Welcome to Dressing For Dread, a style analysis focusing on key characters in horror films.
Every few years, it seems a filmmaker is contractually obligated to make a horror film revolving around a writer. In 2012, the task was assigned to Scott Derrickson, who gave us a fantastically creepy view into a true crime writer’s demise. SINISTER is all about Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke) and his addictive pursuit of reclaiming his former glory. His wardrobe screams “writer” and audiences watch him struggle to be anything else. His looks in the film are his identity – unbothered and a billboard of a more hopeful past.
Speculation
If the pretentious writer stereotype had a face, it would be Ellison. Representing his alma mater on shirts, rocking reader glasses on a cord, and numbing his nerves with whisky as he takes in the grisly details of his latest project, it is undeniable that he takes his craft (and himself) very seriously.
Past successes have elevated him to a certain status as a creative. Ten years prior, he was a best-selling author giving interviews on talk shows. His wealth increased and so did his personal expectations of himself. Unfortunately, he has fallen short, not quite achieving the highs of his debut novel. This torments him as both an artist and a provider. He longs for this past version of himself, which grounds his look in nostalgia.
Practically speaking, Ellis works from home and doesn’t necessarily need to dress up. His daily pattern of t-shirt, pants, and moccasins is a comfortable, reasonable expectation for a stay-at-home dad. But the thing that makes him feel like his true self is his cardigan.
It’s his uniform, the item he shrugs on every morning to flip that mental switch from normal guy to true crime writer. And viewers hardly see him without it. This article is not only his trademark, but a safety blanket. It separates him from the banal, everyday problems of domestic life because it represents work mode. It helps him think, problem-solve, and ultimately, write. To Ellison, its just as powerful a symbol as a lab coat or badge.
Bringing fantastic insight into Oswalt’s clever wardrobe is Abby O’Sullivan, the costume designer for SINISTER, as well as HELLBENDERS and DARK HARVEST.
“That sweater is hysterical. There are Reddit posts dedicated to this thing! It’s totally a Tom Wolfe reference.”
Tom Wolfe was an American journalist and novelist known for wearing white suits during the tenure of his career. O’Sullivan also cites author Bret Easton Ellison as an inspiration for Ethan Hawke’s character.
“It was basically a lot of things that I noticed with writers, that everyone seems to have a piece that they write in. I had a friend who uses their robe all the time. And I have a huge fisherman sweater that I wear a lot when I’m drawing, but it’s just sort of this comfort piece.”
“Every time we see him [Ellison], we want to represent him as a writer first and a father second, because he’s obviously highlighting himself more as a writer. It’s an almost narcissistic passion. I wanted the first thing we see to always be that. So in a sense, that was the cardigan.”
“The cardigan in and of itself is a sweater that I got and cut up and then made elbow patches for. I also remade the shape, so when people tried to buy it at the time, I was like, ‘You can’t buy it!’ But people are gonna start making it and they did. It was kind of a reference to old Irish sweaters.”
“And then the Bret Easton Ellis stuff was, again, in a sense, sort of [about] the narcissistic writer. Growing up in Vermont, he went to Bennington. And [his novel] Less Than Zero is loosely based on Bennington, I believe. I talked to our product placement person, and said, ‘Bennington is the perfect fucking school for this guy.’ So, our clearance person got it. And I was so shocked because it rarely happens. And that’s why he’s wearing a Bennington sweater and our Bennington t-shirt in a lot of it.”
O’Sullivan also points out that Ellison has money and his looks still have a sense of luxe, but he’s not living in a “Nancy Myers world.”
Style
Ellison Oswalt wears muted tones. Heather gray, soft blacks, dark blues, and dusty yellows. The key is to look effortless and comfortable without looking schlubby. From a filmmaking standpoint, he also had to exist harmoniously within the set. For O’Sullivan, this meant working closely with the director and production designer to ensure everyone meshed.
“Scott [Derrickson] basically came to me with storyboards. The big thing that we talked about in the initial interview process was that he didn’t want vibrance. I had a Wong Kar Wai reference and it was an exact opposite of that. He didn’t want the vibrance. He wanted a very desaturated palette, with the exception of the reds. And the production designer that I worked with on that, David [Brisbin] was extremely intense about his palette. It was a running joke and it was, I think, quite brilliant. I love the way he did the set of the house. I love the blues that he used. I think that you get really lost in that palette. I was allowed to introduce a yellow jacket, but it was quite a thing.”
He wears his trusty gray cardigan in almost every scene. Underneath, he opts for worn-in knit polos and t-shirts, sometimes layering two tees together. His pants are generally khakis in dark gray. In the evening, he’s seen wearing traditional, drawstring pajama bottoms. That means no joggers and no sweatpants. His shoes are light beige moccasins. If given the choice to look sporty or liberal, Oswalt would choose the latter. A silver chain necklace remains hidden under his shirt. What could be a Nixon timepiece lives on his left wrist. His silver wedding band features cross engravings along the outside. His main accessory is a pair of black, rectangular reading glasses he wears around his neck when working.
“A lot of times when you do a movie with a director, one element of what they wear does make it into the costume of one actor, usually the lead, because that’s who’s in every scene. I think that Ethan’s glasses were that item for Scott- the shoes, too!”
Key Scenes
After one too many supernatural occurrences, this is the night Ellison finally burns the film. Despite his urgency, he still takes the time to slip on his trusty cardigan before going outside.
O’Sullivan’s yellow rain slicker added a hint of retro, childhood nostalgia in an otherwise gray and black world. Even in his pajamas, Ellison still adheres to his tried-and-true formula.
This is Ellison’s last night alive. Moments before his demise, he strips off his cardigan, existing as just a family man in his final moments.
Guide
To dress like Ellison Oswalt, you’ll need a signature cardigan. It should a versatile, earth-toned color and easy to shrug on. Elbow patches are optional, though they do add a sense of durability. If cardigans aren’t your thing, a crewneck sweater or jacket can always serve as a defining piece for your personality. Pants and shirts need to be lived-in. Slight piling and natural creases are things that will come in time, but buying vintage can expedite the process. Invest in a good pair of Clarks that go with everything. Even if you don’t need them, glasses are a classic accessory that can make anyone look brainy. Just be sure to find frames that flatter your face shape.
Chunky cardigan
Laced moccasin boots
Fitted t-shirts
Knit polos
Charcoal khakis
Plain pajama pants
Readers
The costume designer for SINISTER was Abby O’Sullivan.
Haunted by Deadlines 