taking good old-fashioned trilby or fedora. Few men have looked as good as this guy does in a hat, so whatever the occasion, from Ascot to exotic holidays or even weddings, invest in a quality hat (as every gentleman should).
Clockwise from left: Lock & Co grosgrain-trimmed straw panama hat, £235, mrporter.com, Lock & Co Monaco cotton-calico trilby hat, £110, mrporter.com, Loro Piana kirk hare and cashmere-blend felt trilby, £470, mrporter.com and Borsalino grosgrain-trimmed straw panama hat, £155, mrporter.com
Grow old gracefully…but still look cool
A picture of Gregory Peck in 1999 wearing a shirt, tie and navy mac are the timeless gentleman’s essentials – enough said.
Jaeger reversible mac, £259, jaeger.com
Become a Gentleman’s Journal Member?
Like the Gentleman’s Journal? Why not join the Clubhouse, a special kind of private club where members receive offers and experiences from hand-picked, premium brands. You will also receive invites to exclusive events, the quarterly print magazine delivered directly to your door and your own membership card.
