Tom Ford has appeared at the 2024 Met Gala and in one fell swoop steamrolled his menswear nemesis Tommy Hilfiger after executing an awkwardly similar outfit with a great deal more flair.
There’s no denying that both these Tommies — Ford and Hilfiger — are menswear icons with decades of proven heritage, putting in the hard yards figuring out what looks good so that blokes around the world don’t have to. However, as they graced the Met Gala’s red carpet tonight, one has come out decidedly on top…
Both appearing in red tuxedos — which, we can safely assume are of their own designs and choosing — Ford sported a velvet, dark red jacket accompanied by crisp white shirt, classic black bow tie, along with relaxed-cut trousers and high-shine dress shoes. Naturally, he completed the look with signature heavy shades. All in all, this is a flawless look that sets a high bar for every other man on the red carpet.
Hilfiger has built his outfit around the same colour, red, but has instead opted for a much brighter shade in what appears to be a silk material on both the jacket and his navy trousers. Boldly choosing to go sockless, he completes his look with a classic white shirt, black bow tie, and a pair of velvety-looking black mules.
Again, I don’t mean to throw any shade at Hilfiger’s wonder abilities as a designer — not only does he have an unrivalled legacy in menswear but, speaking frankly, this writer can barely throw a tracksuit on in the morning, putting me in no position to go for Hilfiger’s jugular — but I think we can all agree that if you put the two designers side by side tonight, Ford comes out looking markedly stronger.
If we had to boil it down, I think this relies on Ford embracing the classic, time-tested menswear look that has adorned red carpets for decades. You could equally criticise him for paying it safe where Hilfiger has chosen to be a little brighter and bolder, but we reckon that by staying well in his lane, Ford has assembled something of a menswear masterclass.