Ewan's little spat at Potter premiere

Ewan McGregor stepped back in time for his latest premiere - more than 70 years, in fact.

The hunky actor stole the show from co-star Renée Zellweger in a very unusual way.

Both were on the red carpet for the New York premiere of Miss Potter at the DGA Theatre. But while Renée, 37, opted for a simple black number, Ewan, 35, went for the 1940s gangster look with pinstripe jacket, black scarf and...wait for it... spats!

For those who are not up with 1940s fashion, spats were a shoe accessory no dandy could be seen without. Worn by the wealthy in the late 19th and early 20th century, they were originally designed to stop a gentleman's shoe from getting covered in mud.

But they quickly became synonymous with wealth and style, so anyone with pretensions of grandeur was soon seen stepping out with the eccentric footwear.

Most commonly white, spats also came in black, grey and tan. Before dying out completely, spats reached their height of popularity during the 1940s - especially with well-dressed gangsters.

Why he was wearing spats last night is anyone's guess. Perhaps he was frightened of getting his feet muddy. Or perhaps he was too lazy to polish his uppers.