It’s impossible to watch the opening scene of Midnight in Paris and not want to book the next flight to the French capital. The montage, made up of one second or two-long snippets perfectly captures the romance and intrigue of the city. Its raining boulevards beg to be walked along, its rooftops admired from a balcony, and its bustling street corners watched from the comfort of an outdoor table, coffee in hand. It’s the Paris you’ve seen a hundred times before, in iconic photographs and in literature. It’s the Paris of the 1920s, when Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein and F Scott Fitzgerald descended from their native USA to make their names on the European circuit.

It’s also the Paris that the lead protagonist lusts over. Owen Wilson’s Gil Pender is a writer himself, albeit it by his own admission only a hack who’s stuck rewriting screenplays for Hollywood. He’s in the process of writing his own great American novel, and he gets plenty of inspiration when he discovers a time loop, where he can travel back to hang out with Hemingway, Dali and co. Stein herself picks him up in a vintage Peugeot when the clock strikes midnight, and he’s absorbed into a world of absinthe, nostalgia and good clothes.

Credit: Cinematic Collection / Alamy Stock Photo / ©MEDIAPRO

Credit: AJ Pics / Alamy Stock Photo / ©MEDIAPRO

Before one of his secret late night sojourns back in time, Gil’s fiance Inez (Rachel McAdams) questions why he’s so dressed up. It’s approaching midnight and he’s wearing a preppy flannel shirt, a soft shouldered sports jacket and a dash of cologne. He’s not particularly formal for the 21st century, but given the 1920s period in which his new friends live, it was wise for him to make an effort.

Of the group he falls into, there was the impossibly glamorous Scott (Tom Hiddleston) and Zelda Fitzgerald (Alison Pill), who perhaps embodied the era better than anyone. Zelda favoured the flapper style dresses of the ‘20s complete with pearls and red lipstick, while Scott wore a three-piece grey suit, point collar white shirt and slim yellow silk tie. The waistcoat had a double-breasted front and low cut shawl lapels, and it wouldn’t look out of place on Gatsby himself. Then there’s Adrien Brody as a spitting image of a young Salvadore Dali. The charismatic Spaniard wears his own three-piece suit in dark wool to match his black slicked back hair and thin moustache. His shirt is white, with a pointed collar and French cuffs, while his pocket square and silk tie add a further rakish charm.

Credit: AJ Pics / Alamy Stock Photo / ©MEDIAPRO

Credit: Maximum Film / Alamy Stock Photo / ©MEDIAPRO

Hemingway meanwhile is more rugged. He opts for a hunting-style suede jacket complete with box-pleated patch pockets, combining it with a collared white shirt with classic double cuffs. It’s befitting of the overt masculinity he portrays in the film, and hints at the writer’s penchant for big game. As for Gil, he’s fairly neutral in his style of dress. His version of ‘dressing up’ is throwing on a softly structured check jacket over a white or check shirt and relaxed fitting chinos. He isn’t setting the style world on fire, but he also isn’t breaking any cardinal tailoring sins. Like the Paris in which he thrives, there is a beauty in that.

Cover Credit: Cinematic Collection / Alamy Stock Photo / ©MEDIAPRO