The Dude abides. His wardrobe does not.

The Dude goes to the supermarket in his bathrobe. He writes a cheque for a carton of half-and-half, in the bathrobe, and nobody in the film seems to find this strange. That is the whole wardrobe philosophy of Jeff Bridges’ Jeffrey Lebowski in the Coen brothers’ The Big Lebowski (1998), and it deserves a place in the hall of shame purely on seniority.

It also deserves some respect.

The wardrobe

The costume designer was Mary Zophres, who later described the Coens’ brief for the character as a man who was terminally relaxed. She bought much of his wardrobe from thrift stores near her home in Venice, California, and chose it deliberately so that things did not quite match, because the Dude gives little thought to what he wears.

• The bathrobe, worn out of the house.
• Jelly sandals, plastic, bought for comfort by a man who is not going anywhere fast.
• Shorts, baggy T-shirts, an oversized hoodie.
• The cardigan: a vintage Cowichan-style knit that became the character’s signature. Only the vintage one was worn on screen, it was later sold at auction, and Pendleton eventually reissued a version.

What he gets right

This is where the tailor stops laughing. The Dude’s clothes fit his life perfectly. He bowls, he drinks White Russians, he lies about on his rug. Everything he wears is soft, forgiving and his. There is no gap at all between the man and the clothes, which is more than can be said for most men in suits.

The lesson is not “wear a bathrobe to the shops.” It is that comfort is a fair goal, and that clothes which fight your life will never look right, however expensive they are.

What he gets wrong

Everything else. Nothing is cared for, nothing fits on purpose, and the whole look only works on a man whose friends are Walter and Donny. On anyone with a job interview, a wedding or a first date, it reads as having given up.

The Dude’s wedding suit

Every Dude eventually gets invited to a wedding. When he does, the answer is not to become someone else for the day. It is a suit that feels like the cardigan:

• A soft, unstructured jacket with little padding and light lining, the way Armani did it in American Gigolo.
• A cloth with texture, hopsack or a soft flannel, that forgives lounging.
• Trousers with a little room and a comfortable rise, so sitting down is not an event.
• No tie if the invitation allows it, and loafers instead of stiff lace-ups.

How to not overthink your wedding suit is written for exactly this man. Sam makes soft jackets and relaxed suits at the Vaughan studio, cut to fit rather than to impress. Book a time. The bathrobe can stay home.

Where the details come from: Focus Features on the Dude’s style and BAMF Style on the cardigan.