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Just in time for Halloween, a remake of American Psycho has been announced. Luca Guadagnino, director of Call Me By Your Name and Challengers fame, will tackle the “potent and classic IP”—to quote Lionsgate chair Adam Fogelson — in a turn of phrase that sounds straight out of the mouth of its titular character, 27-year-old murderous Wallstreet yuppie Patrick Bateman.
The news has some delighted, some recoiling in horror at the “whole new interpretation” promised, and many questioning, “What would Patrick Bateman wear today?”
In American Psycho Patrick Bateman (played by Christian Bale) is asked by his fiancé why he won’t quit the job that he hates. “I want to fit in, Evelyn,” snaps 27-year-old Pierce & Pierce Vice President Patrick Bateman, trying to listen to Simply Irresistible by Robert Palmer.
So goes the story of Patrick Bateman, a screen killer from the last 50 years with a cultural footprint only comparable to Hannibal Lecter of Silence of the Lambs. But unlike Hannibal Lecter, Bateman isn’t impeccably sauve—he’s just aspiring to be. Instead, he’s a fashion-conscious young man with a desperate desire to blend with his crowd of Wall Street “one percenters” and a mounting murderous rage.
Bret Easton Ellis, who published American Psycho in 1991 at age 26, said he imagined a world for Patrick Bateman in which “the surface became the only thing.” Naturally then, fashion is integral to the storytelling in American Psycho and a key aspect of Bateman’s character (or lack therof). So, if Bateman were prowling Wall Street or Silicon Valley today, what brands and pieces would he covet?
Fashion In American Psycho: A Brief History
Between axing his colleagues in the head and chasing dates around with chainsaws, Bateman is reduced to tears by bad tables at trendy restaurants (his greatest feud is with the Maître de of Dorsia, the one eatery he can’t get a table at) and has panic attacks over business cards. Throughout this turmoil, fashion acts as a buttress for his personality and shield from crippling status anxiety. He obsessively details his Valentino suits, Rolex watches, Hermès ties and Oliver People sunglasses while discussing whether argyle socks are too casual for corporate with his Wall Street friends.
Incorporating fashion into American Psycho, the film wasn’t easy. Understandably, luxury brands were nervous about the blood spatter getting all over their marketing strategies. Rolex said anyone in the film could wear a Rolex watch, bar Bateman. This meant the iconic line “Don’t touch the Rolex” to be switched to “Don’t touch the watch.” Calvin Klein pulled underwear from the project, so Perry Ellis stepped in. Meanwhile, Comme des Garçons refused to allow an overnight bag from the brand to be used to carry a dead body, as per the source material. Jean Paul Gaultier proved more relaxed and allowed their bag to be used. In the end, many of the clothes were custom, with costume designer Isis Mussenden working with Italian designer Nino Cerutti to create Patrick Bateman’s suit-heavy wardrobe.
What Is Patrick Bateman Wearing Today?
“The idea of Patrick’s obsession with himself, with his likes and dislikes and his detailing – curating – everything he owns, wears, eats and watches has certainly reached a new apotheosis,” said Bret Easton Ellis in a 2016 interview with Town & Country reflecting on whether Bateman’s anxiety could find a toehold in a culture where social media was then in it’s relative infancy.
“I many ways, the text of American Psycho is one man’s ultimate series of selfies,” he surmised. Where would Patrick Bateman be today, and what would he be wearing? Wall Street lost a lot of its glamour when its Bateman prototypes, dressed in wide-shouldered Hugo Boss cashmere coats and Armani suits, triggered the global financial crisis (for an explainer, you can duck to another Christian Baile film, The Big Short).
The fashion associated with these “masters of the universe” also lost its appeal. Ellis speculated that Bateman would now be working in a Silicone Valley start-up, wearing Yeezy hoodies and trolling women on Tinder.
Now, bucket-hat and Bottega bag-clutching ‘babygirls’ like Jacob Elordi and Timothée Chalamet are dictating fashion, and rodent boyfriends like Josh O’Connor and Barry Keoghan are on women’s dating wishlists. Presumably, all these names are under consideration to fill Patrick Bateman’s Ferragamo Oxfords.
Successful masculinity in fashion means being able to play with the slightly ridiculous—something counter to Bateman’s character, who hides in conformity and lacks a sense of humour.
That said, Ellis pointed out that calling yourself a “Patrick Bateman” has become a way of indicating “anyone whose perfect facade masks a wilder, dirtier side”. The streets of Sydney and Melbourne are full of woke-fishing millennial self-titled Patrick Bateman’s in Acne pants, sipping negronis outside walk-in-only dining hotspots (Pellegrino 2000 would have Bateman in a tailspin) hoping to resell anxious self-absorption and an avoidant attachment style as something sexy and compelling.
So, what’s he wearing?
A 2024 ‘American Psycho’ Style Guide
01
P.Johnson, Off White Ice Cotton Tee
from $325.00 at P.Johnson
If you’re looking for a man in finance, go no further than P. Johson on a Sunday where you’ll find them sipping beers and getting fitted in hoards. While they’re there, they’re picking up incredibly expensive basics. Whether he’s working in finance or larping as a cool guy Patrick Bateman wants the best of everything and unfortunately, this 100 percent cotton crewneck tee from P.Johson tee is perfect.
02
Loewe, Wool Trousers
$2,300.00 at Loewe
Mid-waist pants are everywhere for men, and Bateman would wear his P.Johnson tee tucked into a pair of slouchy Loewe trousers for after-work negronis or dates. It’s a silhouette that says “I’m cool, relaxed and rich” and those are three things our guy really needs to get across.
03
Acne Studios Wool Blend Sweater
$353.00 (was $767.00) at The Outnet
A statement colour can be a great stand-in for a personality, and this bright sweater from Acne Studios is serving Jacob Elordi marching around Brooklyn with Olivia Jade.
04
Gucci, Jordaan Loafer
$1,450.00 at Gucci
Is anybody wearing Oxfords anymore? This is probably a question Bateman is plagued by, and while he waits for answers, we suspect he’s playing it safe with loafers. The Jordaan Loafer from Gucci comes just short of a boat shoe for a relaxed style. The elongated toe makes it polished enough for “corporate” and dates without needing to fuss with laces.
05
Drake’s Off-White Button-Down Shirt,
$285.00 (usually $380.00) at SSENSE
Drake’s is an increasingly “cult” preppy British menswear brand. They’re famous for their Oxford cloth button-down shirts, and Bateman would delight in explaining the under-the-radar label to his friends. And they will be asking because with mother-of-pearl hardware and a shirttail hem, the magic of this minimalist shirt is all in the eye-catching details.
06
Bottega Venetta, Large Hop in “Kaki”
$7,460 at Bottega Venetta
Patrick Bateman does as he’s told, and Jacob Elordi has officially put women’s handbags, specifically Bottega Venetta, on the table for men’s wear. The large Hop bag from Bottega is capacious enough to tuck a (small) axe in, making it perfect for him.
07
Longines, Flagship Heritage Moonphase
$5,100.00 at Longines
While Christian Bale wasn’t allowed to wear one in the film, Rolex is mentioned 26 times in Bret Easton Ellis’ novel, and we’re not sure if, even in 2024, Bateman would have changed his tune. We can also imagine him lusting after the limited edition Vacheron Constantin Harmony Monopusher Chronograph (which rings between $36,000 to $150,000), worn by Jeremy Strong’s Kendall Roy in Succession. For day-to-day, however, we can see Bateman favouring the disarming simplicity and heritage appeal of the Longines Flagship Heritage Moonphase.
08
Venroy, Crochet Border Lounge Short in ‘Ink’
$150.00 at Venroy
If Paul Mescal is responsible for the ubiquity of the running short, Pedro Pascal is responsible for the everyday men’s “slutty little short” after wearing a knee Valentino pair at the 2023 Met Gala. Bateman is fanatical about Valentino, so we’ll assume he already has a pair of the micro dress-shorts in his wardrobe, but for day-to-day, these mini lounge shorts from Venroy are as playful and relaxed as he isn’t.
09
Lululemon Pace Breaker Linerless Short 5″
$79.00 at Lululemon
He might emulate Paul Mescal’s O’Neills shorts, but in reality, they’re too casual for him, and he’s more likely to be caught running from dates (or other crimes) in more structured Pace Breaker LuLulemon shorts also favoured by Ralph Lauren creative producer Yale Breslin (as per The Strategist).
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