In the group watch of this concert yesterday, the important topics of Enjolras’ indecent costume and the eventual stripping of the rest of Les Amis to copy him were extensively discussed.
However, not being too familiar with either the musical adaptions or 19th century Parisian fashion, I found it hard to keep track of who was taking off their clothes when. So of course, I went through taking screenshots of each character, first at the café, then at the barricade.
Why would I feel the need to document this? Well, that’s for me to know and you to find out.
First, Enjolras. He is inexplicably and indecently dressed right from the beginning. No coat, waistcoat open, cravat tied at the bottom, kinky leather wristbands, “what are shirt buttons for?” Either he is very passionate about the coming revolution, as @spacestationtrustfund suggested, or, as @elliotenjolras offered as an explanation, he was making out with someone pretty intensely just beforehand, and they failed to help him re-dress.
This Combeferre has the fashion sense of a stressed professor anyway, but he imitates (or perhaps is helped by) Enjolras in losing one vest and opening the second, loosening his (adorable) bow-tied cravat and rolling up his (questionable) sleeves for the barricade.
Jean Prouvaire is all-too-happy to shed some clothing for the cause, and looks suitably Romantic doing so.
Feuilly naturally strips to stand in solidarity with Enjolras and his unfortunate inability to wear clothes.
This Courfeyrac is so passionate that he probably tears at his clothes until they look like this. “Revolution is of greater importance, even, than my newest silk cravat, as fashionable as it undeniably is.”
Bossuet just managed to trip several times on the way to the barricade, and that’s why he looks dishevelled.
Joly removes his cravat completely, to go one better than his compatriots. Not at all because he has secretly always suspected that wearing one probably impedes the natural flow of blood to one’s head.
Grantaire is an absolute mess at the café and remains so at the barricade, matching Enjolras throughout.
Marius tries very hard to fit in by taking off his coat and cravat, but his frilly shirt and gold waistcoat makes him look more like a posh bee than a busy revolutionary.
Bonus: As @shellcollector pointed out, Javert easily infiltrates the group by dressing up as one of them. It’s not particularly difficult to do.
So there you go. Thanks to his loyal friends, Enjolras is not the only one who dies looking as though he only had 30 seconds to get dressed that morning.
¯_( ಠ_ಠ)_/¯ 