George Clooney may be 63, but the veteran actor definitely isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Rumor has it that Ocean’s 14 is finally in the works now that Bullet Train’s David Leitch is set to direct it—solidifying hints Clooney dropped last year regarding a reunion with the boys of Ocean’s Eleven.
Ocean’s 14 isn’t the only card up Clooney’s sleeve. After taking a four-year hiatus from acting in the late 2010s, he came back stronger than ever in 2020, starring in and producing multiple films. He’s even set to make his Broadway debut in 2025!
Yet despite his busy schedule, George Clooney manages to maintain the dapper appearance he’s been known for throughout his career. That’s why he takes the top spot on our list of The Ten Most Stylish Famous Men of Today—because he always makes an effort to look impeccable.
Whether or not he’s sporting a beard, looking cool in a leather jacket, or wearing a suit like a second skin, Clooney truly goes all-in on Hollywood fashion both on- and off-screen. In fact, one could argue that his sense of style is what established his career, and it's what's helping him flourish even further.
From the silver screen…
Transitioning from TV darling to film star could have been tough for Clooney, who rose to fame as Dr Doug Ross in ER during the ‘90s—but, fortunately, he was able to nab a gig in a film that required him to look especially sophisticated. The movie in question? 2001’s Ocean’s Eleven, which remains the most successful film he’s done with him in the lead role.
One of the film’s earliest scenes takes place at a poker table in a swanky LA club. Noughties heartthrobs like Topher Grace, Joshua Jackson, Shane West, and Barry Watson create a relaxed feel, but their high profile presence, in contrast with Danny Ocean (Clooney) and Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt), punctuate the ongoing poker game with the tension provided by big stakes, big fields, and big guarantees—the perfect mix of laid-back and competitive vibes. To dress for the occasion, Danny dons a sleek black blazer-and-turtleneck combo, helping him blend in as he works with Rusty to con the table’s celebrity players while simultaneously spinning a complex heist targeting Las Vegas’ biggest casinos. The style and setting of the scene arguably lent to the successful vibe of Ocean’s Eleven and the entire Ocean’s franchise as a whole: suave and impossibly smooth, accompanied by casual and brotherly relationships.
The getup even helped mask Clooney’s admittedly lackluster poker skills and the fact that cast members with actual poker experience—like Matt Damon, who trained for the 1998 film Rounders by joining that year’s World Series of Poker tournament and was even featured alongside poker pro Chris Moneymaker in All In: The Poker Movie—aren’t in the scene at all. In fact, Clooney was so convincing around the table that he's now one of the top celebrities people want to play poker with. The survey's results made headlines on ACR Poker, which signed a multi-year deal with Moneymaker to be a brand ambassador. With Clooney finding his way onto one of the internet's oldest and biggest online poker platforms—one trusted by the game's biggest professional players—it's clear that his performance swayed even diehard poker enthusiasts and established his stellar acting skills.
With Ocean’s Eleven eventually credited as the movie that established Clooney as a top actor, it’s no wonder he continued to build his reputation as having some of the industry’s best-dressed characters. From the casual yet clean-cut shirts he dons in Solaris and the cool biker outfit he wears in Tomorrowland to the countless suits and ties he’s sported in Intolerable Cruelty, Good Night, and Good Luck, and more, you’ll always see George Clooney looking both charming and sophisticated. You might even say dressing well became a habit for the actor, who continues to look particularly dapper off-screen.
…to the red carpet
Just a year after the release of Ocean’s Eleven, late film critic Roger Ebert wrote: “Clooney has successfully survived being named People Magazine's sexiest man alive by deliberately choosing projects that ignore that image.” That’s because Clooney doesn’t focus on looking sexy, but sophisticated, which at one point saw him placed among Hollywood’s most eligible golden bachelors.
He accomplished that throughout practically his entire career—and continues to do so today—by carefully choosing what to wear in public using a few basic style principles. For his everyday wear, Clooney often opts for solid colors over prints and uses leather jackets to layer up at night and in colder weather. Public appearances see him dressing up more casual shirts with suits for laid-back occasions, but he always goes for a full suit-and-tie ensemble when he’s at major red carpet events. Regardless of what he’s wearing, however, Clooney always strives to achieve a monochrome and even minimalist look that helps him look especially classy and polished wherever he goes.
After over a decade of being married to the lovely Amal Clooney—who is even more stylish than her husband—he’s stepped up his game even further. Gone are the ER days when he’d wear summery, printed ties with blazers best part of a double-breasted suit, as well as the minimalist bachelor-esque outfits he wore in the 2000s and part of the 2010s. Now, he capably matches Amal’s impeccable taste in dresses to create subtle, couple-matching looks when they venture out in public.
Their appearance at the 2015 Met Gala is particularly iconic for being the event where they made their relationship official. For the occasion, Clooney tucked a vibrant red handkerchief into his breast pocket to perfectly mirror Amal’s studded and rippling cherry dress. Since then, they’ve been complementing each other’s outfits in terms of texture and color. More recently, for example, they stood out at one of their own events—for the Clooney Foundation for Justice—in inky black ensembles, with Amal accessorizing with jewelry to match her husband’s salt-and-pepper hair. Ultimately, the Clooneys aren’t just among Hollywood’s best-dressed couples: they’re also one of the most coordinated.
So why does George Clooney continue to go all-in when it comes to fashion, even at 63? It’s likely because he’s not aiming to be the sexiest man alive—but the classiest one. He’s got a great reputation he’s certainly keen to maintain as his career continues to thrive, and with Amal on board, it’s clear he’s willing to go above and beyond to highlight her when they head out. Given just how much his polished looks have helped catapult him to stardom, it’s no wonder he continues to put in the effort when it comes to dressing—and dressing well.
