The lesson from John Travolta's dramatic new look: always dress for the job you want | Morwenna Ferrier

John Travolta appeared at Cannes to debut a new film and a new look centered on berets. He wore three berets in black, brown, and cream, paired with wire-frame spectacles and a beard that looked drawn on with a felt-tip pen. The images went viral and prompted online comparisons to various fictional and real figures. In an interview, he said he dressed like film directors from the past while making his first move into directing. He described looking at images of Ingmar Bergman and Roberto Rossellini and telling himself to play the part of a director. The reaction softened into recognition of how clothing can signal identity shifts and career changes.

"John Travolta, of all people, who appeared at the festival this week to debut a new film and a new look, the centrepiece of which was a beret. He actually had three in rotation, in black, brown and cream. On the seafront boulevard La Croisette, he paired them with wire-frame spectacles and a beard that appeared to have been applied with a felt-tip pen."

"images of Travolta from going viral, sparking some lively online conversations comparing him to in no order a barista, a Bond villain and a character from Guess Who?. Happily, the man himself was delighted to reveal his inspiration in a charming interview with CNN. Since he was marking his first foray into directing, Travolta had decided to dress like film directors from the past."

"You're an actor, he had told himself, scrolling through images of Ingmar Bergman and Roberto Rossellini in similar getup. Play the part of a director. In other words: manifest. Swedish director Ingmar Bergman wearing a beret in 1957. Photograph: SCANPIX/AP Travolta's admission had a spectacular effect in softening the hot takes."

"He had simply dressed for the part he wanted, or at least wanted to be known for. And however absurd his outfits were particularly when he was waving his honorary Palme d'OR around there was a small part of me, and perhaps all of us, that felt incredibly seen. Who among us has not used clothes to try to shift an outcome? Perhaps as a way of signalling an attempted career change, or to forge a new identity after a breakup."

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