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R ichard Biedul is one of the most intriguing characters in the MenswearVerse. He was a practicing solicitor at a London firm for many years, until a chance encounter with a modeling agent in 2011 got him cast in British designer Oliver Spencer’s Fall-Winter fashion show. This cameo led to bookings for Brioni and Berluti…and soon, he had to choose between law and modeling. He chose the latter, and brought a lawyer’s due diligence to studying the fashion shoots around him, learning on the job about art direction, production, styling and design.
In 2017, he opened a creative and production agency, expanding his multi-hyphenate lifestyle. His unique personal style is influenced by films, including Casino, American Gigolo, and the original The Thomas Crown Affair, and musicians, including Charlie Watts, David Byrne, Serge Gainsbourg. So, he seemed the perfect lawyer-model-stylist-creative director to share a few style hacks on how to style this season’s best coats.
“Match your suit to a color in your coat. Here, the monochromatic navy blue of the suit, shirt and tie picks up and accentuates the blue in the tweed of the coat for a sharp color story.”
Two styling ideas for autumn are earth tones and textures. The forest green of the peacoat, and the trousers in a color reminiscent of fallen leaves, provide the earth tones. The Donegal pattern of the sweater gives the look texture and depth.
"There is something incredibly elegant about a wide-leg trouser, particularly when it's worn with a break [the slight pooling of fabric where the pant leg hits the shoe]. The formality of the trousers negates the need for a blazer. It dresses up the look, and having a coat with a belt allows you to create a waistline wherever you feel it would be most flattering on your frame."
“Brown on brown on brown. This is my favorite color to wear in autumn and winter. It’s rich, sophisticated and has a retro feeling.”
“Keep your shirt and trousers in neutral tones so they can be the supporting players, and the herringbone coat can be the hero of the story. And by the way, adding a roll neck [turtleneck] under a shirt elevates any look.”
An easy way to achieve relaxed elegance is by wearing casual pieces in luxurious fabrics. This look is essentially a rugby shirt, a sweatpant and a bomber jacket, but thanks to the leather, shearling and mohair it looks anything but thrown together.
“There are so many images of classic Hollywood actors wearing a sweatshirt and a topcoat–Steve McQueen, Gene Kelly, Cary Grant. Take your pick. And I was playing into that. The trick is having a coat that’s oversized. I also like using the ball cap for a pop of color.”
“There is something wonderfully nostalgic about this look. There is a lot of fluidity and drape in the trousers, and the jewel-tone colors from the lavender sweater and the raisin-colored topcoat take me back to the Technicolor films of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.”
“Nothing quite matches the elegance of the long lines of a properly structured and properly made topcoat. The beauty of owning a slightly relaxed one is that it works just as well with formal wear as it does with casual wear, and everything in-between, which is kind of this look: a polo meets beanie, meets dress shirt and tie combo.”
This is about soft, complementary hues — blues and grays — and creating a vibe that is functional yet playful, thanks to the cable-knit of the sweater, the shorter length of the coat and the relaxed proportions of the trouser.
Photographs by Phillip Gutman
Interviewed by John Brodie
