The Queen’s Gambit: Episode 3
Benny from the Block
In the Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit, the costume designer Gabriele Binder chose a long leather trench coat for Benny Watts, a gifted chess pirate played by Thomas Brodie-Sangster plays who carries a holstered knife in case things get out of hand down the local working mans club.
Leather jacket pawn
The big dog-earred collar and notched lapels suggest that Benny has been round the block a few times. He is comfortable in the coat and does not remove it throughout his first game with Beth Harmon (played by Anya Taylor-Joy) in episode 3 Doubled Pawns.
Details
The back has a western yoke and the cuffs are belted. His fedora looks brand new and he accessories with thin gold necklaces, a wrist chain and silver ring.
Denim
His green and white chunky pin stripe shirt is worn open, down to his navel. His blue washed denim is replete with moustache whips around the groin.
Not entirely sure if this is period accurate for ’63. Although, fades, whips, honey-stack combs, were all genuine fades and accidental trends before they were sold as ‘new’ to mainstream.
Influential?
Sure thing. I’ve already ordered a Chess Board and placed a bid on eBay for one of these leather jackets. I recommend also typing in ‘Matrix Leather Jacket’ as that might come up with something similar. If you have any information on this jacket or wear to buy one similar please get in touch.
Below is a York Fedora from my good friends over at Lock and Co. Hatters if you’re looking to complete the look. (I’m not affiliated to any brands or products that I am linking to in this post).
Further Reading
What Is a Chess Pirate and Why Do We Need One?
Lockdown with Lock & Co. Hatters | #67
Screen grab of the Benny Watts holstered knife
This article was retweeted
Here’s a great piece by @tailorswithlove breaking down the costume design by @netflix series The Queen’s Gambit costume designer Gabriele Binder who chose a long leather trench coat for Benny Watts.
https://t.co/BrwBIS4n6z pic.twitter.com/34WRqJXOKL— The Queen’s Gambit (@NetflixTheQG) January 4, 2021
Which stirred this debate
So the question is about staying faithful to the detail of attire described by The Queen’s Gambit author, Walter Tevis, or the screen play creator Allan Scott, director Scott Frank and costume design director Gabriele Binder having artistic license to interpret that as they did.
Shopping List
The Queen’s Gambit is based on the book of the same name by Walter Tevis is available on Netflix (last time I checked could not find it on DVD). Next on my reading list is the autobiography, Deep Thinking: Where Machine Intelligence Ends and Human Creativity Begins by Garry Kasparov.
