Long before the term “style icon” got tossed around like confetti, Steve McQueen was defining it without trying. Born Terrence Stephen McQueen in 1930 in Indiana, and raised in a series of reform schools and Marine bases, he clawed his way into Hollywood with a chip on his shoulder and a devil-may-care glint in his eye. By the time The Great Escape made him a global phenomenon in 1963, the blueprint was already set: tough guy, lone wolf, equal parts misfit and matinee idol.
Known for his roles (and looks) in Bullitt, The Thomas Crown Affair, and The Sand Pebbles—the latter earning him his sole Oscar nomination—McQueen’s performances were defined by restraint and raw magnetism. Off-screen, his wardrobe followed suit. Think Persol 714s, three-piece suits, Barbour jackets, shawl-collar cardigans, turtlenecks under tweed blazers—and a Harrington jacket that still catapults wearers into effortless debonair territory. His timepieces told the same story: a Rolex Submariner 5512 (his personal favorite, with a chronometer-certified four-line dial and rounded crown guards) and the square-faced Heuer Monaco 1133, worn while tearing through Le Mans. Both now rank as auction-block legends, elevated by his enduring halo effect.
He raced motorcycles, collected cars, had an on-again-off-again marriage to actress Ali MacGraw, and plenty of well-documented off-screen rebellion. From biker bars to fashion editorials, the “King of Cool” moved like someone who refused to be styled. He passed away from mesothelioma in 1980 at just 50 years old, but the movie star legend only grew louder. Today, McQueen remains the patron saint of stealth style—his influence seen in everyone from Daniel Craig to Ryan Gosling. He wasn’t just dressed to kill. He dressed like he couldn’t be bothered—and that’s what made him lethal.
Steve McQueen’s Best Style Moments
Press Tour Suave – Houston, October 9, 1960
Motorcycle Prep with Director John Sturges – The Great Escape, Germany, 1963
Between Takes with Lee Remick – Baby the Rain Must Fall, Texas, 1964
McQueen on Wilshire – Los Angeles, 1965
Brentwood Motorcycle Moment – Los Angeles, circa mid-1960s
At Home with Neile Adams – Malibu, 1960s
Ciro’s Nightclub Dance Floor – Los Angeles, 1960s
The Sand Pebbles On Deck – Hong Kong, 1966
London Press Junket – Late 1960s
On Set, The Thomas Crown Affair, Boston, 1968
With Faye Dunaway on Location – The Thomas Crown Affair, Boston, 1968
Cigars & Cable Knit – Behind the Scenes, 1968
Bullitt in Black – San Francisco, 1968
On Location for Bullitt – San Francisco, 1968
Golf Scene, The Thomas Crown Affair – Belmont Country Club, 1968
With Ali MacGraw – Early 1970s
On Location for Papillon – Montego Bay, Jamaica, 1973
Press Tour Suave – Houston, October 9, 1960
Fresh off the success of The Magnificent Seven, McQueen landed in Houston to a hero’s welcome—complete with a kiss on the cheek from Yvonne McCutcheon of the Houston Spinnerettes. Clad in a short-sleeved white shirt tucked into high-waisted trousers, he channels classic mid-century American masculinity. A bold medallion necklace peeks from the open collar, suggesting the seeds of the rugged individualism that would later define his screen presence.
Yvonne McCutcheon, Steve McQueen.
Houston Chronicle via Getty Imag
The War Lover – England, 1962
Climbing out of a B-17 bomber during the filming of The War Lover, McQueen wears a bomber jacket and aviator cap—standard issue gear that looks anything but standard on him. The image, all oil-stained masculinity, speaks to his raw charisma in military silhouettes.
Steve McQueen.
Mirrorpix via Getty Images
Motorcycle Prep with Director John Sturges – The Great Escape, Germany, 1963
On location in Bavaria during the filming of The Great Escape, McQueen straddles a vintage German motorcycle in canvas flight trousers and a slouchy indigo sweatshirt—workwear staples elevated by ease and attitude. Director John Sturges stands beside him mid-discussion, but it’s McQueen’s unfazed poise that commands attention. The look is pure off-duty operator: utility without pretense, silhouette without styling. A visual thesis on why he wasn’t just the star of the movie—he was its gravity.
John Sturges, Steve McQueen.
Getty Images
Between Takes with Lee Remick – Baby the Rain Must Fall, Texas, 1964
In denim on denim—a deep blue Western snap denim shirt and dark jeans—McQueen epitomizes midcentury Americana. The rolled sleeves and popped collar give the look edge, but it’s the candid intimacy with Remick that makes this moment electric. Cowboy code meets co-star chemistry.
Lee Remick, Steve McQueen.
Getty Images
McQueen on Wilshire – Los Angeles, 1965
Cigarette in one hand, pocketed in the other, McQueen stands curbside in a striped sport coat, dark tie and cool demeanor. Everything about this moment is unstudied—style, presence, posture.
Steve McQueen.
Getty Images
Brentwood Motorcycle Moment – Los Angeles, circa mid-1960s
Straddling a Triumph motorcycle in his Brentwood driveway, McQueen wears a light cotton shirt and cuffed trousers, with desert boots and his signature cigarette completing the picture. This wasn’t red carpet—it was real life—and it codified McQueen’s working-man cool. Minimal styling, maximum impact.
Steve McQueen.
Getty Images
At Home with Neile Adams – Malibu, 1960s
Reflected through glass alongside wife Neile Adams, McQueen is at his most relaxed. The ivory crewneck sweater and dark trousers—sleek but unassuming—are punctuated by smoking slippers. A study in restraint, this domestic uniform is as camera-ready as any tailored suit.
Neile Adams, Steve McQueen.
Getty Images
Ciro’s Nightclub Dance Floor – Los Angeles, 1960s
Disco McQueen? Almost. At Ciro’s, he trades the turtleneck for a wildly unexpected embroidered Western shirt tucked into skinny stovepipes. Finished with a belt and Cuban heels, the ensemble screams honky-tonk flash with a knowing wink. He might be dancing like no one’s watching, but that shirt is doing some serious talking.
Steve McQueen.
Michael Ochs Archives
The Sand Pebbles On Deck – Hong Kong, 1966
Mid-filming on The Sand Pebbles, McQueen stands aboard ship in a navy wool chore coat layered over a chambray shirt, collar popped just enough to convey antihero insouciance. The cropped military haircut and no-fuss stance underscore his rough-hewn command—part sailor, part street fighter, all presence.
Steve McQueen.
Corbis via Getty Images
London Press Junket – Late 1960s
Crisp, classic and unexpectedly formal, McQueen ditches selvedge denim for a razor-sharp suit. The slim black tie, white shirt and short-lapel jacket speak to a mod-era minimalism that lets the man wear the suit—not the other way around. Even reclined, his posture is pure posture porn.
Steve McQueen.
Getty Images
On Set, The Thomas Crown Affair, Boston, 1968
In The Thomas Crown Affair, McQueen’s brown three-piece suit is boardroom-meets-bank-heist perfection. Tailored by Douglas Hayward in a mohair blend with just the right sheen, it features slim lapels, a high-rise waistcoat, and no-belt-loop trousers. A mustard-gold silk tie pinned with silver, French cuffs, and a gold-chained Patek Philippe pocket watch elevate the look, while dark brown monk straps and McQueen’s signature nonchalance seal the deal.
Steve McQueen.
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
With Faye Dunaway on Location – The Thomas Crown Affair, Boston, 1968
Matching his co-star in tonal elegance, McQueen sports a beige single-breasted trench coat over a gray suit and patterned tie. The look is clean, calculated and quintessential Crown—a masterclass in understated affluence, made magnetic by proximity to Dunaway’s space-age chic.
Faye Dunaway, Steve McQueen.
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Cigars & Cable Knit – Behind the Scenes, 1968
Between takes with director Norman Jewison, McQueen leans into maritime prep. A thick, cream cable-knit sweater anchors the look, offset by a navy cap and the obligatory cigar. The combination of collegiate knitwear texture and working-class nonchalance made this image a Pinterest mood board decades before Pinterest existed.
Steve McQueen, Norman Jewison.
Bettmann Archive
Bullitt in Black – San Francisco, 1968
Leaning in a corridor with his shoulder holster on display, McQueen’s Bullitt wardrobe cemented the turtleneck and shoulder rig as an emblem of cinematic cool. Function met form, and the world took note.
Steve McQueen.
Getty Images
On Location for Bullitt – San Francisco, 1968
Squatting next to a portable phone with sunglasses and a cigarette, McQueen channels tactical style in a brown tweed jacket and black turtleneck. Suede chukka boots and a canvas dispatch bag complete the look—like a secret agent disguised as a city planner.
Steve McQueen.
Corbis via Getty Images
Golf Scene, The Thomas Crown Affair – Belmont Country Club, 1968
Possibly the most stylish sand trap moment ever committed to celluloid. As Thomas Crown, McQueen bets $2,000 on a hole-in-one from a buried lie—and while the shot misses, the fit absolutely lands. In a slate knit sweater with a zippered chest pocket, houndstooth trousers and dark loafers (sockless, of course), the look blends aristocratic ease with renegade energy. Towel tucked at the hip, golf club in hand—he delivers athletic dressing with the posture of a gambler and the panache of a modernist.
Steve McQueen.
Bettmann Archive
With Ali MacGraw – Early 1970s
With Ali MacGraw on his arm, McQueen arrives in a denim jacket and matching jeans. The look is unmistakably ’70s Americana—textured, tactile and all about silhouette over statement.
Steve McQueen, Ali MacGraw.
Penske Media via Getty Images
On Location for Papillon – Montego Bay, Jamaica, 1973
This is McQueen in his most elemental form—barely styled but unmistakably iconic. A threadbare navy tee, cut-off denim shorts fraying at the hem, leather sandals, and one of his signature timepieces on his wrist. No labels, no fuss, just an effortless assertion of masculine cool. The look is all dust, sun, and swagger—part Malibu rancher, part movie star in stealth mode.
Steve McQueen.
Ron Galella Collection via Getty
