Paul Anthony Kelly proves all you need are these four items to have great style

This is the right way to method act

By Benjamen Judd

Published: Feb 18, 2026

PAUL ANTHONY KELLY seems to have taken a method approach to his role as John F. Kennedy Jr. in Ryan Murphy’s American Love Story, stepping out in New York in outfits that could have been lifted straight from the late Kennedy scion’s 1990s wardrobe.

The first came from Brunello Cucinelli Spring 2026: a leather blazer over blue jeans, a navy polo shirt and leather boots worn to an almost red patina. The second was head-to-toe new Celine from Michael Rider. A blazer, white shirt and striped tie with a pair of washed blue denim and loafers. A Parisian sensibility put together with the pragmatic ease of an American styling. (Truthfully, Celine couldn’t have signed on a better Creative Director. This match of sensibilities is perfect.)

Both outfits look like they could have been pulled from John Jr.’s actual wardrobe in the 90s, not from the runways of two recent menswear collections circa 2026. You could argue that Kelly and John Jr. could make jeans and thongs look good (and I’d probably agree).

But this is about more than two incredibly good-looking men. This is about what makes for great style and how easy it is to get it. Or to look like you have it.

John F. Kennedy Jr. remains one of the most influential figures in modern menswear because he understood that looking well-dressed didn’t require visible effort. His appeal sat in a high-low nonchalance that mixed New England prep, downtown New York practicality and an instinctive understanding of proportion. Armani suits and ties when the situation called for it. Blazers with jeans when it did not. He enjoyed fashion without placing too much meaning into it. Clothes were to be worn, and functionally so. He stuck to this uniform even as he biked around the streets of New York.

It’s why something as simple as a combination of blazer, collared shirt and jeans with loafers continues to work, 20 years after John Jr became the blueprint. The blazer introduces structure. The shirt anchors the look, assuming it fits properly, which is doing more work here than most men would like to admit. The jeans soften the formality without tipping into sloppiness. The loafers add the final touch – a polished, formal shoe that has the air of casualness to it.

It’s a formula that has survived the 1970s, the 1980s, the 1990s and now the present moment because it is not trend-driven. Cuts change. Denim rises and falls. Lapels widen and retreat. But the basics of great style remain the same. It’s a look so good that Tom Ford, arguably the most aesthetic man alive, has been wearing it non-stop for the past 20 years.

If you want to look like you understand style without trying to, this is still the safest bet. It has been for decades. And judging by Kelly’s recent run, it will be for decades more.