21st Century Style Icon: Paul Mescal
21st Century Style Icon: Paul Mescal
By Madeleine New — October 21, 2025
Irish actor and heartthrob Paul Mescal has been climbing the ranks of Hollywood for years. Mescal exploded onto the scene in 2020 with the Hulu show “Normal People,” and has since moved to the big screen, starring in Oscar-nominated films like Aftersun and, most recently, Gladiator II.
Now, Paul Mescal is expanding beyond award-winning acting performances and into award-winning style. He was named GQ’s “Most Stylish Person of the Year” in 2024 and has graced dozens of magazine covers.
His casual and effortless style is captivating. He combines vintage tees, designer pieces, and athletic wear that comes across as supremely cool and contemporary.
Short-shorts have become a Paul Mescal staple and one of his most identifiable pieces. When asked about his viral look, Mescal said, “They're just football shorts that I've worn for my entire life.”
Beyond his ultra-casual athletic looks, Mescal also shines at professional appearances.
He often sports heavy coats, vintage tees, shrunken cardigans, cropped jeans, and boots or a classic Adidas court shoe.
Additionally, Mescal is a champion of the red carpet. His stylist, Felicity Kaye—whom he shares with Aimee Lou Wood, Kit Conner, and more—excels at styling for high-profile events. Together, Mescal and Kaye blend classic and trendy elements to create the perfect Hollywood star look.
Mescal dabbles in high fashion as well, serving as an ambassador for luxury brands like Gucci and Cartier.
Mescal shows no signs of slowing down. He is starring as William Shakespeare in the upcoming film Hamnet, which will be released to American audiences this fall. Mescal is also set to depict the legendary Paul McCartney in the highly anticipated Beatles biopics from director Sam Mendes. With so many high-profile projects, premieres, press tours, and appearances to come, there will be no shortage of Paul Mescal looks to look forward to.
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