Rami Malek Is Bringing Back ’90s Airport Style

The 1990s were the golden age of jet-set fashion. That era was a sweet spot in which travelers had stopped fully suiting up for flights, but designer sweatpants hadn’t yet become the norm, leading to transit ensembles with real purpose and personality. And luckily for us (and a million Instagram mood boards), the paparazzi were there to capture it all: the ’90s airport fit was born and etched into the halls of menswear. Think David Letterman in a double-breasted blazer and broken-in chinos, Christian Slater donning an overcoat with leather pants, or Wesley Snipes and his Beetlejuice-esque pants. While those halcyon days are sadly long behind us, every once in awhile a modern star still surprises us with a genuinely great airport fit. Case in point: Rami Malek arriving at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport this week to promote his new thriller The Amateur, dressed like he was stepping off at LAX in 1995.

Malek’s look nailed the crucial element of an effortlessly chic airport fit: a pitch-perfect balance of comfort and style. He wore an aged leather jacket in the cropped and boxy (and very ’90s) style that has surged in relevance in recent years. (It’s the same one he’s been wearing all week.) Malek rounded out the look with sleek black pants and some Maison Margiela derby shoes to add a pop of high-grade fashion. But most crucially, he mastered the dueling trademarks of true airport-celebrity style: layering and incognito accessories. Underneath the jacket were a brown hoodie, a knitted sweater, and a striped button-up with a scarf draped over his shoulders. And like a true throwback movie star, Malek donned sunglasses and a baseball cap, with a hood pulled over his head for good measure.

Jun Sato

All those layers looked cool, of course, but there was an extra touch of practicality baked in: Packing for a long trip is a breeze when your bulkiest pieces—like, say, a heavyweight leather jacket, beefy hoodie, and thick-soled derbies—are all on your person.

If you must suffer through the indignity of today’s late-capitalism commercial travel, there is at least one thing you can control: your outfit. And when it comes to the sea of sweatpants that populate the modern airport, a little effort goes a long way. You’d do well to take a note from Rami Malek—chill and relaxed with just a jolt of clued-in fashion. In 2025, he’s managed to do the near impossible: deliver a contemporary and classic fit that holds its own in the annals of ’90s airport style.