Nathan Fielder Is a Style King
With ‘The Practice session,’ the comic continues his superior experiments in taste
The anticipation for the premiere of Nathan Fielder’s new HBO display, The Practice session, used to be feverish. It were 5 years for the reason that comic’s acclaimed collection Nathan For You got here to an finish, and fanatics had been demise to understand what awkward, uncanny, hilarious route his paintings would possibly take subsequent. The primary episode, which aired on July fifteenth, delivered with an idea like not anything tried on TV sooner than. Crucially, although, it preserved considered one of Fielder’s largest strengths.
The person has exceptional drip.
Previous within the episode, Fielder is forced to create a pretend weblog referred to as “Thrifty Boy” as a pretext for contacting any individual who writers her personal weblog about a laugh, loose actions in New York Town. Then he wishes to achieve insider knowledge from a person who runs a bar minutiae industry, so he recycles the faux weblog thought to fit a distinct goal — this being each an effective and pointless selection is a part of what makes Fielder a genius — and dons the conceal of a “Thrifty Boy,” all mismatched, ill-fitting garments, together with a jacket with a part of the tag nonetheless on.
The absurdity of the have compatibility, supposed to amuse the viewer, additionally transforms it into increased type, which is, in flip, even funnier. But whoever Fielder interacts with whilst dressed this manner should assimilate it as standard streetwear — which, in fact, it may well be! A perfect pleasure of Nathan For You that turns out to have carried into The Practice session is seeing Fielder pass undercover with assistance from dress and styling by myself: He by no means modulates his deadpan voice or placid demeanor, by no means acts the nature, most effective appears to be like it. He turns into the moderately other Nathan from some other universe. And in so doing, he poetically conveys simply how the garments make the person.
Massive credit score is because of Laura Wheeler, the important thing costumer on Nathan For You, and Briana Jorgenson, dress dressmaker for The Practice session, who’ve dressed Fielder’s staid persona in edgier, incessantly try-hard appears to be like that experience you guffawing sooner than he’s even mentioned a phrase. They prevail via taking part in in opposition to Fielder’s standard operating apparel, a bland industry informal of tucked-in button-down shirts and slacks, once in a while a polo or simple sweater, not anything bolder than plaid or checkered patterns. Those outfits — which via all indications are to Fielder’s personal style — can serve a necessity for neutrality, or disappearing inside of a scene, although additionally they permit him to seem skilled and faithful to folks he’s deceiving. Best possible of all is when he tries for an impact opposite to his personal, thereby calling consideration to the additionally incongruous conservatism of his officewear. For instance, when he makes an attempt to cool and “bro out” with dudes in a person cave.
It’s additionally a excitement to look at as Fielder’s scheming forces him to desert those secure, elementary ensembles for an increasing number of unique and high-stakes garb, from a “Dumb Starbucks” supervisor’s uniform to the total Santa’s elf getup (worn in summer time) to a plastic go well with stuffed with chili that stops him from the use of the toilet. The discomfort that includes any of that is sublimated into his largest superpower: regulate. Fielder places himself in scenarios, and in clothes, that will embarrass any individual, or ship them into suits of panic, however his blood power doesn’t spike. I’m now not even positive if he sweats. It’s the cool detachment of a runway stick insect, not anything much less.
So revel in this season of The Practice session, and whilst you’re squirming on your seat, you’ll want to notice the uncanny self assurance that Fielder radiates when he places on a daft dress to additional his convoluted plans. If that’s the angle it takes to tug off groundbreaking TV, it’s additionally the name of the game to rocking your riskiest type possible choices. Snatch a bucket hat — it’s Thrifty Boy Summer time.
Miles Klee
Miles Klee is MEL’s resident tank-top dirtbag, shitposter and meme skilled. He’s additionally the creator of the radical ‘Ivyland’ and a tale assortment, ‘True False.’
