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.

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To this day I’ll never understand why Shawshank Redemption fell flat on its face in the box offices back in 1994. Sure, it was competing with Pulp Fiction and Forrest Gump, which are equally great films in their own right, but I just struggle to understand how such a borderline-perfect film didn’t get the reception it deserved. Thankfully, it’s become a classic in retrospect and is often cited as one of the greatest modern movies.

Ironically, I myself wasn’t drawn to watching The Shawshank Redemption for the first time when deciding on a DVD to watch at a family get-together around 13 years ago. I distinctly remember comparing the DVD box to that of Goodfellas and Cast Away, and just being more drawn to the options of witnessing a disheveled Hanks or a guaranteed Joe Pesci meltdown at some point that evening. Luckily for me, everyone else voted for Shawshank.

For the next 142 minutes, I was completely captivated. Not only by the immense Stephen King storyline fleshed out perfectly by director Frank Darabont, but the cinematography, the locations, the soundtrack, and most notably in this context, the costumes. Now, using the word ‘costumes’ seems funny at this moment because about 99% of the clothing in Shawshank is, well, workwear. Not Geiger Alien-suits. Button-downs, denim work pants, dungarees, service boots, and all that good stuff.

The garb in Shawshank may not be as varied as that of Jaws, Serpico, One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest, or other steez-filled pictures that have served as inspiration for many, but watching it was definitely one of the first times I appreciated vintage workwear and believe it is certainly an underrated movie in terms of styling. Let’s take a further look

When hot-shot banker Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is framed for killing his wife and her lover, he is sentenced to two life sentences to be served at the fictional Shawshank State Prison of Maine. Shortly after entering the prison, he befriends Ellis “Red” Redding (Morgan Freeman), a fellow inmate serving a life sentence for armed robbery who introduces Dufresne to his group of hardened yet humble prisoners. Red happens to be one of the prison’s main contraband smugglers, and he procures items for Dufresne which, seem peculiar at first, but ultimately become instrumental in his escape from the institution. I guess it’s too late for a spoiler alert, now.

During his time in Shawshank, Dufresne earns the trust of the guards and the corrupt Warden (Bob Gunton) through his elite financial skills. He helps the prison staff and the warden with tax issues and ultimately learns about the streams of dirty money that run through Shawshank under the Warden’s tenure. Dufresne’s fragile position of power sees him earn both friends and enemies within the prison, all of which play roles in a turbulent storyline of friendship, incarceration, corruption, hope, and ultimately freedom.

The fantastic costume design in The Shawshank Redemption can be credited to the late Elizabeth McBride, who tragically passed away in 1997 at just 42 years of age. An expert in mid-20th-century Southern and Western fashions, McBride was also the costume designer for 1991’s Thelma & Louise.

Andy, Red, & Co. -Denim, Chambray, & Hickory Galore

Now, most of the garb in this movie is utilitarian workwear. No bells or whistles. But how cool the characters in this film look is a testament to just how timeless work shirts, denim pants, and coveralls really are. I mean, every character has an aesthetic that many people will pay big bucks for in 2022. Just go to any heritage-centric trade show or walk ’round a super trendy area of London and you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.

First off, shall we just admire these hickory striped work shirts, for a minute? One of two standard-issue button-downs in Shawshank, each shirt is perfectly worn in, softened, and fitted with the character’s prison number. A classic heritage style, these are fitted with black buttons and dual patch pockets on the chest.

But what I love about the Shawshank aesthetic is how McBride ensured each character donned their shirt in their own unique way. If you take a look at the image above, which depicts one of Dufresne’s first meetings with Red, McBride and the director Darabont have styled Red to wear his hickory shirt open with a ribbed vest underneath, whilst Dufresne wears his buttoned all the way up – indicating his fresh fish status in Shawshank prison.

As Dufresne completes more of his sentences in Shawshank, his style becomes more relaxed and laid back as he becomes more jaded and disillusioned with his time in the institution.

The above image of Red and his crew of hardened prisoners perfectly depicts the styling of the inmates. The coveralls are classic double-breasted coveralls, made up of what would have been raw denim which has aged and faded in perfect vintage fashion. Real gold rush vibes carrying through into 1940s Maine. Again, the hickory shirt styling is going crazy, here, with the different amounts of sleeve roll and chest exposure.

The same goes for the denim work pants they wear in the earlier parts of the movie (pictured above), which look to be some sort of USN Deck Pants from WWII. I can’t be sure, but considering Dufresne is sentenced in the late 40s, it would make sense that prisoners would be given used USN-issue garb to wear in the wake of WWII to avoid the costs of buying new, Union-made workwear. Regardless, the patina on the patch pockets is a thing of beauty. The denim looks nice and lightweight, too, or just laundered so hard by the prison laundry that they’ve become uber soft and malleable, leading to a nice drape elevated by the wide-leg silhouette.

Even if you’re into super tapered jeans and slim-fitting truckers, I think we can all agree that the procurement of these garments is top class, here. I mean, part of me feels they must be vintage articles purchased or rented in bulk for the movie, but another part of me just marvels and how each garment is so perfectly aged and uniform in color/silhouette? There are some pretty stacked scenes with a lot of inmates in this movie and everyone has similar-colored denim on. The shirting would be easier, for sure, as McBride could have had these custom-made, but I imagine to get this amount of denim custom-made with fades ‘n’ all would have been a pretty tall order. There must just be some insane archivists out there willing to rent their collections out for film production!

All I’m going to say about the above and below images is Big Chambray Energy (BCE): a term I’m hoping to adhere to in the coming years. I’ll actually admit on record that I bought a Buzz Rickson’s chambray after watching this film for the third or fourth time about five years ago. And, whilst I wish I had more info on the leather boots of Shawshank, they’re clearly some sort of Service Boot, and costume director McBride wasn’t afraid to get the cast in some seriously worn-in pairs to set the scene. Get these guys some Hubbards Shoe Grease, please! They still pair amazingly with the soft, laundered-to-fuck denim pants, though.

Tommy Williams – 60s Heartthrob

Much like his entrance into the plot, Tommy’s style freshens things up when he is committed to Shawshank in 1965 for stealing televisions from JC Penney. His bad boy attitude is complimented by his poster-boy hairdo, epic sideburns, and ability to roll sleeves higher than most mortals. On his bus trip into Shawshank, Tommy dons a leather flight jacket which kind of gives you Wild One vibes and sets the tone for his character.

And while Warden Samuel Norton, portrayed by Bill Gunton, is nothing but an evil, bloodsucking, man-child — respect can be paid to those incredible 50s-style specs.

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