Working Titles takes a closer look at specific films with a denim and workwear aesthetic with the goal of examining the material’s shifting cultural image.
1975 was a banner year for amateur marine biology, shark sightings all over the United States more than tripled. And It wasn’t from hurricanes, or El Niño, or any other natural occurrence that might bring the carnivorous fish closer to land, the movie Jaws was in theaters.
Jaws is one of those rare films that transcended all forms of critical, popular, and financial success. Lines snaked around the block, all box office records were broken, and children were terrified to go near water. Then unknown director Steven Spielberg had single-handedly created the Blockbuster.
The film takes place in the coastal New England town of Amity Island. Amity’s usually a picturesque little place that’s usually all sand castles, hot dogs, and lemonade, but this summer something keeps eating the tourists. Police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) wants to shut the beaches down but the town’s mayor won’t risk scaring off the tourists. The attacks continue and catch the attention of marine biologist Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), who confirms they’ve got a shark problem and it’s not going to let up any time soon. Enter Sam Quint (Robert Shaw), a professional shark hunter who promises to end the beast by any means necessary. The three men take to the sea to kill the fish.
They are each outsiders from the community they are trying to protect. They are men of conviction and intelligence while Spielberg portrays the citizens of Amity Island as spooked cattle, almost deserving of their shark fodder fate.
Even though the three are united in their goal of killing the shark, their methods and philosophies could not be more diverse.
Hooper
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Hooper is the man of science. He derives his strength from technology and learned knowledge.
He is the only one to dive into deep water and meet the shark face-to-face. His weapon is a clinical injection: strychnine poison administered via hypodermic spear.
His clothes are prep New England sportswear. Most likely a holdover from his days studying at an Ivy League university. In a crewneck sweat, jeans, and canvas deck shoes, he looks more like a part of the Kennedy Thanksgiving football game than a sea hunt.
Samurai Jeans Loopwheeled Crewneck Sweatshirt
$210 at Blue in Green
Randolph Engineering RE350 Glasses
$125 at Randolph Engineering
Levi’s Vintage Clothing 1978 501 Rigid
$260 at Brooklyn Denim Co.
Homespun Knitwear Red Sky Henley
$115 at Unionmade
Sperry Striper CVO Deck Shoe
$60 at Sperry Topsider
Quint
Quint represents the spiritual side of the expedition. Like Ahab and Moby Dick, he believes the only way to beat the creature is to first understand it. And he is the only one who can truly understand the shark, his experiences fighting for his life in open water after the wreck of the USS Indianapolis in WWII gave him a firsthand look into their “black doll eyes”.
Quite possibly the most badass character intro in all of cinema.
“The head, the tail, the whole damn thing.”
Quint’s also a no-nonsense New Englander. He doesn’t mince words and only grows sentimental when discussing the horrors of the past.
His weapon of choice is the harpoon gun. He tethers himself again and again to the shark in the hopes that his will can outlast the animal’s.
Unfortunately it doesn’t…
His outfit is pure function: a waxed canvas cap to keep the water off, simple deck shoes, a military surplus M-65, and dirty black pants. It feels like he’s worn it everyday for at least a decade.
Big Yank Indigo Old Chambray
$132 at The Bureau Belfast
Archival Clothing Waxed Canvas Trail Cap
$46 at Archival Clothing
Our Legacy Classic Chinos
$105 at End. Clothing
Narragansett Lager Beer
Buzz Rickson’s M-65 Field Jacket
$327 at Rakuten
Anonymous Ism x Hav A Hank Bandana
$12 at Steven Alan
Keds Champion Canvas Trainers
$45 at Keds
Brody
Police chief Brody is the common man and the fusion between Hooper and Quints’ two halves. He also is the only one with a pure motive, he’s out to protect his family and the citizens of Amity Island while Quint pursues a personal vendetta and Hooper wants scientific fame.
“That’s some bad hat, Harry”
Brody is also the least experienced at sea but he is the one who ultimately kills the shark. When Quint and Hoopers’ methods have failed, the ship is sinking, and it looks like all is lost, he combines Quint’s rifle and Hooper’s scuba tank as a makeshift explosive to save the day.
His clothing is relatively nondescript: blue pants, black tee, grey workshirt. Nothing too flashy, but just enough to get the job done.
Left Field NYC Dust Bowl Workshirt
$230 at Left Field
Big John M105D Kibata Jeans
$215 at Big John
Loop & Weft Organic Cotton Tee
$145 at Blue in Green
Lemtosh Jacob Glasses
$260 at Lemtosh
Viking Kadett Deck Boots
$75 at Fisherman’s Headquarters
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