Paris, October 2022. Karim Benzema walks onto the stage of the Théâtre du Châtelet to collect the Ballon d'Or — and for a few hours, people talk almost as much about his outfit as about his trophy. Black suit, white shirt closed to the collar, gold-rimmed glasses. Anyone who knows, knows: Tupac Shakur, 1996.
The original: Tupac's 1996 suit
The picture belongs to style history. Tupac in a dark suit, white shirt buttoned to the very top, thin golden glasses — the elegance of another century, worn by the man who embodied the street. No tie hanging down. No bow tie. In its place: a short black piece, crossed over the collar.
That contrast is what made the look a legend — classic, almost austere codes, subverted by a single detail. Thirty years on, people are still searching for it.
The detail everyone looks for: the black collar piece
The question keeps coming back: what is he wearing at the collar? Neither a classic tie nor a bow tie — a crossover tie, also known as a continental tie: a short band of fabric that crosses at the collar and fastens, historically with a simple snap. A mid-century classic that had slipped into obscurity — until Tupac made it a signature. We wrote a full guide on the history of the continental tie.
Benzema at the Ballon d'Or 2022: the homage
On 17 October 2022, Benzema rebuilt the look piece by piece: black suit, immaculate shirt, closed collar, golden glasses. The style press decoded the reference the same evening — Goal traced it to Tupac's look from the « All Eyez on Me » era, reinterpreted for football's biggest stage.
Since that night, one search keeps recurring: what does this look cost? Here is the answer, piece by piece.
Recreating the look: what it costs
| Piece | What to look for | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| The black suit | Straight cut, clean shoulders — vintage works particularly well | 80–300 € |
| The white shirt | Collar closed to the last button, worn without a visible tie knot | 30–80 € |
| The crossover tie | The piece that makes the look — black, closed with a golden button | Harlem Tie OBSIDIAN, 58 € |
| The golden glasses | Round or oval frame, clear or lightly tinted lenses | 15–40 € |
Total: between 180 and 480 € — of which 58 € buy the one element nobody else will be wearing that night.
The crossover tie: the piece that makes the look
Take the crossover tie out of the picture and what remains is a well-dressed man. Put it back, and it becomes Tupac. The Harlem Tie keeps the format — a crossed band of silk — and replaces the vintage snap with a 24-karat gold-plated button (or silver, if the evening calls for restraint). One piece is enough: keep the rest of the outfit quiet.
Wearing it today — without a costume
The rule is simple: one element, not the full replica. The crossover tie with your own dark suit — the reference is there, without the fancy-dress effect. That is how the look lives best today: in a wedding party, at a formal evening, anywhere you want to be precise without being predictable.
Frequently asked questions
What tie did Tupac wear?
A crossover tie, also called a continental tie — a short band that crosses at the collar instead of hanging down. In his most famous 1996 pictures it is black, worn over a fully buttoned white shirt.
What suit did Benzema wear at the Ballon d'Or 2022?
A black suit with a white shirt closed at the collar and gold-rimmed glasses — a documented homage to Tupac's 1996 look, widely covered by the style press that evening.
Where can you find a crossover tie like Tupac's?
Originals from the 1950s–60s occasionally surface in vintage shops. New, the choice is short: the Harlem Tie OBSIDIAN takes the same format and closes it with a 24-karat gold-plated button — sizes S to 3XL, size guide here.