Michael Keaton knows a thing or two about wearing black. He is Batman, after all. This week at the Venice Film Festival, though, he wasn't repping the Caped Crusader but another creature of the night: the ghost with the most, accomplished "bio-exorcist," and returning big-screen star Betelgeuse. Still, at the photo-call for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Keaton hosted a master class on how to pull off one of the trickier stunts in the menswear repertoire and dress up a black shirt.
The secret to Keaton's success? He zagged where others zig. Most of the time, when you see an actor on the red carpet wearing a black shirt, he's opted for a black dress shirt in crisp, somewhat sheeny cotton poplin. Keaton, on the other hand, paired his textured sport coat and drawstring trousers with a black polo shirt. It made all the difference.
Yes, as we have acknowledged in the past, a black dress shirt can occasionally look fantastic. But it can also make you look like you're about to seat a four-top at the local Italian joint that overcharges for shaken martinis and microwaved eggplant parm. Making it work is a pro-level move, is what we're saying.
Dressing up a black polo shirt, though? That's a cinch. You simply... wear it. And pair it with an outfit that lends it more gravitas than, say, something you'd wear to down a couple daytime G&Ts with the boys at the country club. So skip the brass-button blazer and chinos and take your cues from Keaton. Darker colours and a tonal palette create a more elevated vibe, while a healthy infusion of texture is a nice way to lean into the literal feel of a polo, which is often made from nubby cotton piqué. (This is not the time for some stretchy "performance" material) And since you remember you can only get so dressy when a polo shirt is involved, feel free to do as Keaton does and anchor the whole look with classic black sneakers.
You may not be Batman or Betelgeuse, but trust us: You can absolutely be the person who wears a black polo shirt as well as the man who's played them both.
