5 famous rats and how to steal their fits
take fashion cues from our proletariat kings in an age of overconsumption
When Marlon Brando sauntered on screen in a Schott 618 Perfecto in The Wild One, it defined a generation of men’s fashion. Cropped leather jackets and high-waisted pants became all the craze in an era where more classical suits were more common.
Richard Gere did it again in American Gigolo, breathing life into Giorgio Armani garments with an effortless Italian disposition. It was all about the flow, and the slouch. The tailoring was implied, but not overwhelming.
And when Rizzo the Rat appeared on screen for the first time in 1980, menswear received a new fashion icon. All-American cool followed him everywhere he went in a varsity jacket that would make the cast of Grease jealous. Finally, there was an accessible icon for the people. A proletariat king of fashion.
But his fits were never appreciated for what they were, and we turned again to runways, movie stars, and TikTokers for our fashion inspiration, just to be disappointed by their inaccessibility. We’ve lost ourselves in a misplaced desire for emulation that fuels a propensity for overconsumption. It is time now to turn back to Rizzo, and the rats that came after him. Reject modernity, embrace tradition, and steal the fits of these five famous rats.
Rat Note: Most of the items linked through are new. The secondhand market is a wondrous place and is better for the environment, and your wallet. rat.house does not earn a commission for any of the items below.
Rat
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Though Rat, famously the rotter, is a bad person (rat?), he does wear a fantastic candy-cane-like fit. On top, a striped sweater compliments his build, which works well with his slim denim and minimal footwear (read: he’s shoeless).
To steal this look, start with a striped cotton wool sweater from Gucci. This piece is the standout in the outfit, so invest in it. The bottoms are a slim cut from denim masters Iron Heart, that could also be substituted for something wider like the 634, which is more to my taste and based on a 1966 Levi’s 501. Rat’s barefoot look, while suave, may not be practical for everyday wear. Instead, try a pair of Maison Margiela tabi boots to preserve the toes-out vibe.
Sweater: Gucci Striped Cotton Wool Sweater
Pants: Iron Heart 666
Shoes: Maison Margiela Tabi Boots
Remy
Ratatouille
The modern celebrity chef is all muscle, well-fitted white t-shirts, and yes chefs. But before that animal graced our screens, there was a much smaller one that burrowed his way into our hearts. Yes, I am talking about Remy the rat from the 2007 classic, Ratatouille. While Remy doesn’t exactly wear clothes, in some ways, he is rocking a stellar groutfit.
To steal his fit, start with a well-made sweatshirt. I like this heavyweight one from Camber that comes in hooded, zip-up, and crewneck options. For the bottoms, look for a pair of sweats like the ones from Lady White Co. with a relaxed fit and a cotton waistband.
You might be thinking, those are some really expensive basics. Yeah, they are. But how often do you wear a sweatshirt? How often do you wear sweatpants? Also, a classic Champion pair would be fine, I guess.
For shoes, go for a Birkenstock Super-Grip Boston that will hold up to long days in the kitchen.
Sweatshirt: Camber
Bottom: Lady White Co.
Shoes: Birkenstock Super-Grip Boston
Splinter
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
For days in the sewer, Splinter needs hard-wearing workwear. While your environs may be closer to a WFH setup, that’s no excuse to skimp on quality. Try a Kyoto work jacket from Universal Works in a studio wool mix for the cold, or at a lighter weight in a black Japanese print in twill and cord. The jacket is cut in the style of a kimono, but with detailing that leans closer to a chore coat.
For the bottoms, Splinter is a reasonable guy who doesn’t want to get his pants wet, but also needs ease of movement. Cue the parachute pants, also from Universal Works. The wide-cropped cut offers a flowy feeling that is never at risk of getting wet or touching your apartment floor.
While Splinter prefers to go au naturel in terms of footwear, I don’t think he would be opposed to some French Gardana clogs made of recycled plastic and hemp.
Jacket: Kyoto Work Jacket in Brown Studio Wool Mix or Black Japanese Print in Twill/Cord
Bottoms: Parachute Pant
Shoes: Gardana Clog
Rizzo
The Muppets
Rizzo is an all-American star in his varsity jacket and well-fitted white t-shirt. He’s a lover of the classics, and his style is inextricable from who he is.
For a base layer, start with a nice white t-shirt like the one from Whitesville. A good outfit can go bad with ill-fitting basics, so this is worth the investment. For the outer layer, look toward vintage Schott. The iconic brand makes a varsity jacket that makes anyone look like they can toss the old pigskin around. Keeping with the theme of classics, try a 501 reproduction for the jeans. One of the best comes from TCB and is a replication of a 1950s cut in Japanese selvedge denim.
Shirt: Whitesville T-Shirt
Jacket: Schott USA Vintage Varsity Jacket
Pants: TCB 50’s
Shoes: Chuck 70s
Roddy St. James
Flushed Away
Roddy St. James is a classy guy in a classy suit. As such, the best way to steal Mr. James’ look is with a full tuxedo from Celine. I hear you, it’s expensive, and you’re not wrong, but ask yourself. Do you want to disrespect Roddy?
The classic tux is made out of grain de poudre, which is a tightly woven wool often used for suiting. The suit, which is made in Italy, also features a one-button peak collar in a contrasting black satin. The Celine cut is timeless and pairs best with a matching derby.
Above all, to get the Roddy look, invest in some good tailoring. He’ll know if you don’t.
Jacket: Classic Tux Jacket in Grain de Poudre
Pants: Classic Tux Pants in Grain de Poudre
Shoes: Tuxedo Derby
In truth, modern-day fashion is terrifying, but it’s probably always been like this to some degree. It’s a rat race to the newest, or the oldest, the most expensive or the least. It coexists as a social symbol and as a method of self-expression in a way that muddles both. We’re speed-running consumption cycles and watching trends play out overnight. To consume is to stay relevant online, and off, and coincides with a threat of irrelevance.
I’ve pored over old Western ads and seen American Psycho enough times to want some suiting of my own. I project my own body onto theirs to try to imagine what a jacket would look like, or if a pair of pants would be wide enough to accommodate what’s left of playing years of soccer. I’m a sucker for a healthy scroll-and-save on TikTok or Pinterest, which quickly leads to a trip to the local Crossroads or ssense dot com.
But it just never looks like what you imagine. The jacket is always too tight in the shoulders and the shirt puckers in the front. I’m sure someone with more sewing prowess than I could fix some of that, but at the end of the day, it just will never be what’s on the screen. Which yeah, obviously, we all know that. But knowing and experiencing are just two different things, even if the realization comes every single time you put on a piece of clothing.
The chase for emulation will never offer the fulfillment that is promised, and any gratification is ephemeral in nature. What we see is an amalgam of trends expertly pieced together to be packaged into something consumable en masse.
The effort to recreate these contrived trends bears high costs financially, environmentally, and on the workers who are tasked to turn around garments and goods in ways that beget tragedy. It’s impossible to separate the consumer from the means of production when the former enables and requires the latter. The secondhand market alleviates some of this damage, but encourages a cycle of searching for “grails” that borders on compulsion.
It’s internal, and external pressure, that creates the environment that encourages such urges to manifest. But maybe there is a way to break free of at least some of it. Instead of fashion houses and influencers, look toward the rats who scurry around unbothered and untempted in their little fits. May we one day have even an ounce of their rizz.