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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I can be a pretty verbose guy at times. Get me talking, and I’m hard to shut up. I just get carried away, particularly if it’s about a subject I’m interested in. But, this movie. Man, I have no idea how to put what I just experienced into words. I feel like I had several recurring epiphanies throughout. I wasn’t prepared. I went into it all dewy-eyed and emerged the other side a Limoncello sippin’, toothpick-suckin’ mobster. Man o’ man, what a film. 

A Bronx Tale – directed by Robert De Niro – is a coming-of-age drama set in the streets of an Italian-American Bronx neighborhood in the socially turbulent ‘60s. Based on the Chazz Palminteri play, the story follows Calogero (played first by Francis Capra as a young boy, then by Lillo Brancato as a teenager), a kid who’s quickly taken under the wing of local mob boss Sonny (Chazz Palminteri) after witnessing a murder right on his doorstep. As he becomes immersed in mob life, a mental game of tug of war ensues as he battles to stay on the straight and narrow like his father Lorenzo (Robert De Niro). But when Calogero falls for his African-American classmate, Jane (Taral Hicks), repercussions threaten the entire neighborhood. 

If I had to lump the style in this movie into a bucket, it would be ‘mob-core’. Does mob-core even exist? Probably not, and I don’t expect to be writing a Style Starter piece on it any time soon. 

Do you ever get nostalgic about things you’ve never experienced and places you’ve never been? Yes, I’m totally aware that what I’ve just said contradicts the very definition of nostalgia, but I truly believe it’s a real thing. But that’s how I felt about the styling in this movie. There’s nothing really innovative or standout about it, like Serpico, for instance; however, there is a strong sense of charm; a period-accurate nod to times of old. And we can all appreciate that massively. 

Calogero

A Bronx Tale opens with a classic bit of narration. As soon as Calogero’s thick Italian-American accent kicked in, I could feel the hand gestures through the screen. Have you heard about the concept of an internal narrative or monologue? It’s a phenomenon that really came to the fore for me during the global pandemic. In short, our inner narrative is the story we tell ourselves. It’s the thoughts that pop into our heads, our core beliefs, our internal dialogue. Some people have them, some people don’t. Personally, I don’t, but if I did, I’d want it narrated by Calogero. 

Calogero quickly does the rounds and gets us acquainted with the characters in the movie, from his father Lorenzo to his best bud Slick. This is where we get our first glimpse of life on the block. In some respects, the kids dress better than the adults: open camp-collar shirts and crisp white tanks tucked into some straight-cut work or fatigue pants, rounded off with some classic Chucks. Very New York, I’d say. What’s even more quintessentially New York is the fitted Yankees cap and badged varsity jacket young Calogero rocks on the bus with his father. 

Sonny

Enter Sonny, stage right. Previously, when I’ve visualized mob bosses in my head, I’ve had varying images, from Al Capone to Bugsy Siegel. However, for me, Sonny is the apex of mob bosses; from the way he speaks and the clothes he wears to how he conducts himself and interacts with peers. Sonny’s dress is very formal, as is a lot of the older characters’ style. I’ve seen it quite a lot in Italian films. I’m not sure if it’s a generational thing or a class thing, but as you get older, you’re supposed to dress smarter. In fact, I can’t remember him not wearing a full suit throughout the entire movie – he even wears one playing ‘stickball’ in the street (minus the tie and jacket, of course). 

A lot of classic mob bosses are depicted as being quite ostentatious. Sonny is not. His suiting style is very American-Italian, so leaning more towards the slimmer side, a sharp contrast to the billowy tailoring preferred in preceding decades. His fingers aren’t littered with brash gold sovereign rings, although there are a couple, and he hasn’t got cigars hanging out of his mouth. His look is unassuming, which I think directly contributes to how believable his character is. 

What I like most about Sonny, aside from sartorial choices and keen eye for a tie, is his wisdom. Throughout the film, Sonny is forever dropping knowledge bombs or hurling wisdom grenades. A lot of the time when people do this, it often comes across as quite contrived. You know when people utter platitudes like it’s profound literature? ‘Live, laugh, love’ – ring any bells? Sonny is the opposite, and he manages to deliver these words of wisdom in a very relatable way, making it all the better. 

Learning the ropes

Throughout the film, Sonny and Calogero become very close. I don’t want to spoil the plot, so I’ll leave out how and why. However, as the relationship between Sonny and Calogero (affectionately known by Sonny and his peers as “C”) blossoms and Calogero gets older, his style starts to develop that mob-esque patina, too. Lots of leather, slimmer dress pants, black derbies, and some pretty unique pique polo shirts. The suiting, by the way, is wild. I’m talking heavily pronounced open collars, fedoras, the works. Hard to get behind nowadays, but definitely a look. 

Retro-style polo shirts are a dime a dozen in the film. When I was watching it, all I could think about was Beams Plus. Over the years, the Japanese brand has mastered the art of blending styles – from ivy and prep to sportswear and military – while adding its own contemporary flair. If you haven’t checked out Beams Plus lookbooks, we suggest you do. Heritage style goldust. Lost & Found has a great selection, with some polos that wouldn’t look out of place in this movie. 

Calogero develops a signature look throughout the remainder of the movie. One piece that sticks out more than anything (in a good way) is his mid-length black leather black jacket. It’s like a car coat but slightly longer — a style that isn’t exactly prominent in this day and age, but we hope makes a comeback. Japan’s Sturdy and Canada’s Himel Bros. make comparable styles that will definitely work in the modern wardrobe. 

The second half of the movie is where things go downhill real fast. I’m not talking about the quality of the movie, but more what happens within it. While uncomfortable at times, this is where I think A Bronx Tale sets itself apart from your typical mobster movie. It touches on a number of very important themes, many of which are still relevant today (albeit, arguably not as overt). Themes like racism, social inequality, fatherhood, and love. And as these themes unravel in what feels like a relentless onslaught of emotional twists and turns, the movie draws to a cathartic close, one that I wish didn’t come so soon. 

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