Culture

It's a Sin's Best-Dressed Character Serves Post-Pandemic Style Aplenty


 

This post originally appeared on GQ

Tonight, Russell T Davies‘ new drama It’s A Sin lands on Channel 4. A hard-hitting portrayal of life in the UK during the 1980s and 1980s, when the HIV/AIDS epidemic was at its peak, the five-part series follows a group of brilliant and bright teenagers as they learn to embrace their queerness in the face of the horror.

Without giving too much away, one of the brightest is Roscoe Babatunde, played by Omari Douglas. In a Freddie Mercury-worthy moment, Babatunde breaks free from his homophobic parents minutes into the first episode, slipping into his sister’s thigh-high skirt and defiantly leaving home. 

From here, Babatunde embraces London’s LGBTQ nightlife scene with abandon and it shows in his clothes: his punky style sits in stark contrast to the sleeveless hoodie and checked shirt combo we see him in during the opening sequence. 

An affinity with skin-flashing, string and sweater vests (worn sans underlayers), high-waisted acid-wash jeans, sleeveless T-shirts, studded chokers, steel toe-capped boots and a chest-baring romper make up the best part of his wardrobe. It’s sexy, energetic and rebellious.

“There is a very clear evolution that happens,” Douglas tells GQ. “He decides to leave home and live that life full. He’s coming out, after being locked up for so long.”

It got us thinking about the ‘fits we’ll be throwing on when we are allowed reentry to Soho’s underground caverns. With the Covid-19 vaccination programme in full swing, the R number seems to be falling and, soon enough, we’ll be able to get back to our night crawling ways.

For our own sartorial renaissance, we’re looking to Babatunde for inspiration: cropped knitted vests paired with acid-wash jeans is something we’re down with.

Not only does going sleeveless eradicate the fear of sweat patches one so often gets in the dancerie, but it’s something we’re seeing a lot of on the catwalks. Lazoschmidl just presented its Autumn/Winter 2021 collection, which is heavy on high-waisted slacks worn with sleeveless knits. Recently Gucci, Prada and Raf Simons have shown similar pieces, while Bottega Veneta put models in slinky string vests for Spring/Summer 2021. 

If you’re with us, below is what you need.

Balenciaga necklace. £595. At matchesfashion.com

Balenciaga necklace. £595. At matchesfashion.com

Prada sweater vest. £605. At matchesfashion.com

Prada sweater vest. £605. At matchesfashion.com

Celine jeans. £530. celine.com

Celine jeans. £530. celine.com

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