It is not the first time Tim Burton has influenced fashion with his dark and creepy stylistic films. Characters like Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands have endorsed a head of untamed hair and an uncomfortable amount of leather clothing. Yet with Christmas edging closer, its time to discuss Jack Skellington’s (protagonist of The Nightmare before Christmas) contribution to the fashion world.
Jack’s pinstripe suit that only so very few can pull off and an oversized bat bow tie deserve nothing less than bags of respect. A pinstripe suit is a dangerous game. At its worst, it could be a professional equivalent of sneans (sneakers and jeans), while also harbouring the potential to be a painfully cool homage to Vivienne Westwood at it best. The pinstripe is a strong look, and is only further enhanced by his skeleton dog, the perfect accessory for a trendsetter. As with any fashion icon, the loveable film costume designers (even in animation!) occasionally get it all wrong. During the film, Skellington shamefully trades in his suit for a Santa outfit. Not his best look really, but we can forgive him because he wears it with confidence and a wicked smile.
What’s more, Jack and his lover, Sally, are pretty much the perfect Gothic style duo. The Halloween/Christmas fashion in the film borrows heavily from the two celebrations, and Sally comes with a frayed wedding dress and a patchwork piece that overstates how she was ‘sewn together’. The two of them provide a costume idea for couples around the world heavily invested in Halloween, at the same time being the subject of a Christmas film. Tall and somewhat unusual looking, they are a pair full of fashion goals for power couples everywhere.
I know this is supposed to be a comic piece but in all seriousness Jack Skellington has it going on. He is revered for slaying his Halloween costume every single year, wears black like a boss and gives the children parcelled vicious snakes and severed heads instead of the expected free presents. Jack Skellington is indisputably a fashion icon and while we have the right to question some of his aesthetic choices, there is a lot to like about him, including his ominous charm. If the Burton characters teach us anything, it’s how normality lacks value, and how much more important it is to be yourself. As a final note, Jack Skellington and all the Burton characters alike show no regret for their outfit choices despite how crazy and unconventional they may be, which is something we can all learn from.