John Travolta made headlines at the Cannes Film Festival this week, not just for his directorial debut but for his new look featuring a beret. The 72-year-old actor wore three different berets—black, brown and cream—paired with wire-frame spectacles and a beard, sparking comparisons to a barista, a Bond villain, and a character from Guess Who?.
In an interview with CNN, Travolta revealed his inspiration: he wanted to dress like film directors from the past. 'You're an actor,' he told himself while scrolling through images of Ingmar Bergman and Roberto Rossellini. 'Play the part of a director.' His admission softened online criticism, with many appreciating his attempt to manifest his new role through clothing.
The concept of 'enclothed cognition'—using clothes to influence outcomes—is common, from career changes to personal reinvention. Travolta's only mistake, according to some, was committing too keenly to the bit. Red carpets are inherently strange, and at Cannes, where the focus is on films, stars often go for broke. For directors, it's trickier: they must balance publicity with a desire to be taken seriously.
Travolta's move is not unique. Taylor Swift wore Elizabeth Taylor's jewellery to borrow star power, Pep Guardiola uses plaid shirts to signal a departure from his job, and Kim Kardashian wore Marilyn Monroe's dress to invite comparison. In politics, method dressing is even more intense, with figures like Andy Burnham, Wes Streeting, and Angela Rayner using clothes to signal their ambitions and ideologies.
However, dressing the part has its limits. As the article notes, mimicry can only take you so far. While Travolta's beret may have helped him channel 'old school' auteurs, true success ultimately depends on more than just appearance.
