Helen and I were very collaborative, and it was such a joy because she really understood the importance of costume. She always had this sway in her hips, this kind of youth and confidence. [The costumes] were embellishing upon that. The actor is the canvas — whatever she was giving, I was dressing. However, it was occasionally present in post-war men’s fashion as can be seen in the show. In later seasons, Shelby and his crew forego lapels on their waistcoats altogether as they enter the 1920s. Similarly, the bottom of the waistcoat can be tipped or straight. After all, tie bars were originally a practical accessory designed to keep the tie in place in the absence of a waistcoat. By wearing a waistcoat, you no longer need that tool to do the job. Therefore, it looks like wearing a belt with suspenders. Rather than throw away the shirt, the collar would be replaced but it was an arduous task. Therefore, it became popular to buy them separately and the collar would be attached using metal fasteners. Isn't it great that something like this can work, and it challenges the idea that there are these rigid barriers between class and entertainment?”

As mentioned in the comments below by one of our readers, the Peaky Blinders become renowned cigar smokers in later seasons. Similarly, their tunic shirts are authentic replicas of the period but I preferred TM Lewin’s modern ones as they have double “French” cuffs for cufflinks. After all, the Peaky Blinders do begin to wear cufflinks in later seasons and I like the added hardware that it offers. Throughout history, street gangs have required subtle ways to distinguish themselves from friends and foes without obviously indicating their criminal inclinations to the authorities. Subtle variations in clothing were, and remain, a common identification tactic for street gangs.

1920s Men’s Shoes UK

Nevertheless, the more popular Newsboy name tends to carry the most weight. Its name derives from their association with the cheeky urchins who used to sell papers on street corners but it wasn’t exclusively worn by children. Firstly, the key to making a Peaky Blinders outfit work besides authenticity as I mentioned earlier is coordination. When assembling clothing from different brands and outlets, take note of the colours, textures, and patterns to make sure that it’s nicely coordinated. In the series, though, they all tend to wear what are generally referred to as Newsboy Caps. However, Newsboy Caps can have lots of different names depending on the retailer and where you live. For most of the early seasons, the members of the Peaky Blinders limited themselves to dark-colored, relatively plain garments, although their suits and coats occasionally have unusual textures or unique weaves.

As for the waistcoat, Tommy Shelby would wear a vest with notch lapels in earlier seasons. This could be considered somewhat anachronistic as lapels on waistcoats was more popular during the late-19th Century and pre-War Belle Époque eras. Of course Peaky Blinders shoes match ideally with Peaky Blinders suit, however, they are not limited to this type of outfit only. The stylish type of Peaky Blinders shoes – the above-ankle boots go well with different types of clothing. Now in the world of fashion there are no strict restrictions, and if desired, the classic Peaky Blinders shoes can be worn not only under a business suit, but also under ordinary jeans or trousers with a sweater. And that’s not all. Peaky Blinders shoes match well with jeans or trousers with shirt, or T-shirt even. Furthermore, the Peaky Blinders shoes are considered universal and are perfect choice for both formal and casual styles. Hence, we can boldly say that the Peaky Blinders shoes are quite a temptation for purchasing. Therefore, using my own experiences and 7 years of trial and error, I’ll be providing a full guide on how to dress like Thomas Shelby (Cillian Murphy) and his Peaky Blinders. Let’s break it down using the following considerations:

Accessories To Complete The Peaky Blinders Look

As mentioned above, the suits worn by the Peaky Blinders have certain distinctive details that set them apart. We’ve already talked about the fabrics but what about the rest? Before we begin, I’d just like to highlight one important element that can sometimes be overlooked when people are seeking to mimic this style. For the look to feel complete, it must strive for authenticity. Helen McCrory brought a lot of powerful swagger to that suit. Did she contribute a lot to the costuming process?

Firstly, the tie needs to be thin. Not only is this more authentic for both the period and the show but stiff collars are small and can’t handle wide ties and knots. You’ll want to also do a very simple single knot, tie it tight, and then shape it into a little trapezium.

What Is The Peaky Blinder Shirt Style?

When first looking for explanations around the Peaky Blinders wardrobe, you’re inundated with articles about “how to dress like a character from Peaky Blinders .” They all basically say “three-piece suit.” What authentic details are they missing? Finally, be sure not to wear an Albert chain with a wristwatch even if the chain has something else connected to it. Like wearing a tie bar with a waistcoat, it enters belts-and-braces territory. Peaky Blinders & Cigars In general, Twenties and Thirties suits are distinguished primarily by their breadth. Lapels are wide, cuts are fuller, and there is generally more padding. Fabric choices were also more plush, giving clothing a fuller look, and there was less waist suppression, although the inverted v silhouette remained very popular. Members of the Peaky Blinders gang in their typical garb of muted, dark suits, detachable collar shirts with exposed studs, and iconic peaked caps. Image credit: BBC. Image credit: BBC. Image credit: BBC.

Speaking of which, we highly recommend wearing braces rather than a belt with a three-piece suit. A belt will add bulk to your waist as it would be underneath the vest. If the trousers sag under the weight and you can see the belt, it’s similar to the visible shirt issue that I described above. Today, trousers tend to be worn low on the hips. Therefore, when you wear a waistcoat, it’s too high and you can see the shirt in-between. Be mindful of this when buying a suit and make sure that the leg and rise are long enough so you can properly wear a waistcoat. Lastly, I’d like to touch on using a style as inspiration but not getting too bogged down in blinded loyalty. You may have noticed in a number of the photos above that I played around with the Peaky Blinders style but added a significant personal touch.Furthermore, it was particularly popular for golfers and was often worn by higher social classes during other leisurely activities in the countryside. Similarly, stiff collars are narrow so it’s difficult to pull the tie when tightening it. You’ll see what I mean when you try! What I do is place the tie into the collar at the right length before I attach it to the shirt. Afterwards, I tie it very close to the collar so I don’t have to pull too much to tighten it. As you start to expand your wardrobe, you’ll be able to add a greater variety. However, when starting, use the capsule wardrobe approach and work from a core outfit to grow from there. Steven describes Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby as: “Romantic, tragic and uplifting." Perhaps words that would indeed suit the entire Peaky series with its highs and lows over the years.