From Jonah Hill's viral Gucci moment to decades of punk rock history, the shirtless suit has evolved from subversive statement to red carpet staple.
A warm December evening in New York produced one of the season's most talked-about fashion moments. At the December 2 premiere of Netflix's "Don't Look Up," Jonah Hill arrived in a seafoam blue single-breasted Gucci suit—no shirt, three prominent brooches, a shimmering cyan necklace, and aquamarine jacquard Manolo Blahnik mules. Among traditionally dressed attendees including Leonardo DiCaprio and Tyler Perry in navy, gray, and black two-pieces, Hill stood apart.
The look, which quickly overtook Instagram feeds, was styled by Hill's friend Ezra Woods. Woods cited Lapo Elkann as inspiration, referencing "this pic of the always-fab Lapo Elkann in a three-piece suit with no shirt." Woods also emphasized authenticity to Hill's lifestyle: "I wanted the moment to be authentic to where they both are at in their lives and to their lifestyle of surfing almost every day." The result, Woods explained, was "fancy and dressed up, while feeling really comfortable and free, like they're in pajamas, being sexy in a not-obvious way."
Celebrity stylist Ashley Weston sees broader shifts behind such choices. "We've definitely seen a shift in what it looks like to be a leading man, where suiting isn't the only option for the red carpet," Weston says. "And that has, in turn, led to more experimentation with suiting—how it's worn, the silhouettes, the colors, and patterns." The evolution has been gradual: first cufflinks disappeared, then vests, then ties, and now shirts themselves.
The shirtless suit's lineage runs deeper than recent red carpets. Fashion editor Sasha Charnin Morrison traced it to Raf Simons in the 1990s, Vivienne Westwood throughout her career, and Jean Paul Gaultier's first menswear collection in 1983. These designers shared affinities for rock 'n' roll and underground subcultures. Long before runways, performers like Sid Vicious, Iggy Pop, and Johnny Thunders wore jackets without shirts at clubs and on streets.
Recent examples abound. Darren Criss wore a pink double-breasted Dior Men suit in 2018 with a tank underneath. Donald Glover wore navy from the same collection. Jay-Z went shirtless in Peter Pilotto for the "Apeshit" video. Harry Styles performed at the 2021 Grammys in a leather Gucci suit with green faux fur boa. Tom Holland appeared shirtless in Prada on Esquire's February 2021 cover. Runway appearances include Fendi fall 2022, Heron Preston spring 2020, Zegna spring 2019, Alexander McQueen fall 2018, Dries Van Noten spring 2017, and Maison Margiela spring 2016.
Whether everyday men should adopt the look divides experts. John Tan, another celebrity stylist, supports it for confident, jewelry-loving talents like Machine Gun Kelly, calling it "individuality and personal style." Yet Tan admits it's "just not for me" and rejects it outright for offices: "corporate is corporate." Woods, despite personal experimentation for a decade, "wouldn't really say that this is a trend or that it will become a trend."
Weston and Damien Paul of Matches Fashion disagree. "A thousand percent it can be worn by the average man," Weston insists. "It's all about staying authentic and true to yourself." Paul calls shirtless suiting "a fresh take on a wardrobe icon relevant for now," adding it's "definitely here to stay, rather than a passing trend."
Weston offers one firm restriction: "There's definitely a wrong time to wear a shirtless suit: winter." Unless, the original observer notes, it's an unusually warm December.