This year’s Oscars marked a fantastic outing for men’s fashion, with a number of looks catching our eye ranging from the classic red-carpet tux to boundary-pushing boldness. One of the most anticipated arrivals of the night was man-of-the-moment Pedro Pascal – but did the renowned “daddy” inadvertently commit a longstanding sartorial sin?
Earlier this week, the great and the good of Hollywood stormed the Dolby Theatre for the 95th Academy Awards. The ceremony was a major fashion moment as stars like Brendan Fraser, Michael B. Jordan, and Austin Butler infused energy and excitement onto the (not actually) red carpet with their looks.
Australian director Baz Luhrmann was even so bold as to show up wearing a $260,000 necklace, while Colin Farrell – who was nominated for best actor for his role in The Banshees of Inisherin – shared his red-carpet look with his date for the evening: his 13-year-old son, Henry. Both wore timeless velvet tuxes.
However, one of the most anticipated arrivals of the night was the much-hyped Pedro Pascal, known for his roles in The Mandalorian, Narcos and the immensely popular HBO series The Last of Us. While many on social media were quick to fawn over the star (dubbed by some thirsty fans as “Daddy Pascal”) we think there may be room for improvement in his Oscars look.
At the event, Pascal donned a sleek black Zegna suit. The ensemble featured a double-breasted blazer bedecked with glossy black buttons and matched with oversized, bagging trousers. Completing the look was a crisp white high-collared shirt, styled without a tie, and a pair of elegant black dress shoes.
There was much to celebrate in this look, especially when compared to some of the ceremony’s historic menswear faux pas (2010-era John Travolta in the blue jeans, black shirt, and black blazer, we’re looking at you) but Pascal’s trousers did catch our attention for the wrong reasons.
Though some were quick to praise the unhemmed and oversized pants for creating an air of effortless cool, we more readily identified it with a tailoring no-no that we clocked on Justin Bieber last year.
Unhemmed pants are a common men’s fashion sin because they can make you look significantly shorter than you actually are. Standing at 5’11, Pascal has a couple of inches on Bieber, but not enough of a headstart to sacrifice any verticality via poorly-tailored pants.
It’s a look Pascal seems to favour, with the 47-year-old having rocked similarly unhemmed outfits to the last few red carpets he’s been on, such as this preppy outfit he wore for the premiere of season 3 of The Mandalorian late last month.
Where Bieber fans on Instagram were quick to criticise the singer’s Oscars outfit – calling it ill-fitting and saying he looked like a “shady preacher” or “powerful lesbian” – Pascal’s fans were less savage but no less eagle-eyed. The prevailing sentiment was as follows:
“Is he wearing his dad’s pants? This hem needs some tailoring…”
@exquisite_hotel_designs
Perhaps the best point of contrast here would be Austin Butler. Not only did the Elvis star go for a classically tailored tux, elongating his body and creating a more refined silhouette, but he also paired the tux with a signature Cuban heel.
Where Pascal potentially dwarfed himself by a couple of inches, the 6-foot Butler was able to buy himself some extra headroom through smart styling choices.
So, next time you find yourself called up for the biggest night in cinema – or, perhaps more likely, your favourite cousin’s wedding – think of Daddy Pascal, think of Baby Bieber, and be sure not to follow in their flawed fashion footsteps.
Can we call Austin Butler “daddy” now?