Northern Exposure Style File – Chris, Part 1

Chris Stevens is the resident DJ, philosopher, artist, theologian, and heartthrob of the small town of Cicely. Despite being a former juvenile delinquent and an ex-con, Chris has reformed and become a modern day Renaissance Man, with welding skills, a literary mind, an artistic soul, and a kick-ass Harley.

Chris’ wardrobe reflects his eclectic tastes and bohemian tendencies. While definitely part of the emerging grunge / alternative movement of the 1990s, his clothes reveal a casual, rugged lifestyle (the pieces he wears are meant to last and be practical instead of simply being fashionable) while being laid-back and effortlessly cool. This is what makes Chris’ style unique, that mix of being planned and unplanned, being on trend while giving the impression of not caring what he puts on. Of course, it helps that Chris (played by the handsome John Corbett) is long and lanky and can make literally anything look good.

Wardrobe Basics

Like all of the characters on Northern Exposure, Chris wears the same pieces over and over, just like we do in normal life. In his everyday wear, he leans towards plaids, leather, lots of jeans, t-shirts, and button-up shirts with cut off sleeves. A lot of his clothing looks pretty well worn, but the overall impression is never sloppy, possibly because his shirts are nearly always tucked in, and his clothes are always clean.

Chris has a few key pieces, like the jean jacket with the suede collar:

The leather vest (quite similar to Maggie’s, strangely enough).

The jean shirt, and jean shirt/vest combination:

Chris the Religious Man

Whenever Chris is called upon to don the role of the minister, whether at Holling and Shelly’s almost wedding, or Rick’s funeral, or to perform a divorce ceremony, Chris always wears a black turtleneck, perhaps as a nod to the Catholic priestly collar.

Different Looks, One Chris

One of the best qualities of Chris’ style is his ability to transform. He styles his hair one way, then another way the next moment. One moment he wears glasses, the other not. One moment he is clean-shaven, the other he wears a beard. Nearly all the other characters on the show have a consistent look, but Chris experiments a lot with his own personal style (including cornrows and African garb!).

Strangely enough, no matter how much Chris changes his appearance, he is still recognizably Chris. There is a Chrisness to Chris that can’t be denied.

Like most of the males in Cicely, Chris has a great head of hair: lush, with just a little wave, and a seemingly miraculous growing capability. And it’s not surprising that even without an attack of pheromones, women find him very attractive (and Chris apparently has the ability to find beautiful women just by randomly going into the woods). He is equal parts bad boy, intellectual, and poet, as well as being surprisingly easy-going.