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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You can almost guess by the name ‘Bullet Train‘ that the 2022 film is a fun, action-packed trip on a Shinkansen, otherwise known as a Japanese ullet train. Based on a book (Maria Beetle) by Kôtarô Isaka and directed by ex-stuntman and stunt coordinator David Leitch (John Wick, Deadpool 2), Bullet Train is an adventurous ride inside a train hurling across Japan.

The story is about assassins aboard the Shinkansen, each of whose missions and searches for justice intertwine in unexpected ways. It kind of feels like a Quentin Tarantino movie, but not as surreal and masturbatory, and with a bit more choreography (OK, maybe not as much as Kill Bill Vol.1&2). Bullet Train is not terribly heavy-handed with the action, there are hardly any bullets flying around this bullet train, compared to say, John Wick. The pacing works, but we found it to not move terribly fast, despite what the film’s name might lead you to believe. We’re given enough room for our very stylish characters to develop.

Something that’s apparent early on in the film is that the costuming is on point. Every character in the film is dressed well, well designed if you will, with a distinct silhouette. We’ve seen the rise of “Menswear TV Shows” with the likes of FX’s The Bear, Adam Goldberg’s assumed self-styling in The Equalizer, Stranger things has certainly had an impact on mainstream fashion, and even shows like Seinfeld and Friends which retrospectively have become visual bibles for those looking for normcore inspiration. Maybe (hopefully) we will start seeing the rise of modern menswear films, at least modern movies with costumes that skew a bit more into the niche that we occupy. Bullet Train could be the start of something cool, what with the film literally taking place in Japan, and Lemon’s denim tuxedo which we’ll get more into later on.

The 2-hour run-time features multiple interwoven storylines that come to a head as the train powers forward, and to an inevitable crash in Kyoto. It’s pretty safe to let you know that not every one of these assassins makes it to their destination alive, and even some seemingly innocent bystanders eat dust.

Ladybug, a self-proclaimed ‘snatch and grabber’ protagonist played by Brad Pitt, is reluctantly tasked with the job of stealing a case off of the Shinkansen. Before he even sets foot on the train, Ladybug establishes that he’s gun avoidant, not wishing to take a gun with him onto the Shinkansen, even though his handler (Maria Beetle, played by Sandra Bullock) recommends it. Ladybugs are a symbol of luck, particularly in Japan, and Ladybug is not without his share of luck — even though he claims to be unlucky in his recent work history. In the end, Ladybug comes out unscathed, showing us how truly lucky he is. When the train crashes, Ladybug collides with a Momomon suit (a cute cat Japanese character in the film à la Hello Kitty), bracing him from any injury.

The whole story plays out a bit like a Japanese anime. There are even some anime tropes you can dig out of the story: Generic/stock protagonist (Ladybug), contrasting Sweet and Sour characters (Lemon and Tangerine), symbolism (the names of the assassins), plenty of emotional flashbacks, etc. Obviously, the movie relies on some Japanese media tropes, which the branding and marketing are mostly clear about, but it does have a certain action movie energy that only the director of John Wick could provide with such style and charm.

Ladybug

Brad Pitt’s character Ladybug is as casual as can be when compared to the other assassins. Considering he’s on a secret mission to steal a briefcase, it makes sense that Ladybug should blend in a bit with the commuters and travelers on the train, with a low-key pedestrian disguise.

Apparently, the decision to dress Ladybug in some rugged-yet-refined pedestrian wear was a collaboration with Brad Pitt himself. And according to costume designer Sarah Evelyn, Brad had the idea “that he would look like maybe he had been fishing at the docks.” Hence the bucket hat and matching tracksuit.

Ladybug is dressed for catching flounder in chilly Japan, with a peacoat outer layer with a drizzler-style jacket underneath. Layering is smart, especially when it’s a colder month in Japan and when you need to conceal a stolen briefcase. Discerning luggage enthusiasts might have also noticed that the metal briefcase in question was manufactured by TUMI.

Lemon

Brian Tyree Henry’s character Lemon is one of the “twin” assassins  (Lemon & Tangerine) who is aboard the Bullet Train. Lemon’s style will probably be the most familiar to the denim heads out there. Under his overcoat (that matches Tangerine’s), Lemon is wearing a raw selvedge denim suit with a white shirt and tie.

Lemon’s Type II jacket and cuffed-up matching straight-leg jeans look completely natural on him, and maybe that speaks to the eternal qualities of denim. Lemon has a ways to go in breaking in and fading down his denim suit, though. Maybe after a few more assassination missions, he will be on his way to a Fade Friday submission.

Eventually, Lemon’s perfectly pristine white shirt and denim tuxedo become blood-spattered, and (spoiler alert) we learn that he’s wearing a bulletproof vest underneath all that denim – a callback to a previous scene with his brother Tangerine.

While it was Brad Pitt that caught our editor James’ eye, Lemon’s costume is certainly propping up our take that quality menswear may be becoming more prominent in mainstream media.

Tangerine

Tangerine, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, is the literal partner-in-crime to Lemon. Tangerine isn’t exactly sweet, despite his name. In fact, he’s more calculating and looking for control.

Tangerine wears a nicely tailored blue suit, complete with a waistcoat, which unfolds into a dressed-down and wrinkled version of itself over the course of the film. We feel that the high-class look devolving into something ruffled and chaotic is something of a metaphor for Tangerine’s commitment to the twin’s cause.

Kimura

Andrew Koji’s character Kimura is aboard the bullet train to find the person who landed his son, Wataru, in the hospital. Kimura is a cool dad, and not just because he’s seeking vengeance for his son’s injuries, but because he’s stylin’ hard. A good-looking and discrete brown overshirt is draped over what appears to be layers of indigo cloth, including a heavily faded kasuri scarf. If you told us he was outfitted in Kapital, we wouldn’t be surprised.

Kimura’s fit is providing some serious springtime style inspiration, especially with the brown and indigo pairing.

Image via IMDB

The Wolf

Bad Bunny plays The Wolf, a widower seeking revenge from one of the Assassins aboard the Bullet Train, who he believes to be Ladybug. The Wolf isn’t in his mourning clothes, no. He’s still wearing his wedding suit. We’re not sure if his suit classifies as a traditional Charro suit, but it’s certainly fancy and decorative. The Wolf is pure animal energy throughout his short train ride.

Get the Bullet Train Look

Bucket Hat

Classic styling perfect for spring and summertime, a clean off-white bucket hat is easy to pull off with a variety of fits. Despite stereotypically being a warm-weather headpiece, bucket hats work well with layered outfits in the colder months, as perfectly exhibited by Ladybug.

Available for $35 from Corridor NYC.

Drizzler-Style Jacket

We couldn’t find a drizzler in the same petrol color as Ladybug’s, but Knickerbocker makes a fantastic drizzler style with its Bonneville zip jacket. Wide enough to layer up a shirt or sweater underneath, but trim enough under a larger outer layer —or indeed over a tube tee in the summertime — the drizzler is one of the champions of spring.

Available for $295 from Knickerbocker NYC.

Type II Jacket

Whilst we don’t have a positive ID on Lemon’s Type II raw denim jacket, it would be safe to bet it’s either made by  Levi’s/LVC. And if not, 100% accurate to say it is made in the image of a Levi’s Type II.

At the time of writing, we’re not sure what’s going on with LVC as their collections seem to be getting smaller and iconic pieces like the Type II seem to be super hard to come by. But with Sugar Cane making some of the best Levi’s-centric reproductions in the Japanese denim market, there’s really nothing to worry about.

Sugar Cane’s 1953 Type II Denim Jacket is modeled off a Levi’s example from 1953, and features everything you need from a classic, two-pocket denim blouson. It’s made in Japan from 14.25 oz. raw selvedge denim, woven to mirror the original quality,  and finished with period-correct lemon yellow and copper stitching.

Available for $234 from Redcast Heritage.

Straight Leg Jeans

Again – no positive ID on Lemon’s jeans at the time of writing, but they’re classic straight legs modeled on mid-century Levi’s 501s. A great pick in this department is Tellason‘s Ankara straight-leg selvedge denim jeans.

Made in the USA, these are unfussy straight-leg raw denim jeans that let the classic fit and 14.75 oz. Japanese selvedge denim to the talking.

Available for $240 from the Heddels Shop.

Brown Jacket

Kimura’s brown jacket has that rich chocolate tone that is undeniably rugged and versatile. Brown goes great with indigo, so all your denim and chambray goods will be happy to be paired with something like this Field Twill Jacket from Universal Works.

Available for $124 from Oi Polloi.

Kasuri Scarf

The highlight of Kimura’s costume is the perfectly crocked and faded kasuri scarf that complements the aforementioned brown jacket. Dawson Denim has a batch of scarves that are pretty much identical and will yield the same fade potential as Kimura’s with enough wash and wear.

Available for ~$90 from Dawson Denim.