Dev Patel's having a pretty good year so far. Following the release of Monkey Man earlier this month (his genre-redefining directorial debut that's a mix between John Wick and The Raid), the British actor was also nominated as one of the most influential people of 2024 by Time. An honour! And at the crowning gala last night, Patel entered the tuxedo power rankings in first place.
He's always been a classic kinda guy. He likes polo shirts by Hermès and big winter coats by Armani and loafers by Ralph Lauren. So it shouldn't come as too much of a shocker that, for his red carpet look, he nailed the most storied menswear formula in the book.
At the Lincoln Center in New York City, the Oscar nominee rocked up in a midnight blue tux. There's five points already: it's a pivot from a penguin suit, but still very much in the dress code parameters. Featuring a single button design, it was detailed with wider-than-usual peaked lapels (two points) that a silken finish (another two points – tux lapels should always be shiny, shiny, shiny). The shoulders weren't super padded, thus relaxing the entire thing (three points for effortlessness) and he paired all of this with a white dress shirt and a perfectly-knotted bow tie (new high score!)
Down south, the Skins alum jumped into some neatly-creased trousers and polished Chelsea boots with a slight heel around the back. It's a style that's stanned hard by Hollywood greats like Cillian Murphy, Tom Hiddleston, and now, Dev Patel.
And listen, none of this is all that surprising. Considering it's what he wore for 90 per cent of Monkey Man, the leading guy knows what works. And more importantly, he knows what works for him. But still, if you want a masterclass in black tie, this is the best lesson out there. And with more Dev Patel films dropping in 2025, we'll be seeing a lot more of him and his sweet, sweet tux very soon. Challengers for the title of tux MVP, beware: the champ is looking good.