If you prefer the beauty and contrast that bleak, windswept land can produce, then Hinterland has to be one of the best TV shows available now. Also known as “Y Gwyll” in Welsh, it’s a dark, supremely well written police drama set in small-town Wales. They actually shoot each scene twice. Once in English, and once in Welsh. And since it’s more murderous Mayberry than Gotham City, the lead character (DCI Tom Mathias) chooses clothing that’s both rugged and casual. Yet he’s still got a pretty sharp eye for style. Think button downs and knit ties with jeans, instead of sharp suits and crisp dress shirts.
Season one and two are already available on Netflix. Season three should see the light of day in early 2017. With fall coming up, the weather for most of us will turn very… Wales-like. So now’s the perfect time to dig in. We’ll be focusing on DCI Tom Mathias, the main character, and his style.
Looks like we might have an exact match here. Notice that DCI Mathias always has the pocket flaps tucked in, so you can’t see the American flag snap. Not cheap, but it’s the real deal. Outbound shipping is free via END, but since they’re based in the UK, international returns could be an expensive pain.
So, he seems to have two of these waist length jackets. And pretty sure they’re both the Barbour. Same model, just a different color. But that dark khaki is damn hard to find in a harrington-style jacket w/ a corduroy collar. So? Why not a jacket made of dark khaki corduroy? Sure, the style is different. But it’s a heck of a lot less expensive compared to the similar, but not quite the same, McQueen Sandford Barbour in Tan. And if a trucker style isn’t your thing, Timberland makes a nice, classic, waxed jacket with a stand up collar in “British Tan.” Not quite as rich in shade, but good looking all the same.
Pretty sure there’s a Fred Perry and/or an Original Penguin logo on a lot of his shirts (how very British)… but J. Crew’s OCBD should do the job just fine. Plus, it’s available in their nicely slimmed down fit, which is also true to the show. He doesn’t wear big, ballooning traditional fit shirts. Also, Chambray shirts. Lots of chambray shirts in this series too.
They’re either a wool knit, a grey chambray, or something along those lines. And that’s precisely how you wear a tie with jeans. Pair it with a more casual, button down shirt. Leave the top button undone. And make sure your tie is on the slim side, and made from a matte, textured, more casual fabric like wool or chambray.
Classic, but still with purpose. You could argue that the sunglasses in question, on screen, might actually be closer in shape to Ray Ban’s Caravan. So, more square. And if that’s more your style, try these from Polaroid. They, along with the AOs, made this year’s best sunglasses under $100 list.
Turns out the watch is actually a Tag Carerra. The C. Ward is much closer, but still a quartz (albeit Swiss made) and pretty pricey. The Casio? Much more affordable. Just gotta knock that bracelet off and put on the NATO. Too bad this Seiko appears to be only sold in Japan, and pretty darn pricey. Otherwise, that’d be another excellent alternative.
Yep. Mathias could wear any old watch, and any old watch strap, but it’s pretty clear in more than a few scenes that he’s wearing a striped nato strap on his wrist. Nice touch.
Note: The boots drop to $143.98 if you’re a first time Huckberry customer and use the code DAPPERED20. Thanks to the guys at Huckberry for the code!
It’s tough to see just what boots they are. They might even be blundstones. But to up the style quotient, try some more casual leaning chelseas (how appropriate for the island) and if they’re suede, make sure they’re waterproofed. The new made in Italy Astorflex Chelsea should do the trick. Just know that crepe soles, to some, can get real slick in wet conditions. Meanwhile, in season two, episode four, a buckle boot is clearly shown. But it doesn’t look like a Motorcycle boot. More like a monk chukka? Brooks Brothers used to make one of those. But no more. Now? Looks like Frye might be your best bet. Spendy for sure. At least the welt is hand stitched and the leather is full grain.
Mathias loves these things like he loves his Barbour jackets. He’s got a couple of them. A dark one (navy?) as well as a light colored one. And that shows just how little one has to do to stand out, quietly, in a business casual world. Striped Nato band + woven stretch belt = just different enough. That, and fit.
The hat in the series is so thick and itchy looking, you can almost picture a disapproving, scowling grandmother knitting the damn thing for her mis-behaving grandson who’s stuck in timeout facing the corner. That said, it also looks pretty good. The Timberland cap shouldn’t be as itchy, since it’s merino wool. And the logo tag might be able to be gently removed with a pair of sharp nail scissors. But even if it can’t? Not a bad looking hat.
Again. How very British. Not sure if it’s because END is based in Britain and Brexit has caused the Pound to falter a bit as of late, but the exact same jacket, when sold here in the states, is almost always much more expensive. The problem is returns with END. You’re on the hook for international returns. And you’ve gotta get it back to Newcastle. (Seriously, what the hell Newcastle, The Championship? See you next year in the Premier league. Hopefully?) And that’s no easy, or cheap task. Waxed cotton finish though. Should be able to handle all the bad weather of the fall. NOTE: According to Brandon D. this a true slim since it’s in their updated, “tailored” fit. Most are going to want to size up. If you’ve got a Bloomingdales near you, you could always try one on in store before ordering from the UK. Thanks again to Brandon for the tip!
Or, whatever your favorite pair of dark wash denim happens to be. Trousers? Nope. Chinos? Forget it. It’s dark denim all the time with DCI Mathias. And honestly, there’s hardly a better deal in men’s style than a pair of Levi’s in their tumbled rigid wash. Think about it. Some people don’t blink at spending four bucks for a cup of coffee. $40 for a pair of jeans, that you can wear for years, isn’t half bad. Supply chains. They make the world go round.
Tom seems to have two choices for clearing his mind. Running, or alcohol. (Ring a bell for anyone else?) And when he picks the healthier choice, it’s always the same. A light blue quarter zip and black tights. And one hell of a bit of scenery to be distracted by, since he runs along the cliffs of the coast.
Season 1 and 2 of Hinterland is available on Netflix. If you haven’t seen it, it’s absolutely worth a look.
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