Yes, we know. Jonah Hill's style acumen is excessively well-documented. Grailed’s former-brand director, Lawrence Schlossman, even threw a couple of parties in his honor—one of which Hill actually attended! And yet, as we approach the end of 2020, more than a year since Vanity Fair inducted Hill into the fit-hall-of-fame (aka its best dressed list), his sartorial efforts still merit discussion.

It's easy to talk about Hill's many fashionable moments. His constant rotation of Prada coats and camp collars, on-going relationship with Palace and constant rotation of adidas—all clearly showcase an ability to dress himself.

That adidas collaboration has started to gain some serious traction, with Hill earning plaudits for his tonal takes on the adidas Samba and a slew of Three Stripes apparel to go with it. All served in autumnal colors (see burgundy, muted orange and (in adidas-speak) “Mineral Green”, the collaboration is point proven that—while Hill may not necessarily have a “fashion design” background, he certainly has top-tier taste. That’s to say nothing of his slight rework of the adidas Superstar which, like the Samba collaboration that followed, features his own “handwritten” take on the sneakers’ names on the side of each silhouette.

Sportswear aside, Hill can even crush it on the red carpet.

Still, in Hill's case, the more interesting story is less what he wears, but rather how he became a contemporary style icon.

Before starring in Palace store opening videos and tucking a Phoenix Suns basketball jersey into his jeans simply to stunt on paparazzi, Hill's fashion interest was quietly percolating. Born in Los Angeles' Cheviot Hills neighborhood, Hill's costume designer mother and musician accountant father introduced Hill to the charms of Hollywood life early. Yet, Hill still felt alienated—in part due to his weight—and only truly began to express himself between the ages of 12-13, when he started to frequent and eventually work at a local skate shop—an experience which directly influenced Mid90s. Around the same time Hill discovered brands like Shorty's and Girl skateboards, he officially broke into the movie business. High school friends Rebecca and Jake Hoffman introduced Hill to their father—Dustin, obviously—who helped him land a bit part in David O. Russell's I Heart Huckabees. A few lines transformed into an entire scene and seemingly overnight Hill landed the lead in Judd Apatow's 2007 magnum opus, Superbad. The millennial answer to Animal House, Superbad instantly transformed Hill to comedy royalty. Yet, the actor felt trapped within the confines of the "overweight best friend," trope. At 23, Hill was already a superstar, yet many projects were simply considered off-limits. Hill's style during this period was, as you could imagine, nothing to write home about. Rather than stick to his laurels, the young actor looked outside the comedy genre, first with production and eventually exploring drama, a category which he surprisingly excelled in. Within a few short years, Hill earned himself two Supporting Actor Oscar nominations, was working with A-list directors including Gus Van Sant and Martin Scorsese and signed on for his directorial debut. Sporting a slimmer physique—and clearly much more comfortable with his role in the film industry—Hill began to express himself off-screen as well.

Despite the skate world's tendency to label outsiders as "posers" at the drop of a hat, Hill nonetheless leaned in hard, rocking Dime, Richardson and, obviously, Palace and Supreme—brands he had loved since his days hanging at the local skate shop. Yet, at this point Hill was a bonafide a-lister, meaning he had the wallet to shop at Saint Laurent, Prada and Dries Van Noten. The result was one of the most clever mixes of streetwear and high-fashion in years. Clearly aware of the zeitgeist, the Maniac star was mixing vintage Grateful Dead inspired tie-dye tees with white Dickies carpenter pants one day, and lush camelhair trench coats the next.

Beyond the memes and @jonahfits Instagram account, Hill was someone who, after growing comfortable in his own skin, simply loved expressing himself—pink hair and all. It’s something that’s crossed over into his work with adidas specifically; while the campaign’s slogan, “Change is a Team Sport” is bursting with optimism as it, the projects that Hill has worked on with the Three Stripes prioritize having fun, sharing the love and enjoying what you do—no matter how you choose to go about doing it.

That sort of emotional health and self-awareness isn't just a rarity amongst Hollywood cognoscenti, but the populace in general, and it's precisely what makes Hill's wardrobe so damn great.

Tags: skateboarding, celebrity-style, inspired, movies, actor, mid90s, prada, adidas, palace, jonah-hill