| Detail: Interviews Douglas Henshall Actor The Scottish star of This Year’s Love wears skirts in public but keeps his fashion disasters private. Who are the better dressers the Scots or the English I think it depends on which city you visit because I’ve see some horrific fashion disasters north of the border, but having said that, the people in Glasgow are probably as fashionable as any in the world. Do you own a kilt? I bought my first kilt only last year just after I’d finished filming Orphans. I was going up to the Highlands for a weekend and I passed this shop near Loch Lomond that specialised in kilts and bagpipes, so I went in and bought a kilt. I would have bought a set of bagpipes but I think they’d have probably been a bit too difficult to master. Have you worn the kilt out in public yet? God yeah. I’ve worn it loads and I tell you what, there’s just no way you can be shy in one of those things. It’s a great feeling walking around London in a kilt because it gives you that extra bit of confidence. You have to watch everything you do though because it’s a lot different to wearing a pair of trousers. I mean, you just can’t sit with your legs wide open on the tube. Did you know Jigsaw Menswear couldn’t stock enough kilts last year? I saw them and you know what? They f*****- up those kilts. Not many people may have realised but they actually got the length of them all wrong. The kilt is supposed to hang just on the knee but Jigsaw’s version came up short. When you’re not wearing a skirt, do you ever go out in a suit? Occasionally. I’ve got three suits at the moment. They’re all by Paul Smith but I only paid for one of them. You don’t have to wear a suit very often in my line of work so it always feels good to put one on. I think that because I only ever wear a suit through personal choice, I never have any reasons to feel uncomfortable in one. When was the last time you wore a tie? I’d say to school but I’ve probably had to wear one for an acting job since then. I really can’t stand ties and having to put one on in the morning during a long, hot summer must be terrible. Is it ever acceptable to wear socks with loafers? Well, I wear socks with loafers but then I also wear trainers with suits and isn’t that supposed to be a fashion no-no? Aside from the whistles-and-pumps incident what has been your biggest fashion mistake? I’ve been quite good at destroying all evidence of fashion disasters, but I do remember one pair of Nicole Farhi shorts that were just embarrassing. They were beige, ridiculously baggy and made of linen; I don’t think I need to say anymore. Did your Mum ever dress you as a child? Once, it was for my sister’s wedding and I would have been about twelve at the time but even at that age I can remember cringing about my beige-and brown checked nylon outfit. Think of the worst outfit the Seventies ever threw up and you’re only halfway there. The Sixties, the Seventies or the Eighties; which decade was the most stylish? The Sixties, obviously. Sharp three-button suits up against acrylic bell-bottoms or New Romantic frilly blouses isn’t even a contest. Who epitomises style for you? I never look at other people and thkink. “Oh, they look really good” but I do think Ray Winstone always looks the part. Paul Rogers GQ magazine 1999 |
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| Ray Winstone |