Obsessed with Paul Mescal’s obsession with those short shorts? It’s time to meet their Winter counterpart.
Paul Mescal might be known in the acting world for his roles in Normal People and, more recently, Gladiator II. But, truth be told, it’s his microscopic shorts — which, he assures us, are standard for Gaelic football players — that have the internet in a chokehold, sending fans into hysterics one papped jog around London at a time. The good news? From Fashion Week (remember that Gucci show?) to Glastonbury, he’s fully leaned into the collective obsession with those tiny hems — and now, it might be time to add an extra layer to his fashion lore.
Enter the cardigan: shrunken to perfection, as if fresh out of a hot wash. Whether buttoned to near-popping point, casually undone over a vest top, or even layered beneath a suit jacket, the tiny little cardigan is incredibly versatile. And Mescal knows that well, with Charles Jeffrey Loverboy, Hades, and &Daughter, to name a few, filling his knitwear arsenal.
Though Mescal might have skipped the memo on the current trend of method dressing to promote his new film in, say, a Moschino Autumn/Winter 2019 menswear pull, his way of creating noise (be it confusion or admiration) around his stylistic choices might just be better publicity. Try scrolling Instagram or TikTok for two minutes without being spammed by Mescal-related videos, photos, or memes. We dare you.
If we’ve learned anything from relationship columnists and TikTok dating discourse in recent years, it’s that, in a heterosexual context, women actually like men with a certain “feminine” penchant (shocker). Paul Mescal seems to embody that notion: someone with a physique built for the Roman Empire but who’s also comfortable enough in his masculinity to admit that his favourite Ridley Scott film is Thelma & Louise (1991) — or to wear cardigans that look like they could belong to his girlfriend. And don’t even get us started on that single loop earring he wears.
Ready to embrace Winter Mescal-core? You’re in just the right place. Keep scrolling to shop the look…
Foxtail Stripe Mohair-Blend Cardigan, £275, YMC
Knitted Compact Fitted Waist Cardigan in Pink, £45, Topshop
Ivory Wool Cropped Cardigan, £99, Whistles
Tight Jacquard Knit Cardigan, £49, WEEKDAY
Wanda Contrast Stripe Merino Wool Cardigan, £490, Molly Goddard
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