Purple Noon, 1960

We’ll get the obvious out of the way: Mr Alain Delon is objectively too handsome to play Ripley – in fact, he’s got more than a touch of Dickie Greenleaf in him. But that’s exactly the energy director Mr René Clément was aiming for in 1960’s Purple Noon (AKA Plein Soleil), the first time we were introduced to the scheming social climber on the big screen.

Making his debut just five years after Highsmith’s novel The Talented Mr Ripley was released, Delon’s Ripley is uncomplicatedly narcissistic, plainly sociopathic and almost preternaturally charming. All of which is mirrored in his summery wardrobe of rumpled undone shirts and rolled-up sleeves. Don’t get us wrong, the setting hasn’t changed – it’s still the 1950s – so suits and tailoring naturally make an appearance. However, it’s scenes like this one that perfectly encapsulate this Ripley’s sartorial (and literal) nonchalance, with his untucked, oversized aloha shirt and lazily turned-up trousers. In a word, it’s effortless, which is not something we get to see in later incarnations of the character. But then again, who else but Delon could have pulled it off quite so well?

The American Friend, 1977

“What’s wrong with a cowboy in Hamburg?” is one of the ways we’re introduced to Mr Dennis Hopper’s Ripley in what is perhaps the least talked-about iteration of the character. That’s arguably because it deviates so heavily from the source material. “Those aren’t my words,” Highsmith scathingly told a film critic in 1988 about Mr Wim Wenders’ The American Friend (Der amerikanische Freund). But she was happy to concede the neo-noir adaptation of Ripley’s Game had style in spades.

Now transplanted to Germany, Ripley is once again an outsider – something his Western-inspired wardrobe deliberately underlines. With plenty of plaid, sturdy denim and even a Stetson in his roster, he pulls off this feat without veering into ranch cosplay by keeping things rugged around the edges. This feels like the lived-in, authentic wardrobe of someone who knows precisely who they are, rather than Ripley’s previous attempts at playing dress up. Is that the sociopath we know so well? Not in the slightest. But the 1970s Americana trend he’s modelling is worth your time regardless.

The Talented Mr Ripley, 1999

Mr Anthony Minghella’s masterful adaptation of The Talented Mr Ripley is rightfully lauded as one of the most stylish movies of all time – so much so that there’s not a pleated trouser nor knitted polo shirt that hasn’t been sartorially scrutinised in the 25 years since its release. But our focus tends to fall on Mr Jude Law’s perfect pastel ensembles.

For the title character, however, costume designer Ms Ann Roth used style to showcase his pathological opportunism. Like his personality, Ripley’s wardrobe morphs throughout the movie depending on the current subject of his obsession and machinations. At Dickie’s Italian villa, he pilfers his host’s closet and dresses every bit as nonchalant as a local. By the final act, he’s mirroring his new intellectual paramour’s preference for black and navy and pinching his duffle coat. With a distinct lack of funds, the one thing he can’t fake is tailoring, hence the preppy corduroy blazer that follows him throughout the film. Well-worn and distinctly out of place under sunny Mediterranean skies, it might just serve as our only true glimpse into who Ripley really is.

Ripley’s Game, 2002

In Ripley’s Game, which is set 20 years after his first string of murders, we see an older, wiser and, if you can believe it, even more sinister version of the character. For the crime of snubbing him at a party, Mr John Malkovich’s Ripley decides to wholly and completely ruin a man’s life for sport. And just as he seems to have settled into his psychopathic tendencies, he also appears to have finally developed his own sense of personal style since his last outing.

This Ripley is more flamboyant than any incarnation so far, with a particular penchant for cravats and more than one beret to his name. There’s every indication that this is a man who, after years of imitating those who truly understand clothes, now counts himself among their number – and nowhere is this more evident than in his classically tailored suits and outerwear, as per this example.

Ripley, 2024

And this year’s award for best casting goes to… It’s arguable that Andrew Scott’s fresh take on Ripley (of the Talented variety in this case) is one of the most anticipated turns of 2024. And from what we’ve seen so far, he’s positively dripping with his trademark charisma and deadliness (see also Scott’s calculated take on Sherlock’s Moriarty).

Netflix describes this Ripley as “a grifter scraping by” and his wardrobe seems to align with this reading, while paying homage to previous incarnations in subtle ways. Most notably, there’s a smattering of Americana that underpins his wardrobe and, with it, boxier fits alongside a combination of casual and more tailored pieces. In usual circumstances, we’d chalk that up to shifting contemporary tastes. After all, this black-and-white rendition is debuting 25 years since the last retelling of this tale. But items such as this cropped blouson jacket and workwear-adjacent trousers – as well as the appearance of a leather jacket in the trailer – feel like a deliberate callback to countercultural classics such as Rebel Without A Cause. Make of that what you will…