The creator provides a detailed style analysis of the character Cosmo Kramer from Seinfeld. He breaks down Kramer's signature outfits, such as his panel knit shirts and oversized jackets, and identifies him as the 'king of the thrift store.' The creator argues that Kramer's unique, self-expressive style became a significant cultural force in the 90s, so much so that the public began buying up similar vintage clothes, making it difficult for the show's costume department. He concludes by celebrating Kramer's tenacity and commitment to his personal taste over conventional fashion rules, positioning him as a true style legend.
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A personal style hero of mine: Kramer. This dude had so many individually great pieces picked up from thrift stores throughout America. I wish I could give recommendations on where to get clothes like these but there’s so few brands that do knit shirts that are actually cool (@scottfrasercollection is one). Your best hope would be vintage stores and even then you need to get super lucky these days.
Huge credit to the following, without whom we wouldn’t have had Kramer or any of the other Seinfeld characters’ style to adore:
Costume Supervisor - Stephanie Kennedy / @seinfeldbackstage
Designers - Charmaine Nash Simmons, Ruth E. Carter, Jane Ruhm, Llandys Williams, Marie H. Burk
Who’s the best dressed Seinfeld character?
Transcript
Good at this fit. A green and white panel knit shirt, brown slacks, Doc Martens. This is TV's king of the thrift tier, Cosmo Kramer. Now Kramer is what the French call an enigma. He's a huge character who we never know much about. What I do know is I want his entire wardrobe. His knit shirts are the stuff of dreams. The black with the white paneling. This fantastic striped brown long sleeve. And I'm not gonna even pretend to know what this kind of shirt is, but I love it. He of course mixes in various oversized jackets. This spotty sport coat is a personal fave. Now like his fellow style icon George, Kramer was such a big character that you weren't always focused on what he was wearing. But unlike George, Kramer's style became a cultural force during the show's tenure in the nineties. So much so that by the later seasons, when the costume department had to go buy new clothes for Kramer, they found the stores had already been rated of anything resembling his style. Shout worst Stephanie Kennedy and Charmaine Ash Simmons for being too good at their jobs. While I admire the sensibility behind the fits of George and Elaine, my heart is with Kramer's tenacity. You can look at style as understanding and applying rules around fit, color, or aesthetics, but you can also look at style as a matter of self expression and taste. Kramer's clothes don't fit well, and a lobster print is generally ill advised. Every look has a question mark about whether he's really pulling it off, and doing that better day is beyond cool. You know that if he were around today, Cosmo would still be dressing like he was thirty years ago, and that is truly the stuff of legends. So next time you need fashion inspo, just
