Costanzacore

Why George Costanza’s Timeless, Practical Style is the Ultimate Underdog Look

I love Larry David. I think he’s a true comic voice unlike anyone else and a real pioneer in what he does. I loved Curb Your Enthusiasm, and I love Seinfeld, which he, of course, co-created with Jerry Seinfeld.

I love the fact that the character George Costanza is based on him and it’s easy to see. And George Costanza, however annoying, repulsive, or shrill he can be, is no doubt, in my mind, the best-dressed character in Seinfeld.

Today, I’m talking Costanzacore the quietly (although quite whiny) everyday style of George Costanza.

George obviously has an appreciation for good clothing. I mean, just look at the Gore-Tex jacket episode. Okay, maybe I’m half-joking but you can’t deny he admires it for what it is. The craftsmanship. The practicality. “Nothing’s ever kept me as warm as this,” he says, arms spread wide, lost inside that enormous coat.

To me, George Costanza is basically a walking L.L. Bean lookbook. East Coast Americana through and through. Rugged Ivy, if you want to get specific. Flannels, chinos, mountain parkas, it’s all there. A style that’s less about fashion, more about function, but somehow, in the shuffle of his neurotic life, it just works. George dresses like a man who cares enough to buy good clothes but doesn’t obsess over them and that, maybe, is what makes it so good.

George, a guy from Queens, commuting in and out of the city, needed practical, suitable clothing for all the time he spends trying to find a job, keeping them and then inevitably losing them again. His wardrobe had to be hardwearing, comfortable, and just smart enough to slip through the cracks of whatever office he was fumbling his way into that week.

It wasn’t about flash. It wasn’t even really about style in the traditional sense. It was about surviving the day: being warm enough, dry enough, decent enough. And somehow, through all that, George built a look that intentionally or not feels more authentic today than half the curated, overthought wardrobes you see online.

L.L.Bean feels like the most applicable brand when thinking of George Costanza. It’s practical, it’s smart in that unfussy, everyday kind of way, and it’s built to function, which is, when you think about it, exactly how George dresses. You can wear it every day and not look wildly out of place in any setting: office, diner, car dealership, failed job interview. That’s George all over.

Take the L.L.Bean barn/field jacket — a piece that’s become quietly iconic since it was introduced in the 1920s as a durable, no-nonsense coat for chilly New England mornings. Originally designed for farmers and outdoorsmen, it’s made from hardwearing cotton canvas, often with corduroy collar details and big patch pockets, the sort of jacket built for carrying tools, or a sandwich, or maybe a heavily creased CV.

It’s not hard to picture George in one. Over a flannel shirt. Maybe paired with his trusty cord trousers. Boat shoes on foot, because of course he owns boat shoes, even if he’s never stepped foot on a boat.

The jacket works perfectly within George’s style because it’s just enough. It ticks the boxes of being “smart casual,” it makes people think you’ve put in some effort, and most importantly, it doesn’t get in the way of whatever neurotic misadventure you’re spiralling into that day. The barn jacket is a staple of Rugged Ivy and George, whether he meant to or not, was its balding, frustrated ambassador.

When he’s not clomping around in boat shoes, George Costanza is, in my mind at least, wearing New Balance.

Yes, I know he favoured the Nike Cortez, but NB just seems more George to me.

If he had just gone to J. Crew at Rockefeller plaza, he could have snapped up their collab pair!

The iconic American running shoe, all mesh panels, chunky soles, and tonal greys is something I closely associate with New York style. And not the cool, editorial kind either. I’m talking practical, borough-level style. Grocery runs, subway stairs, standing in queues while angrily muttering about how long it’s taking. That kind of New York.

Of course, it’s Jerry who you almost always see in bright white trainers, often paired with a blazer or a Harrington. They stand out: box-fresh, deliberate, clean. George, naturally, wears his New Balance in a more bedraggled, lived-in way. Less “crisp page in a J.Crew catalogue,” more “they were by the door and he didn’t have time to lace them properly.”

But both Jerry and George tap into something quietly brilliant: look smart on top, wear something comfortable to get you there. It’s a simple, commuter logic. The kind of style that doesn’t scream, doesn’t posture — just does the job.

New Balance, particularly the 574s or 990s, are also a brilliant way to add a splash of colour to an otherwise neutral outfit. And when I think of Seinfeld, I think colour, soft, dusty 90s tones. Olive greens, faded burgundies, washed-out blues.

It was the perfect era for adding just enough hue to look interesting without trying too hard. George might not be the kind of guy who colour-blocks intentionally, but he’s the kind of guy whose socks never quite match his trousers, and who buys trainers based on “which ones feel springy.”

And honestly? That might be the most wearable logic of all.

Now I know I talk about him wearing New Balance here, and while he might not always exactly be wearing New Balance, if at all, in my mind, he always is. New Balance is extremely George.

And this brings me to a point I think a lot of people miss when they look at George’s style. There’s this tendency to write it off as tacky or outdated. Sure, in the context of Seinfeld, some of those graphic designs or themes may feel old-fashioned now, but when you look at George’s actual clothing choices, they’re mostly timeless. This isn’t about fast-fashion trends; it’s about functionality, comfort, and wearing clothes that make sense for your life. George is dressed for the world he lives in, which, ironically, is exactly why his look feels so relatable today.

You see, George Costanza may not be working with a wardrobe full of statement pieces or high-end designer items, but his clothes have an authenticity to them. They’re not trying too hard, and that’s exactly why it’s so easy for us to see bits of Costanzacore in the everyday wardrobes of people today. In a world full of curated feeds and overly thought-out outfits, George reminds us that a good jacket, comfortable shoes, and a jacket that actually keeps you warm are all you really need.

At its core, George Costanza’s style isn’t about impressing anyone or making a statement. It’s about getting through the day, warm, dry, and, for the most part, looking like you know what you’re doing. It’s practical, it’s functional, and yes, it’s just plain good.

So the next time you see a guy rocking a barn jacket, some worn-in New Balance, and a flannel shirt, just know that it’s not just about nostalgia for an iconic sitcom. It’s about timeless, practical style, and maybe, just maybe, that guy is channeling a little bit of George Costanza.