The reason Stanley Kubrick wore the same outfit every day
The genius of Stanley Kubrick has been described in many conflicting ways by the people who were lucky enough to work with him. Kirk Douglas worked with him on Spartacus and Paths of Glory, saying “Difficult? Kubrick invented the word!”, with many referring to his highly-calculated and demanding way of working, never denying his genius, but that his genius was expressed in many eccentric ways. He was an extremely private man and rarely let people into his inner world. Martin McDowell became fast friends with the director after working together on A Clockwork Orange, but after the production he never heard from him again. And his sense of secrecy also extended to the way he presented himself.
Many creative minds have opted for distinctly uncreative ways of expressing themselves in everyday life, with people like Einstein, Steve Jobs, and Anna Wintour choosing to always wear the same thing, opting for a uniform.
It can range from glamorous to borderline inappropriate; from Einstein’s wrinkled white shirts and unbrushed hair to Jobs’ neat black turtlenecks and Wintours larger-than-life sunglasses and cut-throat bob. And funnily enough, Kubrick also adopted a similar fashion philosophy, choosing to wear the same outfit every day, something that he revealed to a young Michael Mann in an interview.
While studying in London, the director of Heat, Collateral and Ferrari had the opportunity to interview Kubrick three times. During the Variety Director’s Roundtable interview, he revealed that each time he met him, he was wearing the exact same outfit. Eventually, he plucked up the courage to ask him why he was wearing the same clothes, with Kubrick responding, “No, I’ve got 30 of these pants and 30 of these jackets because I don’t want to have to put any mental energy thinking about what I’m going to wear tomorrow.”
Jobs also had a similar reasoning behind his outfit, being so precocious and driven that he didn’t want to waste any mental energy on small decisions. When you look back at the pictures of Kubrick on set, you can see a pattern in the way he dresses; always wearing the same oversized parka, green shirt and slacks or beige overcoat.
It’s interesting how some of the most creative people are the ones most reluctant to express themselves on the outside, maintaining a level of secrecy and control in how they are perceived, whether intentionally or not.
When I look at these pictures of Kubrick on-set, laughing with Jack Nicholson on the set of The Shining or with a look of deep seriousness as he frames the iconic images in 2001: A Space Odyssey that we can recall like the backs of our hands, I feel moved by the mystery of a man who gave away so much of himself to the big screen. His lack of thought to a decision that appears as menial as getting dressed in the morning shows a commitment to his craft but also a lack of interest in himself because what really mattered was making movies.
While it may seem like an inconsequential decision, it reflects more than meets the eye, much like the director himself. Here was someone so dedicated to the magic of filmmaking that he couldn’t bear the idea of wasting a single thought on anything that wasn’t just that; committed to his art and only expressing himself through that, with everything else about his personhood remaining as a mystery.
