The upcoming debut of Iron Man 2 this weekend has prompted several questions from savvy pop-culture observers. For example, how many millions will it make, and if it’s fewer millions than the first Iron Man, do we get to blame Scarlett Johansson? But the most anticipated question, really, has been: What on earth will Mickey Rourke be wearing when he’s out on his promotional rounds? Throughout his rough-and-tumble, ebb-and-flow career, Mickey’s been metamorphosing sartorially as much as he has physically. If the clothes make the man, then what have Mickey’s made of him? Through this slideshow, we search for the answer. Join us! It’s worth it for the paisley silk alone.
We join our hero as his nascent career really takes flight: After Body Heat and Rumble Fish, but before he got all naked with Kim Basinger. Clearly, we’re catching Mickey when he’s still just having fun, before it all starts to feel Very Serious. The jean jacket and striped shirt look so innocent, almost underconfident. It’s Rourke-as-Regular-Joe. And let’s be honest: Only an actor who is totally oblivious to his own latent sex appeal would wear that gray outfit. It’s uglier than what most people wear to golf.
Meet Rourke after the smash of 9 1/2 Weeks, clearly getting (metaphorically) high on the fumes of his own overwhelming success. The man paired a Texas tuxedo with a leather vest — that’s vintage eighties bad-boy behavior. Back then, this was as extreme as it got, unless you had your own hair-metal band. Clearly, at this stage in his life, Mickey was finding his inner cocksure and carefree Vince Neil, minus the headbands. Though not having the courage to go full Crüe is, in its own way, a shame. Go big or go home, Mickey.
Bad news: He went home. After a hot few years, Rourke had a string of flops, even nominated for a Razzie for the execrable Wild Orchid. But nothing says, “I don’t care what you asshats think of me, anyway,” like a vest without a shirt underneath it. Just like nothing says, “I’m secretly convinced that my gravy train is grinding to a halt,” like slinging your fanny pack around your neck as though you’re afraid someone is about to steal your wallet.
By now, Rourke had almost entirely quit acting for boxing, which he claims he did in search of self-respect. And this explanation bears out in his clothing choice: A silk paisley shirt open to the sternum is something only a man marinating in self-loathing would wear. To wit, we’re pretty sure we saw it on David Silver in the original 90210, and he hated himself enough to have sex with Donna Martin. So you see why we consider this a low point.
But the man who wears this suit thinks he is back in, baby. Rourke had wrapped Another 9 1/2 Weeks and acted in Terence Malick’s hotly anticipated The Thin Red Line; alas, the first bombed, and Mickey was cut out of the latter. We blame his sartorial hubris. There’s a reason you only really see gold pinstripes and a matching lamé tie on mob-film characters who are about to get whacked.
Usually pairing a stocking cap with a bare chest indicates that someone has hit rock bottom, and/or is about to throw over a liquor store. But we think Mickey intended this optimistically. It’s a remarkably similar ensemble to what Enrique Iglesias wore throughout his “Hero” video, which starred Rourke as a villain (and Jennifer Love Hewitt as a heroine, and don’t we all need to see more of that unholy trio?). Inspired, however subconsciously, by Enrique’s sultry sex-symbol status, we think this outfit indicates that Mickey believed he was on his way back from MTV to being the star of the show. He was wrong, but it’s worth noting the most compelling part of that video is watching Mickey beat the crap out of Enrique.
Mickey notably wore the same loud coat and flashy sunglasses to both the premiere of Domino and Sin City — two of his most high-profile projects in years. We can only speculate that the stress of being thrust back into the limelight required the double-whammy security blanket of a favorite outfit and protective dark lenses.
The comeback begins. “Um, Mickey? Yeah, I know it’s been a while, and you’re not really into this whole fame thing anymore, but you’re at the Venice Film Festival, and The Wrestler is supposed to be kind of good. So you might want to stop dressing like you’re just waiting to go back home and sleep on the curb. But you can keep the dog. We know he’s your lifeline.”
“Hey, Mickey, thanks for going shopping. But maybe next time think about buying things that actually fit, as opposed to whatever is on the rack. That spotted tie is made for child clowns, and you’ve stuffed that striped suit like a turkey. It’s clear you still don’t believe this, but trust me, you’re going to be huge again, Mickey. You just don’t want to look it.”
With The Wrestler’s momentum impossible to ignore, we’re guessing Mickey — or someone — realized his path to career longevity no longer lay in making us remember the time he made Kim Basinger strip for him, but instead in being a lovable kook whom everyone is rooting for because he’s really, really amusing to have around all the time. It’s safe to assume anyone who matches velvet slippers to his button-down is, at the very least, super fun at parties, which in Hollywood is almost as important as how successful they actually are.
By now, there is a recipe: take any old shirt, casually employ a colorful scarf that either matches your jazzy shoes or accentuates them, and make sure your jacket throws a curveball. Bonus points if you have tinted shades. This bespeaks a man who’s smart enough to turn his relative lack of taste into an actual personal style. Mickey is creating a brand, something a dude usually only does when he’s both comfortable with his ascent into the spotlight and itching to keep people interested enough to continue shining it on him.
After a quiet year since Mickey’s career rejuvenation, it’s little surprise that — amid the press flurry for his first massive blockbuster movie in years (Iron Man 2) — Mickey sought another security blanket to ease back into the public eye: He wore different colors of the same suit, complete with jazzy crocodile lapels, to the Golden Globes and the IM2 premiere. It suggests that, at heart, Mickey Rourke is at a place in his life where he sees through the pomp and circumstance. He’s been there, he’s done that, he’s worn it, and he’s won it, and now he can be who he is: a man who loves crazy jackets and sunglasses, doesn’t always remember to shampoo, and is enjoying the ride while it lasts. If you’re comfortable in your own croc-skin, Mickey, then that’s all we could ever ask.
