Darren Criss for GQ Magazine

Posted on May 20, 2011 in Fashion

Kittens, we swear we’re not turning into a Glee fan blog. It’s just that the second season finale is coming up, so the plucky little kids keep popping up all over the place in a sort of “Have a great summer! 2good + 2be = 4gotten!” yearbook signing (aka PR push). Besides, we feel we owe this one to Darren. We’re all about positive reinforcement here at T Lo Industries.

Suit by Club Monaco, shirt by Nautica, bow tie by Rag & Bone, shoes by Salvatore Ferragamo, pocket square by The Tie Bar.

“The GQ Wedding Primer,” GQ Magazine, June 2011
Darren Criss photographed by Kay Z. Feng

“Whether you’re the center of attention or on the guest list, it’s time to rethink what you bring to a summer wedding. “Glee” star Darren Criss shows you eight ways to suit up for any nuptials without boring the bridesmaids—or shocking too many grandmothers.”

Yes, ladies, it’s true. The copy written for men’s fashion magazines is often as vapid as it is for women’s. Comforting, isn’t it?

Anyway, we’ve taken Mr. Criss in for some bitchy criticism on a couple of occasions because his attempts at modeling were kind of laughably bad and we couldn’t resist taking some shots at him. He’s probably being forced into doing half these shoots, but we couldn’t help it; we thought it was funny. It’s kind of like when a supermodel face-plants in the middle of a runway show; you shouldn’t laugh, but there’s that lizard part of your brain that automatically thinks its funny when the revered are taken down a peg. But like we said, we’re all about the pat on the head when a celebrity shows some form of style-based improvement, whether it’s on the red carpet or posing for a camera. He’s actually been improving on both fronts, which leads us to think he’s paying attention to some good advice.

Oh, and we love pretty much every single look here. He’s styled perfectly.

Suit and shirt by Gucci. Tie by Eton of Sweden. Shoes by Cole Haan. Socks by Falke. Pocket square by Lands’ End Canvas. Watch by IWC.

Suit and shirt by Ralph Lauren Black Label. Tie by Club Monaco. Loafers by Alfred Sargent.

Sports jacket by Gant by Michael Bastian. Shirt by Gitman Vintage. Tie by Uniqlo. Khakis by Topman. Loafers by Tommy Hilfiger. Pocket square by R. Hanauer. Glasses by Jil Sander.

Tuxedo, shirt and bow tie by Prada. Pocket square by Paul Stuart.

Suit by Tommy Hilfiger. Shirt by Lands’ End Canvas. Bow tie by Gilbert & Lewis. Suspenders by Topman. Sunglasses by Moscot. Shoes by G.H. Bass & Co.

Tuxedo by Topman. Shirt by John Varvatos USA. Bow tie by J.Lindeberg. Pocket square by Brooks Brothers. Watch by Jaeger-LeCoultre.

Suit by Boss Black. Shirt by D&G. Bow tie by Thom Browne New York. Pocket square by R. Hanauer.

[Photo Credit: gq.com]

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http://twitter.com/snowgall Teresa Galloway

Tell me he doesn’t look like Rachel Maddow in third one down, in the plaid jacket.
- Anonymous
  
  You are so right! I thought the same thing immediately.
- http://twitter.com/Kulia Julia Frey
  
  I was just going to say the very same! Funny…
- Leslie Carver
  
  SO much!
- Anonymous
  
  I was thinking a beefier Brad and wondered if Brad had styled the shoot
  - Emily Fox
    
    I thought the same thing!! He looks just like Brad with all the bow-ties
  - Anonymous
    
    I die! He looks like Brad’s brother and he is shutting.it.down!
- http://www.facebook.com/markrt Mark Talsma
  
  This made me chuckle!
- Anonymous
  
  Too funny! I thought he looked like Rachel’s adorable little brother!
  - Anonymous
    
    Haha, YES!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jenn-Inkpen-Barber/616335796 Jenn Inkpen Barber

OK I am obviously way too used to my husband’s wardrobe of baggy Eddie Bauer fare, because all these clothes look too small to me. He at least looks like he’s having fun!
- Tamara Hogan
  
  I’m with you, Jenn. I thought the pants in pics 1, 2 and 3 looked a size too small. And is that some mooseknuckle in the seersucker?
  - http://www.facebook.com/aaronfrey9 Aaron Frey
    
    I agree, the clothes are way too tight. That grey suit is practically painted on. And yes, it looks like Brad styled this.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_2B6U4UNVYIV5DLEG6Z24ALYOC4 Dan Alexander

Is it just me or does he have a manaltoe in the seersucker suit? Weird how all the suits look like five sizes too small for him. I guess he’s still a growing boy! Glad to see out of the dirty worn out shoes he usually sports so proudly on the red carpets!
http://twitter.com/dennang Dennis Nangle

these are perfection! I wish GQ would also clue you in on how they styled his hair so delightfully…I want tips!
MilaXX

He looks great, nice to see he’s graduated to grown up sunglasses. My only quibble is he’s so darned pigeon toed, but it looks like someone has been getting help with posing and you only really see it in the first shot.
http://profiles.google.com/xelad007 C Deal

The suits look nice, but I cannot abide the “dress shoes with no socks” look.
- http://profiles.google.com/singingraisin ali meowmeow
  
  About to post the same thing. I just cannot get behind that idea.
Anonymous

Why is this guy so famous? Or are you just showing him more than the others? Has he done anything other than Glee that I’m not seeing?
- http://twitter.com/AnnaPBrittain APB
  
  He was sort of a web celebrity pre-Glee because of A Very Potter Musical. If you are a Harry Potter fan at ALL, check it out.
AwwwTrouble Trouble

I like all the looks, but for reality (not fashion photography), everything does look too tight. He isn’t a big guy at all, but if you can see the outline of the muscles in your legs, as much as I like to see that, those pants are simply too tight. I like the narrow look, and the shorter pants look, but I have to say, I think everything just needs to be 5-10% bigger!
Anonymous

Sadly he’s still not that good of a model. that last pic is so plastic. I actually like the first couple shots best. There’s a pleasing absurdity to them
- http://moodring54.livejournal.com/ moodring54
  
  I feel the same way! I like suits tailored close to the body on men, but this super tight look is a little off-putting.
Michelle Prahl

Thank goodness he lost the beard. That was so unattractive.
peter ryan

Kittens, we swear we’re not turning into a Glee fan blog.

Oh boys, that ship has sailed.

Is the two sizes too small thing a trend now?
Anonymous

i think he is sweet & adorable.
Anonymous

Darren is totally adorablicious. And I think the styling looks awesome considering the missteps he’s made and how awkward he’s looked in shoots in the past. One quibble, (minor) SOCKS please. Wearing full sided footwear without socks is never comfortable and always looks like you forgot something at your FBs apartment.
Otherwise, luv luv luv the plaid Gant jacket, though only one in 5000 people could possibly get away with it. And the Prada Tux makes me have LE (Lapel Envy)
Diahna Brown

All those clothes are too tight. Ew.
Anonymous

Are you kidding me? This is the same stupid crap he always does. Please, someone, just make him go away.
- Jessica O’Connell
  
  Why should he go away? He’s successful because he’s a quirky, down-to-earth, fun-loving guy and that’s illustrated in this editorial better than any other. I love it. It showcases both his great personality and how damn cute the man is.
http://twitter.com/AnnaPBrittain APB

He is precisely my brand of cute. I LOVE the look with the plaid Hilfiger jacket and glasses! He reminds me of Shades from That Thing You Do in the seersucker (is that seersucker or gingham? It’s too small a print for me to tell) suit and Rayban’s.
Anonymous

You totally forgot that in spite of his Broadway song stylings, inability to control his facial expressions from segueing into drama and, most of all, playing a gay teen, Mr Criss is a boob-loving, red-blooded heterosexual. Definitely NOT gay. Get it? HE’S STRAIGHT!
- oddjob
  
  Who grew up in San Francisco, gets the significance of the part he’s playing, and is 100%
  cool with that.
  - Anonymous
    
    …and yet NEVER misses an opportunity to remind everyone that he is 100% NOT GAY.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Lauren-Jean-St-Martin/504251897 Lauren Jean St. Martin

Love all the looks, just wish he’d put socks on!
Anonymous

We know you hate too long pants… but these pants are just TOO SHORT

and Teresa Galloway – haha – but eew
- http://pulse.yahoo.com/_2CNDPMVO4W23R5TVC2QMTJ5BZE Heather
  
  I agree – highwaters all around!!
http://profiles.google.com/sauchih Sau-Chih Feng

I think the picture of him in the Tommy Hilfiger suit is my favorite. It’s not the best outfit of the collection, but it’s such a dynamic shot! The one directly below it is very cheeky, almost a “hey, you know you want me” expression on his face. The picture of him with the champagne bottle is great too. He really has improved his modeling skills, probably because he doesn’t look as uncomfortable in this editorial.

Still can’t get over how he’s friends/coworkers with one of my best friends from uni.
- http://profiles.google.com/sauchih Sau-Chih Feng
  
  PS, she’s the costume designer at Starkid Productions, I’m so proud of her!
  - Anonymous
    
    Really? Which shows did she design the costumes for? All of them?
    - http://profiles.google.com/sauchih Sau-Chih Feng
      
      She didn’t work on the first A Very Potter Musical, but she started designing from A Very Potter Sequel and onwards.
      
      PS, Lucius Malfoy’s costume in a A Very Potter Sequel is based on the Goblin King.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_YMEB3XKJCE4WL62SKN473LWBXQ Frank

I’ll take one of each, thank you!
Anonymous

not bad, but where are his socks?! did some poor assistant lose some random box on her way to shoot?
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=513945580 Megan Patterson

Love it! I want my boyfriend to get those Cole Haan oxfords so bad! And then I will borrow them, because sadly, our feet are the same size.
http://profiles.google.com/bre.snodgrass Breanna Snodgrass

Those shots are all pretty perfect. The one with the ring, especially. Looks like it could be an add for some big spiffy jeweler or something.
Anonymous

I find him kind of super-annoying on Glee, but the kid is just too damned adorable.
Anonymous

So glad to see him styled better. I think in this case the rockabilly hair helps, a LOT. And for a guy who can look pretty sexy on the TV screen, this guy really just can’t model very well. I do LOVE the suits. In my opinion men should wear most of their clothes cut closer to the body. It really makes them look more put together and damn sexy.
Anonymous

He looks adorable, but I’m not crazy about this mid-60′s style of suit that looks a size too small. If you put the pictures side-by-side he’d look like Frankie Vallie & the Four Seasons.

–GothamTomato
Anonymous

Eeech. I hate the shoe-and-no-sock look. HATE. And all those jackets look too tight to me.

I suppose that this is how you can tell that I am even more out of touch with men’s fashion than I am with women’s.
Anonymous

Awww! He looks adorable! And that’s how you wear statement shoes. Hope he got that stylist’s card.
Anonymous

Wow! Brad Goreski really is a trendsetter isn’t he? All the Glee boys are trying to look like him now. (In fact do we know who styled this shoot?)

Paola
Anonymous

Mystery Date! Get ready for your Mystery Date! Will he be a dream or will he be a dud?

He looks cute in all of these, but he also looks like the entire pack of boys in the Mystery Date game *plus* Barbie Queen of the Prom, from Poindexter to Ken and Tom and Bob and the boys with no names (but somebody was wearing madras plaid) in Mystery Date.
http://profiles.google.com/sara.e.munoz Sara Munoz

ADORBS. But I always feel bad about thinking he’s cute, because he likes like a cross between my brother-in-law, and my cousin’s ex. It’s seriously creepy.
Anonymous

OMG – Darren is so gorgeous. Whoever gets him is a lucky girl – or boy.
Anonymous

Is he expecting a flood? Were they not able to find clothes in his size? Did gnomes come around in the middle of the night and steal all his socks? I have questions.
http://profiles.google.com/sntierney Shannon Tierney

My BF (who is a beefcake kind of guy) loves the skinny look with his suits. The spread is right up his alley.
http://profiles.google.com/kbryna kbryna frogboots

That tan Gucci look is TO. DIE. FOR. And oh my stars what it does for Darren Criss, who really never needed any help to look hot. God, those saddle shoes (is it two-tone oxfords for men, and not saddle shoes? shit, they’re saddle shoes) are amazing. I do love the kind of pigeon-toed thing going on, especially in the champagne photo (where he also looks fab). DO NOT WANT sockless look. I HATE that. HATE HATE HATE HATE it. And the very final photo is so scary, like someone’s weirdly retouched senior “portrait”. I don’t blame Darren Criss for that one – it’s a weird pose, weird angle, weirdly edited picture. But my lord that Gucci suit!
http://www.facebook.com/markrt Mark Talsma

J’aime Darren, obviously – something about the dark hair and eyes with the cute widdle face just destroys me. He looks adorable in all of these pictures. I just wanna shmear him on my bagel and eat him!
http://www.facebook.com/suzie.vazquez Suzie Vazquez

I can’t get past how cheese-ball this guy is. I just can’t. He is such a goof.
MilaXX

He looks like Bert from Sesame Street doing the Pigeon.
- margaret meyers
  
  Well, thank YOU for that. Now I must go waste an hour on Youtube looking at muppet videos.
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaF7kT5Moc0&feature=fvsr
  - MilaXX
    
    and my job is done
    - Lisa
      
      But you can’t leave out the late great Madeline Kahn and Grover doing their duet of “Sing after me”:
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsCOTsE4atQ
      
      No contest, this is probably my favorite muppet video ever!
Anonymous

I hope he took the Club Monaco, Gucci, Lauren and Varvatos outfits. If not, he needs to hire comeone to procure these outfits. And throw in some socks. The guy may be a raging dork, but he certainly wears these clothes well. He has potential…
Anonymous

My goodness he’s pretty…!
http://profiles.google.com/duchesskat Kat Hazzard

I love Criss in this pictorial. Even though I’m 40, I want him to be my date to my friend’s wedding next weekend wearing any of these suits!
http://profiles.google.com/shawna.ready shawna ready

I don’t care fore the no socks look, but I have to say I find him very appealing in these pictures.
Glen Coleson

why the hell isn’t he wearing socks
http://profiles.google.com/cbueno.sanders Carla Bueno-Sanders

Dear men of the world: Do this. All the time.
Anonymous

*sniff* Harry Potter is all grown up!

I still miss his normal hair…especially his Little White Lie hair.

And if you don’t know who he is besides Glee, he’s part of a theater group that he and his friends started called Team Starkid. They’re most popular for their musical “A Very Potter Musical” (Darren starred as Harry), which was a production that they did in college at UoM and later put on youtube. After it became popular, they did a sequel (“A Very Potter Sequel”), “Me and My Dick”, and their newest musical “Starship”, which Darren wrote the music for, but couldn’t be in the play because of his Glee obligations. They’re planning a third Potter Musical when Darren has time to participate.

Aaaaand now I’m gonna go watch Starship for the millionth time.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=637520850 Madison Chua

He’s still cute looking but I am a bit sick of him.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_3AJ237ND3GAHDQJZ4TLCO4WLRA Emily

He looks adorable. Not a fan of shoes without socks though.
Anonymous

Yuck! This big phony in his too tight, too short, ugly Jerry Lewis early sixties suits, turns my stomach!
margaret meyers

Yes, he’s a cutie-pie, but everything here is a little too tight. I know it’s a look, but here they’ve taken it into bad taste. His clothes don’t fit.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_JK6YIN6HE3GFHI2EI76LD5KUT4 David

I have made up my mind after weeks of wavering: he’s just not that cute.
Anonymous

oh goodness, i love it!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jody-Lee/759569733 Jody Lee

Well, it’s the stylist’s decision for the no socks look or the super tight jackets. These definitely look like DC can barely breathe in them but it’s still the best fashion shoot he’s done so far, and the looks are in his personal style for dress up. The scuffed boots and saddle shoes are still around, and I would be surprised to find he even has a stylist. It just took him a while to get around to buying proper shoes for those red carpet events.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=12933141 Elizabeth Riley

Can he be my date for a wedding next weekend? Can someone arrange that for me?
http://www.deathbywhippedcream.com/ Addis R. Pérez

All of these looks are adorable! I like that the fit is a little tight – it certainly works for him.
http://www.facebook.com/mary.nease Mary Nease

And I shall sit here consumed with lust for the rest of the evening.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_RUY3IIQ74T6GMLQSWDPXX26UDE Lia Radtke

Socks are not optional. Your women do not want your stanky feet coming out of dress shoes after a day at a wedding without SOCKS. Your feet SMELL.
Lisa

God, I can’t stand him. I just really really can’t. He’s wrecked most of season two for me – aren’t his 15 minutes up yet?
Anonymous

Great job from the hips up. It may just be a current trend I’m not on board with, but I don’t like men’s dress slacks to hug their thighs. They just look too small to me.

Also hate the shoes/no socks look, but that’s a quibble.
Anonymous

I hate Glee, so I am getting a bit sick of the Glee posts. But he is cute, so I’ll give it a pass. Too bad all his pants are too tight. I have made it a personal rule to never date a boy who wears tighter pants than I do (not that I would ever be able to date him anyway, but it is also about attractiveness).
Anonymous

I hate Glee, so I am getting a bit sick of the Glee posts. But he is cute, so I’ll give it a pass. Too bad all his pants are too tight. I have made it a personal rule to never date a boy who wears tighter pants than I do (not that I would ever be able to date him anyway, but it is also about attractiveness).
Dan Kramer

his thighs are so sexy, i approve of the pant size! swoon!
Pingback: Men’s Fashion; Go Vintage « What Would Mom Say
http://twitter.com/juiceypoo Jin Ong

Holee SHIT those pants are tight. Poor guy.
http://twitter.com/pinup_ghoul Pinup Ghoul

He looks like an adorable cartoon. Also, my feller would look abolutely stunning in any of these outfits. Definitely showing this to him later to see his thoughts.
http://profiles.google.com/psykid42 Christopher Brathwaite

What do I have to do for those two tone cole haan shoes in the first photo? WHAT?
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1599042069 Angie Elliott Rooney

He’s pulling off the Brad Goreski look perfectly!! Love it!
King Nat Cole

You guys need to stop talking about the suits being too small. They’re slim fits and that is how they are designed to be. He looks great in those suits.

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Darren Criss for GQ Magazine

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