Of course, the most appropriate place to begin a discussion of the wardrobe from Jaws is with Mayor Vaughn. Murray Hamilton plays the sleazy politician trope, willing to put lives at risk to prevent any harm to the town’s economy, while clad in a definitive nautical-preppy wardrobe. Vaughn is the villain of the first act, until the shark comes back, and his elitist aesthetic is a strong contrast to the blue collared Brody and Hooper he is pitted against. The Mayor’s anchor bespeckled blazer is the single greatest wardrobe piece in the entire movie. His tie game is strong. He wears his trench coat with the collar popped like a noir detective. As much as you want to hate Vaughn for being a corrupt mayor, you have to admit that the man has style.
If Mayor Vaughn is the film’s human antagonist, then Roy Scheider’s Chief Brody is our protagonist. Brody provides the perspective for the audience. The events of the story happen to him as they happen to the audience and therefore the audience needs to relate to him, feel for him, and place themselves in his character. Brody’s wardrobe is accordingly simple: his khaki uniform, occasionally accompanied by a matching blue bomber, while on duty and a monotone blue sweatshirt and jeans when shark hunting. The one distinguishing visual characteristic of Brody’s are his wire frame aviator glasses. Brody’s humanistic emotions and clean aesthetic anchor our ship as we’re beset by a cast of eccentric characters and one terrifying shark.
Every hero needs a sidekick and Brody receives his when a snarky marine biologist named Hooper shows up to Amity to investigate their shark situation. Spielberg claims that when Richard Dreyfuss read for the part, his scruffy beard and frameless glasses instantly brought Hooper to life. To fill out the character’s look, Dreyfuss put on some timeless head-to-toe workwear. In every scene, Hooper looks like a hipster from 2010 who shops exclusively at J.Crew. Hooper rocks a fundamentally cool denim jacket throughout the film. His headwear choice is perfect, alternating between a sun faded navy bucket hat and a dark-navy ribbed beanie. And the leather backpack that he shows up to the film with is his most overlooked piece.