With His Slick Suit Game, Austin Butler Was Destined for American Psycho

Casting news! Yesterday, it was announced that Austin Butler will star in Luca Guadagnino‘s new interpretation of American Psycho. The actor will portray the psychopathic Patrick Bateman, a role made famous by Christian Bale in the original 2000 film. It certainly is a delicious character to step into: Not only is he fully unhinged, but he has an incredibly slick wardrobe, too. The 2000 film, costumed designed by Isis Mussenden, was all about suited-up Wall Street dressing—and it’s an aesthetic that Butler himself has been channeling on the red carpets for a while now. You could say the actor’s wardrobe was destined for the role—a form of pre-method dressing, if you will.

What makes a signature Patrick Bateman look? There is a rigid and obsessive approach to tailoring that the character enjoys—a striving for perfection, even if he is far from perfect on the inside. Bale’s Bateman goes around murdering innocent folks in impeccable suits, completed with all the right formal details like a crisp white shirt, tie, and dress shoes. His closet is timeless and expensive-looking. This past year, Butler just so happened to embrace this exact approach to dressing. Working with stylists Sandra Amador and Tom Eerebout, the actor has gone less Wall Street, more Hollywood in his snazzy tuxedos and three-piece suits.

Butler’s take on suiting up isn’t as strict as Bateman's, but it’s just as dapper. The star will forgo a traditional button-up in favor of a fitted white tank, or trade in a lace-up oxford for a patent heeled boot. Those little touches make the executive-realness vibe feel fresh and modern, and it’s precisely the styling approach we hope to see from the costume department when he graces the American Psycho set. Imagine Butler on-screen in fresh-off-the-runway The Row or Saint Laurent—it would be art imitating life. Or perhaps wardrobe will go a completely different route this time, and make Bateman more casual. (Please, no!). Whatever the case: It’s clear that Austin was destined to play this role, based on his immaculate suit game alone.

Below, more of Butler’s best suiting moments from the year.