I tapped the worlds of music, art, film, and beyond to assemble a collection of guys we can all take our cues from. No royals, no socialites, no pretty-boy actors—just real men with real style.
The man who helped bring fedoras—and sweater vests, and beards, and three-piece suits, and skinny ties—back.
Justin Timberlake can—and will—wear nearly anything. But he’s discerning. He’ll sport a trench coat, for example, but only if it fits just right. “You don’t want to look like Inspector Gadget,” he says. And as an L.A. guy, he loves a T-shirt. These days he goes for simple graphic ones that can be dressed up or down. His vintage tees, though, have mostly gone the way of his trucker hats. “I used to have an amazing collection,” he says, “but Jess and my cousin Rachael have pretty much grabbed them all.”
Jacket, $700; vest, $165; and jeans, $220: all by William Rast. Shirt, $168, by Steven Alan. Tie, $145, by Jil Sander. Vintage belt by Melet Mercantile.
DJ, Producer
Ronson wears the of-the-moment uniform—slim suit, skinny tie—in such a way that doesn’t make you want to punch him. How? He respects details like the taper of the pants and the length of the tie—and he backs the Mr. Success look up with actual success.
“Over the past five or six years, I became obsessed with ’60s soul and Motown. On the back cover of all those Blue Note records, you’d see the guys going into the studio to play on sessions, and they’d all be dressed up. You have to dress like you take your job seriously. When you’re in a room working with the Kaiser Chiefs, these five lads from Leeds who have this sort of gang mentality, it’s like being a schoolteacher. It helps if you wear a tie as a sign of authority. One day I had to do some laundry when I was working on that record. I came into the studio in jeans and a T-shirt, and Ricky was like, ‘I’m not listening to you today. You look like a 14-year-old fool.’”
Suit, $1,195 by Versace Collection. Tie, $125, by Versace. Shirt, $220, by Band of Outsiders. Chelsea boots, $695.
Photographer
Lubomirski is a photographer you could easily mistake for a model—one cast in a fashion spread called “How to Achieve Timeless Elegance in a Blue Shirt and Jeans.” Born in England and raised in France and Botswana, he’s worldly enough to pull off undoing that third shirt button.
“My mother told me when I was about 12 that I should wear blue because I’ve got blue eyes. It stuck. Every time we watched old movies together, she would point out to me who was dressed well and who wasn’t. So all my icons are the old guys: Paul Newman. Robert Redford in Three Days of the Condor. I remember watching that and stealing his style. Basically, it’s a uniform: the blue shirt, the jeans, the Indiana Jones–style boots. When I started working for Mario [Testino],I was a student from a tiny town in England where everybody wore exactly the same thing—hooded tops and baggy trousers—but I love things that are superfitted. And like I said, I pretty much wear the same stuff all the time.”
Vest, $285, by Rag & Bone. Shirt, $40, by H&M. Jeans, $275, by Nudie Jeans. Cap by Scala from Dorfman Pacific.
Hotelier, Scene Magnet
If you’ve ever set foot on an André Balazs property—the legendary Chateau Marmont, say—you know his philosophy: Style isn’t about exclusivity or trends; it’s about honesty, authenticity, and above all else, comfort.
“I view myself as a very traditionalist hotelier, regardless of what kinds of labels get placed on me for this or that, or for my clientele. To me, what makes a hotel great doesn’t come from the Zeitgeist. The new Standard [hotel] in New York, for example, has what I call a familiar modernity. It’s not using design as a gimmick; it’s using design to achieve a purpose, a sense of emotional well-being. It’s the same with style. There’s a million ways to be stylish, as long as it’s true to the individual or the place. But comfort is the most important thing. Comfort is like happiness—who’s not looking for happiness?”
Trench coat, $1,695, by Burberry. Suit, $2,200, by Louis Vuitton. Shirt, $385, by Oumlil. Tie, $155, by Massimo Bizzocchi.
Pop Musician, Aspiring Designer
Stylistically, Kanye no longer seems like a sugar-deprived kid in a candy store. Yes, he’s still flashy and attitudinal. But whereas he used to look like he was flaunting all those luxury labels, now he looks like he’s expressing himself through them.
“At photo shoots, people are always trying to put that Day-Glo suit on me: ‘Kanye West is gonna wear this Day-Glo suit.’ No, Kanye West is not! I might wear a Day-Glo pocket square. Or socks. But I’m a normal human being! Kanye West is not your hanger. With this outfit here, I wasn’t trying to say anything—it’s just what appealed to me. It’s instinct: color. Fabric. The way it feels on you. I feel like the outfit was a 95 percenter. I had on the mid-cut Common Projects. But as soon as I got home, I’m looking at the low-cut Common Projects, and I’m like, ‘That would’ve looked better. Maybe they can do something with that in Photoshop.’”
Jacket, $3,425, by Dior Homme. Shirt, $445 and pants, $445, by Jil Sander. Sneakers, $335, by Common Projects. Sunglasses and leggings (as scarf) by Louis Vuitton.
Haberdasher, Southern Gentleman
Sid Mashburn is a throwback to a time when looking sharp was about a lot more than labels. His philosophy—the one reflected in his Atlanta store—is that good style is about knowing how to tie a tie, dress right for an occasion, and be comfortable in your own skin.
“My look is kind of an amalgam of different things: European, preppy, southern. Preppy is oftentimes pejorative, but if you really boil it down, it’s nothing more than classic clothes—a pair of khaki pants, a Shetland sweater.”
On Sid (third from left): Suit, $1,575, by Raffaele Caruso for Sid Mashburn. Shirt, $175, tie, $95, shoes, $595, and belt by Sid Mashburn. On staff: Clothes by Sid Mashburn.
T.I.
World-class MC
The Atlanta-based rapper rejects hip-hop’s merry-go-round of trends in favor of tailored blazers, jeans of distinctly hip-hopian proportions, and one trademark: a hat cocked at an extreme angle. Only problem now? He’s due for prison time. But look for him to pick up where he left off—fashionwise, anyway—the day he gets out.
“Every morning, I start with my shoes. Usually, I have a pair that I just know I wanna wear, and from there I put my shirt with my shoes, my pants with my shirt, my belt with my shoes and my shirt. I have real basic, old-school, classic style, homey. I’m still a Polo kid. I still like my pants to fit a certain way. I got first-grade pictures of me in suits. So I guess the fact that more formal stuff like blazers is acceptable in hip-hop these days…I could take a little credit for that.”
Sports jacket, $1,860, and cardigan, $1,195, by Gucci. T-shirt, $16, by Calvin Klein Underwear. Jeans, $86, by Akoo. Sneakers, $390, by Marc Jacobs. Hat by Prada. Watch by Breitling.
World-class MC
The Atlanta-based rapper rejects hip-hop’s merry-go-round of trends in favor of tailored blazers, jeans of distinctly hip-hopian proportions, and one trademark: a hat cocked at an extreme angle. Only problem now? He’s due for prison time. But look for him to pick up where he left off—fashionwise, anyway—the day he gets out.
“Every morning, I start with my shoes. Usually, I have a pair that I just know I wanna wear, and from there I put my shirt with my shoes, my pants with my shirt, my belt with my shoes and my shirt. I have real basic, old-school, classic style, homey. I’m still a Polo kid. I still like my pants to fit a certain way. I got first-grade pictures of me in suits. So I guess the fact that more formal stuff like blazers is acceptable in hip-hop these days…I could take a little credit for that.”
Sports jacket, $1,860, and cardigan, $1,195, by Gucci. T-shirt, $16, by Calvin Klein Underwear. Jeans, $86, by Akoo. Sneakers, $390, by Marc Jacobs. Hat by Prada. Watch by Breitling.
GQ’s Style Guy
Find us an icon of New York’s punk/new-wave scene who looks as bold today as he did in 1978. Fact is, most are dead, washed-up, or worse—banking. The secret to Glenn O’Brien’s style longevity: He hasn’t strayed from his roots.
“How have I stayed stylish? I’ve always worn the same clothes. I have ties older than my wife. I think I’ve had this suit for twelve years. And it’s my favorite suit. Style is about expressing your personality, and it’s not like that changes from one year to the next. Winston Churchill had incredible style, and it was permanent. When I had shoulder-length hair, I wore the same kinds of clothes I wear now. I never wore bell-bottoms. It’s also about dressing with respect. My grandmother was a big influence on me in that way. If I was going on a date, she’d say, ‘You can’t wear that pink shirt—what’s the girl’s mother going to say? Have some respect.’”
Coat (his own) by John Pearse. Suit (his own) by Anderson & Sheppard. Shirt, $485, by Charvet. Slippers, $350, by Belgian Shoes. Vintage tie by Dries Van Noten. Duffel bag by T. Anthony.
Actor, Indie Rocker
Even when he was an awkward kid playing an even more awkward kid in Rushmore, you could tell Jason Schwartzman had style. Behold, a decade or so later he’s an ace at looking cool in a suit.
“Ever since I was a little boy and I had to dress up, I liked suits. I’d slick my hair back and be like ‘Yeah!’ When I talked to the casting director about going in for Rushmore, I remember I was wearing tails. When I met Wes Anderson, he didn’t wear suits. He wore a collared shirt with corduroys and a sweater—always. Then he got to suits. Later, I decided that I wanted to wear them, and I asked Wes where to go. I got a blue one, a pin-striped one, and a gray one. I like combining different things like a sweatshirt and a suit, but I don’t feel totally comfortable going balls to the wall; one half of me doesn’t want to stand out, and another part loves Keith Moon.”
Suit, $1,940; baseball jacket, $455; shirt, $230;and tie, $125: all by Band of Outsiders. Vintage sneakers by Adidas Originals. Sunglasses by Ray-Ban.
Artist, L.A. Icon
At the age of 71, Ruscha brings to his style the same attitude and humor that imbues his artwork. Exception: He may have created those iconic “word paintings,” but he says he “never liked T-shirts with sayings on ’em.”
“My style is…loose and lazy? [laughs] It has everything to do with living out here. I’ve got a pair of 501s on now. And I have several pairs of thin cotton pants by Armand Basi, which are good for this weather. René Magritte—he’d paint wearing a suit and tie. Artists got rough-and-ready around the ’50s—all-out comfort became important. For twenty-five years, all I bought was used clothing. The only extravagance was that I had a couple of sequined cowboy shirts made. I don’t like all-black and I don’t wear suits and ties that often. When I do wear a tie, it’s usually a bolo tie. I have a collection of ’em—I like those little strings that dangle.”
On Ed: Suit jacket, $1,185,and pants, $590, by Costume National. Vintage shirt by PS Paul Smith. Vintage bolo tie (his own). Sneakers, $50, by Converse. On Eddie: Vintage t-shirt and hat (his own). Jeans, $155, by A.P.C. Custom
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