Why Steve McQueen was the king of cool

I t is 44 years since Steve McQueen died, but his influence on menswear still exerts a pull. His signature style incorporated desert boots, chinos, T-shirts and fold-up Persol 714 sunglasses, astride a Triumph motorbike. It was most famously showcased in 1963 in The Great Escape where his khakis, sweatshirt and A-2 flying jacket introduced moviegoers to a clean-cut, all-American look that was hard to find this side of the Atlantic.

The film even had a Triumph disguised as a German army motorbike, which starred in McQueen’s epic fence-jumping scene. Breaking out of his cowboy, soldier and sailor roles, the actor’s don’t-mess-with-me attitude transferred to the realm of high finance and art in the 1968 heist movie The Thomas Crown Affair — and with it came a new look. His character, Thomas Crown, was a Boston millionaire who liked Patek Philippe watches, Rolls-Royces and strong suits.

The film’s costume budget was reportedly more than $500,000..