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Dress Like in 'Dead Man' The Movie Starring Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp loves fantasy fiction and one has to imagine his dressing for the roles is half the acting job. His nerdy East coast character has lots to learn in "Dead Man".

Halloween costuming is big every year and new ideas are the most fun. The movie "Dead Man" is ghoulish, and what is more scary to those of us in Western culture, than death or at least the possibility? This movie is a sort of wild west search for the meaning of good and evil. Do the two cancel each other out in the end, and you are a Dead Man? Big life questions are hard to figure out. Wear a plaid suit and a Jaxon top hat, watch this mid-nineties movie, and try to find the answer on Halloween night.

The Wool Hat

No doubt about it, the height of the hat or the curl of the brim makes all the deference. Walter White of "Breaking Bad" chose the pork pie wool hat.

William Blake of the "Dead Man" was looking for a job and his hat seemed the perfect presentation. On the train trip to the West he started to see there are all kinds of hats the farther West he traveled.

Johnny Depp's Dead Man Top Hat

Men's Top Hat Wool Felt Hat - Black
Classic and stylish top hat for men who have great fashion sense.Crown is accented by a same color bow hat band.Brim is naturally turned upward.Fully lined inside with leopard p...

This hat is informally called the Jaxon dead man top hat. Formally, it is the John Bull top hat. If you are going to be William Blake from the "Dead Man" movie this is the hat. It is the coolest hat. Dressy but not formal looking like a regular top hat.

This is a black wool hat with a slightly flared crown and 2 1/2 inch brim. The top of the crown is flat. Black grosgrain ribbon trim and faux leather sweatband. Satin lined.

Search other manufacturers for the best price.

Johnny Depp's Plaid Suit for Halloween

The plaid suit is a rare find. You may have to buy big and alter it at home. Get creative. I knew a young man who learned to use the sewing machine because of Halloween.

Dark red pants for the red plaid jackets. We do not know the color of the suit, since the movie is classic black and white, you can go with any color plaid. A whole suit is hard to find, using dark plain pants might do the Halloween trick.

The local thrift store may yield the plaid suit far easier than the Internet. The Goodwill stocks hundreds of clothing types for Halloween.

Start browsing the thrift stores in September.

Plaid Suit Coat — The Waffle Cone on Etsy

Do You Plan Ahead for Halloween

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The Paper Collar

The reversible collar can still be purchased on the internet. The first two pictures above Mr. Blake has the dressy collar. Back in those days it was made of paper.

During the last 19th century, the purchased reversible paper collar was worn one day, and turned around the next day for two wears. The gentleman would then toss it.

It's available for Halloween and the entertainment industry. At one point in the 1870s the Reversible Collar Company of Cambridge, Massachusetts sold 3,000,000 such collars a month.

For the proper look, top off with a soft double sided necktie to tie in a bow.

Of course, William Blake losses the collar and only has the collarless white shirt left of his fancy duds. His adventures now include the lightening bolts to the face and big beaver looking coat.

You do not need a collarless shirt. Turn the collar in and tack it down with safety pins.

Get the reversible collar at Amazon Dry Goods

Round Wire Rim Glasses

Black Round Circle Clear Lens Eyeglasses Small Size Thin Frame Unisex Glasses
Small size round circle thin metal frame eyeglasses for men and women.

Nobody Is Another Costume Option

Dead Man | ‘I Am Nobody’ (HD) - Johnny Depp, Gary Farmer | MIRAMAX

Dress like Nobody. I watched the Nat Geo two part series about the Pilgrims called "Saints and Strangers". Squanto leads a life as being a nobody in starkly similar circumstances as Nobody in "Dead Man".

Nobody makes his own headdress. Take note that Nobody wears his feathers down.

Other Costume Ideas

Dress Like Depp's Donnie Brasco for Halloween
A Johnny Depp costume for Halloween. You may already have the sunglasses. With the leisure suit you may get mixed recognition. Try the everyday wear with a leather jacket.

Updated August 20, 2018

Comments

DerdriuMarrinerJul 10, 2018

paperfacets, Thank you for the costume ideas. The plaid lines appear to match in the Johnny Depp pictures but only across the right pocket in the product photo. Is that a style nowadays?