‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’ on HBO: Forget the Plot, Enjoy the Clothes

Kingsman: The Golden Circle is of course the sequel to the 2014 movie Kingsman: The Secret Service, about a top-secret British spy agency operating under the cover of a bespoke men’s fashion house in natty London. The original was a big hit, launched the career of Taron Egerton, and got everybody really psyched about action scenes featuring men in suits in a way that even the Bond movies haven’t been able to do lately.

The only problem is that the movie was kinda garbage. In love with itself and really in love with the violence that dripped from every stylish corner of the film. With its sequel, Kingsman amped up the star power — adding Channing Tatum, Halle Berry, Jeff Bridges, and Julianne Moore to the roster (and resurrecting Colin Firth, who got killed in the original) — but the juvenile, macho, violent vibe of the original persisted.

That said … the costumes. You GUYS, the costumes! If there’s any reason to watch the Kingsman movies — even on mute! — it’s those gorgeous threads. So in the interests of putting the movie’s best foot forward as it premieres on HBO tonight, here are the best looks of Kingsman: The Golden Circle.

 

Taron Egerton, our heroic Eggsy, could easily quit this whole movie-star thing and start modeling suits for a living. He strikes the classic “I’m not sitting down, I’m just resting my butt on this car so the car gets the thrill of knowing the touch of my butt” pose, plus your classic stare out into nothingness. What else can you say about a classic gray suit, though? Really, really good-looking people make it look really, really good.

Two Eggsy lewks for the price of one. Loving the ever-so-slight color stripe on the tie against the classic blue suit, accentuated by Egerton’s “Is that something suspicious on the horizon or did I forget the combination to the weapons locker again?” Expression. But that orange suit. Is that velvet? Dare we dream?

Mark Strong’s Merlin is a whiz with weapons and knows that a blade of this size is best offset by sharp pinstripes.

The introduction of an American service that’s complementary to the Kingsmen is moderately intriguing from a story standpoint but offers a lot of possibility from a costuming POV. Dressing up the quintessential American as a thick-necked, fuckable cowboy is a really good idea. But also that is one impeccable, Clorox-commercial-quality white button-down that Channing Tatum is wearing underneath that bespoke denim.

Okay, Channing was already looking good in his denim-on-denim up there thanks to the gorgeous lies spoken by his virginal-white button-down up there, but now that we can clock the look with the collar semi-popped in a casual, rough-hewn fashion? Fuck! Take us home on your range, cowboy!

Meanwhile, Halle Berry’s chopped, fashionable hair style is a hint of playfulness in her otherwise conservative look.

Speaking of hints of color, is that a lavender ascot Jeff Bridges is wearing there underneath his oil-millionaire ensemble? If so, kudos to that man’s tailor.

Pedro Pascal is making this retro winter wear work for him, hunny. Is that a six-shooter strapped to your chest, sir, or is it just cold? And we may have to travel down to the Southern Hemisphere because we can’t wait to try this turtleneck-and-cowboy-hat look on for size.

Bloody crimson is the color story for Julianne Moore’s villainous character, from the reds of her nails to the flowers behind her to that diagram of all the cuts of meat that she clearly stole from Virgil’s BBQ in Times Square. Even the blotter on her desk is red! The fearlessness with which the legendarily redheaded Moore doubles down on the devil’s shade in order to make a point that blood is good (mispronounce one of them so it rhymes, we don’t care which one).

Ski bunnies, party of three! Remember when you were a little kid and your mom dressed you up in a snowmobile suit and sent you out to go make a fort in the front yard on show days? Yeah, well you didn’t look 1/36th as good as Eggsy does right here.

And remember when you were a grown adult and suddenly you developed a thing for Oscar-winners wearing eyepatches and alpaca-lined suede coats? Yeah, I bet you do.

Again, the color story on these men who seem to relish throwing a hint of pink into their classic ensembles is just so heartening. Also dig Eggsy getting his Prince Harry on.

Okay, that definitely was an ascot on Jeff Bridges before, because here’s another one. This custard-and-cream ensemble could not be more perfect for spring, even if he and Halle Berry both look very confused as to whether they’re gathered for a wedding or a funeral.

Where to stream Kingsman: The Golden Circle