Best (and the not so well) Dressed Man – 2009
This maybe slightly late but I wanted to write a little something about the recent Best Dressed Lists featured in the May issues of a couple of men’s fashion magazines. The reason? Finally getting the ‘best dressed man’ right. This being the first time I have wholeheartedly agreed with a best dressed list and well…I wanted to cerebrate.
These lists, a regular page filler for the majority of magazines, seem only to reward good looking and money rather than a reward for any fashion or style they may have. The perfect example of this is Daniel Craig.
Daniel Craig, winner of GQ’s best dressed list in 2007 and 2008, does know how to wear a suit but how much input or even choice he have in what he wears is questionable. His high profile role as James Bond, means that designers will be extremely keen to have Craig wear their suits and such is his body shape I am sure most suits would look pretty good on him. Without wanting to be too harsh, Daniel Craig’s, “understated elegance”, is nothing but a safe bet. I should however add that I think Daniel Craig is a good style icon as his look (a good suit and a pretty normal face) is a little more attainable than a certain Milan based English footballer.
The recently best dressed British Men lists have highlighted the idea of wealth rather than fashion ingenuity and the current GQ Top Ten does little to shake this tag off. The top ten contained, along with our good friend James Bond; Guy Ritchie (really!?) and David Cameron. DAVID CAMERON!!!??? Now I am sure when you look at David Cameron, I don’t see a man with any style rather I see an average looking man wearing a slight better than average suit. Hardly top ten material.
Anyway, without waffling on to much, GQ awarded Mark Ronson the number one position. Not something you can really complain about but like David Beckham’s inclusion in the list it all seems a bit safe.
The point of all this is that Esquire have broken the mold, to a certain extent, and have chosen someone who has genuine style rather than following the guidelines set out by the very same magazines. Esquire have got it spot on with the crowning (get it?) of Prince Charles as their best-dressed man in the world. A brave decision but 100% the right one. Jemremy Langmead, Esquire’s editor, said that the list was looking for the, “men who dress like grown-ups…as well as those who have development their own distinctive style.” Charles certainly ticks these boxes and certainly gives us men unlucky another not to look like David Beckham a bit of hope. It is not even the wealth or the status that Charles carries into his style but it is simply put, its his style class which shines though.
Below is my favorite picture of the newly appointed style King (think its the sunglasses…) and GQ’s 8th best dressed man in the UK David Cameron. P. Charles manages to wear beige and white, not usually a good combo but here it is this colour clash that entirely justifies (among many others; the slicked back hair, the double breasted suits) his position as the world’s best dressed man. While the picture of Cameron on the other hand does scream below average.
If one needs more than the picture below please follow this link to the Guardian’s website for some style lessons form the Prince himself.
Let Me Be Great 