Cravats in Fiction - Heroes and Villains

Whether haughty, smouldering or wicked, the cravat is usually shorthand for something. Many romantic leads and iconic villains have had one of these fabulous garments draped around their neck, implying something about their character. Whether to represent upper-class airs and graces, stuffed-shirt formality or dangerously decadent style, the ascot tie has been used to wonderful effect. But what characters come most to mind when you think of a cravat?

Below are some strong examples from fiction to help you see the versatility of the cravat, and how iconic a garment can become when worn by the right character.

Phoenix Buchanan 

Hugh Grant sends himself up as both an aging leading man, and an archetypal British villain in the wonderful Paddington 2. Equal parts upper-crust and devilish, he plays the part of an aging actor desperate for the limelight perfectly, described by the actor himself as “my greatest ever role”. Originally known for playing romantic leads himself, his comic turn here is note-perfect and has been widely praised.

The production’s costume department styled him perfectly, even using one of Cravat Club’s designs to achieve the look! For a little bit of that West End flair, try our Enlai cravat, as seen in the movie.

Mr Darcy 

Colonel Brandon 

Sticking with Jane Austen, her debut novel Sense & Sensibility also features a moody male lead, again played by an iconic actor in the adaptation. Colonel Brandon is a serious and somewhat curmudgeonly man, who nevertheless falls head over heels for Marianne. The famously suave and much-missed actor Alan Rickman portrayed him on-screen in 1995, decked out in a cravat at almost all times - though online debate rages as to whether this was an ascot tie, or the very similar jabot. You decide!

Heathcliff 

To round out our trio of well-dressed romantic leads, who better than the ultimate antihero? The male lead of Wuthering Heights is a Byronic hero in the truest sense - dark, mysterious, alluring and, deep down, a thoroughly nasty piece of work. This complexity has made him an iconic character, with some truly iconic portrayals; Richard Burton, Laurence Olivier, Timothy Dalton, Tom Hardy and Ralph Fiennes have all tried their hand.

With so many competing performances, it’s difficult to think of the definitive one. However, for us, we think of Laurence Olivier’s compellingly dark Oscar-nominated performance in 1939 as a cinematic classic. Emily Brontë’s antihero never looked so dark and menacing, yet strangely attractive.

Fred Jones 

If all these leading men leave you needing a breather, we present to you another iconic cravat-wearer. You may know him as a member of Mystery Inc. -  battling ghosts and meddling with evil schemes from a VW camper, all with a great dane in tow. We are of course talking about the handsome devil Fred from Scooby Doo, whose classic sixties mod look has become part of wider culture at all kinds of levels. A simple man at heart, all he wants to do is build ingenious traps for the bad guys and wear his bright orange tootal scarf, all the while hoping Daphne will look his way. Even if you’re naturally more of a Shaggy, we could all use a little of Fred’s signature flash.

James Bond 

While Ian Fleming’s famous British spy might be more familiar in a tux, it’s not something one can wear all the time. There are many moments where we see Bond decked out in more casual attire, including days spent in a gentlemanly cravat. In the movie adaptations, we see Pierce Brosnan don one in Goldeneye - behind the wheel of an Aston Martin DB5, to complete the look. 

We also see Roger Moore’s Bond posing as stable heir James St John Smythe in A View to a Kill, opposite Christopher Walken’s villain.

Timothy Dalton wears an opulent dress cravat for doomed American agent Felix Leitner’s wedding, setting the revenge plot of Licence to Kill in motion. This would have been rather out of date in the UK at the time, though apparently more in keeping with US fashions in 1989.

Jareth, The Goblin King

While we’ve spoken about British villains a lot, they tend to be more of the realistic variety. But who can forget the great David Bowie’s turn as the Goblin King? Jim Henson’s iconic 1986 fantasy masterpiece Labyrinth sees Bowie, as Jareth the Goblin King, take charge of a rag-tag group of monsters, kidnapping baby Toby and forcing Sarah (played by a young Jennifer Connelly) to brave the maze. 

Now, admittedly you may not be able to wear a new romantic-inspired look such as this every day - not all of us are blessed with Bowie’s charisma - but you have to concede, the Goblin King looks spectacular.

Michael Corleone

In Part II of the movie adaptation of Mario Puzo’s classic The Godfather, the young Michael Corleone visits Havana on New Year’s Eve, discussing mafia plans in Cuba while the government is on the verge of collapse. The year is 1958, and Al Pacino’s portrayal sees him dressed in a crisp jacket, open-necked shirt and cravat. While perfect for the time and scene-setting, it doesn’t hurt that Pacino looks magnificent - all flashy style and simmering malevolence, there for the last days of decadence. It’s a great look, and perfect for the heat of Cuba.

Bruce Wayne

From antiheroes to superheroes. That’s right - the ultimate playboy billionaire has of course been spotted in a cravat. The great Adam West portrayed him as an ascot-wearing aesthete in the original Batman TV series, and truly the portrayal is right on the money. While The Dark Night would go on to feature in darker and darker takes on the comic books as time went on, there is still a special place in our hearts for the gleefully silly 1960’s version.

As if to emphasise the point, iconic Batman portrayer Michael Keaton has been known to wear a cravat to formal events, defying black tie rules. Well, if anyone can break them, it’s him…

To be quite frank, we could have gone on a lot longer here. The truth is, there are many examples of characters wearing an ascot tie as a key part of their character. Whether to express good taste, vanity, upper class, pretention, background or disguise, it’s a key signifier in getting the character just right. It can also be the key element to your outfit, whether you’re trying to step outside your ordinary attire, or just to be more yourself.

Browse our collection here, and find the perfect complement for your next killer outfit.