Forget Trends. I Just Want To Dress Like Paul Newman.
A sartorial muse and a salad dressing czar
Let’s not beat around the bush. As long as I’ve known of Paul Newman—seventeen, buying VHS tapes at Goodwill, feeling deeply misunderstood in my Wranglers and beat up Buick—I’ve loved Paul Newman.
After five decades of charming Hollywood, think “Cool Hand Luke," "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," and "The Color of Money," Paul Newman cemented himself as an acting icon. He founded Newman’s Own in 1982, which donated all its profits to charitable causes, ultimately giving away hundreds of millions of dollars. Did I mention he was a professional race car driver well into his 80s?
This renaissance man’s joie de vivre transcended those piercing blue eyes. His OUTFITS. He favored classic, well-tailored pieces that never seemed to try too hard. Authentic, elegant, casual. I’m sensing an
three word method at play here. If you too aspire to natural confidence and a variety of specialized skills, maybe pulling together a Paul Newman-inspired outfit is a good place to start.
Oxford Shirts
The key here is to always sport a worn in oxford button down. Unbutton the collar. Push the sleeves up and wear the shirt for thirty years. The effect is undeniably cool. And luckily, shopping secondhand is a shortcut to this vibe.
I also think we lose this sort of ownership over our clothes when we pad our closets with too many pieces. How can we properly wear anything in when we have ten version of it? Try traveling with one button down and experiment with the ways it forces your creativity.
In the Paul Newman school of thought, we’d be sticking mostly with blue and white, but find a color that works for you and make that Oxford your signature.
Olivia of Chava Studio is a dear friend of mine and makes the best Oxfords on the market. They are THE PERFECT gift—monogrammed, made to measure, divine. Try buying one right now and then committing to wearing it 3x month for the rest of the year. You’ll feel more polished and less decision fatigue when getting dressed.
If you love someone else’s monogram like I do, try this $40 Brooks Brothers shirt.
Part of the reason I always recommend this J.Crew option is a. it’s usually on sale and b. it’s already broken-in.
Excellent contender. Only $35.
High-waisted Khakis
Leave your low waist at home. These shouldn’t have a pleat. They should be stiff and then five years from now you’ll realize they’re comfortable. Wear them when you’d normally opt for a pair of jeans. And pair them with white socks and loafers—duh.
If you can cuff, even better, but for some of us, that’s a pipedream.
Pretty tonally aligned, I must say. These are a really chic option from Todd Snyder.
Vintage French khakis from Etsy for $70ish.
I love the subtle flair on this vintage pair that’s $13.
The Navy Blazer
Yes, a classic black blazer is always the right call. Except for when a navy blazer feels way less precious and a little more playful. It’s hard to explain. But keep one on hand! And if your black blazer and jeans is feeling a little too Author Photo, try swapping.
Tonal rocks here, so pair it with another blue for a streamlined look. I also just love a white tshirt, navy blazer, and jeans.
One very strong option here is to go the custom route again with Clementina. I love the detailing and you’ll wear this forever.
Such a chic, cropped Dior option for under $100.
There’s a really charming braid detail at the waist of this $25 blazer.
Strong menswear option for under $25, too!
Simple Sweaters
Save the complex weaves or flowery patterns. We’re in the market for simplified sweaters. That beat up crewneck sweatshirt in the back of your closet? It’s her lucky day. Otherwise, opt for pieces you can layer under your blazer above or on top of your worn-in Oxford.
A truly perfect outfit.
This brand, Elwood, is new to me, but they make really cool loungewear that’s not so expensive, including this $65 sweatshirt.
SUPER simple cashmere from Lands’ End, but if you read the Tuesday letter, you know how to shop this secondhand.
A cool collar and vintage shape for an affordable price.
A really good turtleneck from Tibi.
Not the simplest design, but it still feels like Paul to me.
Well-Cut Suits
Nothing too baggy. Everything quite simple. It’s a pretty far cry from what we see on a lot of male actors these days. Custom is the answer here. And if you’re not ready for that, try opting for a suit and wearing it together. You’ll be surprised at how polished the effect really is—especially talking to you, people who love the look on other people but have been timid to try it out.
Paul Newman wore this bracelet with everything, even for formal affairs.
I actually can’t believe this blazer is $106 and the pants are $70. That’s a brand new suit for $175 from Alex Mill.
Stepping out in perfect style.
Vintage three piece chocolate brown velvet suit. I’m speechless, too.
Sometimes it’s just a really dialed in overcoat that does the trick. I love this vintage option for under $300.
Overshirt Jacket
Think of this as a lightweight jacket made for layering. You can button it up all the way to wear it as a shirt or leave it open over a tee and nylon shorts for a perfect Spring outfit. Stick with 100% cotton.
I can’t really believe this chore jacket is $100. It’s from a Dutch brand I like called Bram’s Fruit.
Old school corduroy from Banana Republic for $30.
I love this jacket from Everyday Garments, which I discovered on
, the Substack I send everyone look for menswear recs to.
A really solid vintage cotton jacket for under $30 on Etsy!
Crew Socks
You know the drill here. Crew socks are the truth. These are the best ones I’ve found after years of testing. I like these for durability, too. There’s nothing more to say.
Classic Aviator Sunglasses
It’s impossible to think of Paul Newman without thinking of his signature aviator sunglasses. He wore them with suits, while racing, on boats, at home. It’s really a testament to finding something that works and sticking to it.
It’s not like he wore the exact same pair everywhere, but the shape was his signature for decades.
I would start with something more affordable like these Warby Parker ones and then once you’ve decided the shape is for you, spring for JMM.
Newman's sense of style was the epitome of understated American cool.
For the fashion forward among us, why not this $135 pair of Tom Ford aviators?
I like how light these lenses are! Just be sure the secondhand sunglasses you’re purchasing don’t have prescriptions in them.
Honorable Mentions
I hosted the one year party for EV Salon last night! It’s an IRL space for connections and my other big project besides Substack. We stocked a very cute Lands’ End tote (comment if you want to Venmo me to send you one) and here are the incredible brands we partnered with!
Brightland olive oil has been my go-to gift for the past few months. Everybody loves great olive oil! (This link gets you 10% off)
I’m all about upgrading basics this year. The evolvetogether body wash? Ya—it’s my new signature. Another code: EVSALON15 for 15% off.
Clean fragrance can be intimidating. But Belnu is changing the game and I’m their #1 fan. (EV25 gets you 25% off full size bottles!)
Odele. A Midwestern haircare brand with incredible products and prices. It’s very Long Live :) I love their Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner. I love how weightless this combo feels. Plus, EVsalon20 gets you 20% off the entire site until 1/31.
Thank you for reading Long Live. It means so much to me. You can shop my favs here, follow along on Instagram + Tiktok, and shop my Notion template. Get matched at EV Salon. And if you want to partner on a future Long Live, email evan@communite.co x
He's so hot???
When I say the lord has his favorites, Paul Newman is what I'm talking about.