Paul McCartney Yellow Submarine Costume Guide

What You’ll Need

The animated look for Paul McCartney in Yellow Submarine leans straight into late-sixties Carnaby Street mod tailoring, translated through George Dunning and Heinz Edelmann’s bold pop-art animation style. Translating that illustrated outfit into wearable garments comes down to coordinating distinct color blocks and tactile fabric choices so the ensemble looks deliberate rather than like mismatched office attire.

Because the animated character designs rely on flat, saturated color fills, real-world fabrics need sufficient texture to give the outfit physical depth. A rich purple velvet for the blazer anchors the entire palette, balancing the high-contrast yellow-and-red striped tie against the deep navy shirt and neutral trousers.

The Purple Velvet Jacket

Paul’s jacket serves as the visual centerpiece. In the film, it appears as a vibrant violet-purple blazer with clean lines and classic mid-to-late sixties tailoring. Velvet brings an authentic period feel that matches the musical aesthetic while providing visual depth under varying convention or stage lighting. Aim for a structured, tailored cut that rests neatly across the shoulders without pulling when buttoned over a dress shirt.

If your jacket comes with modern wide lapels or shiny metallic buttons, swapping the hardware for matte horn or dark fabric-covered alternatives is a simple modification that aligns with bespoke Savile Row tailoring. Check that the sleeve cuffs sit just high enough to reveal a quarter-inch of shirt sleeve underneath.

Shirt and Striped Tie Combination

Beneath the jacket, Paul wears a dark navy button-down shirt paired with a diagonally striped tie in alternating bands of deep red and warm yellow. The sharp contrast between the dark navy base and the warm tie stripes is specific to his animation cel design, setting his colorway apart from John, George, and Ringo.

A cotton or poplin dress shirt with a structured point collar keeps the tie knot seated firmly against the throat. Tie a neat four-in-hand knot to match the era’s compact style, and tuck the tail securely into the keeper loop so the bold diagonal stripes stay centered without twisting or billowing out from the jacket opening.

Trousers and Beatle Boots

For the lower half, Paul wears straight-cut khaki trousers paired with black Chelsea boots. In animation, trousers fall with minimal break over the shoes, producing long, clean visual lines. Flat-front chinos or tailored dress slacks in a classic tan shade provide that streamlined shape without clinging or bunching around the calves.

Beatle boots are essentially Chelsea boots defined by a slightly elevated Cuban heel and a sleek tapered toe. Black leather or faux-leather ankle boots with elastic side gores allow you to step in and out of them quickly while keeping the ankles slim enough for trouser cuffs to drape cleanly over the top.

Styling the 1960s Mop Top

Paul’s hair in the film captures the Beatles’ trademark mop top as it softened into the longer, shaggier cut of 1967 and 1968, featuring full fringe brushed forward and soft rounding over the ears. Fresh out of the package, synthetic wigs tend to carry an unnatural gloss and flat, uniform texture.

A light dusting of dry shampoo or translucent powder cuts down excessive synthetic sheen immediately. Shake out the wig and use your fingers or a wide-tooth comb to feather the bangs across the brow. If the fringe hangs too low or looks blunt, trimming the edges vertically with thinning shears softens the line into an accurate mod hairstyle.