Men’s Style Icons: Nicholas Hoult

Introduction

Nicholas Hoult has come a long way since his appearance in the film ‘About A Boy’; a film that launched his career as an internationally known actor. It’s hard to believe that film was released back in 2002. Since then he has starred in teenage drama series ‘Skins’ as the provocative Tony Stonem, and more recently playing a superb role alongside Colin Firth in the Tom Ford-directed film ‘A Single Man’. Not only does he ply his trade as an actor, Nicholas Hoult is now a professional model, being hired by Tom Ford for his latest campaigns. I have chosen Nicholas Hoult as this weeks style inspiration because I saw pictures of him at a public appearance last week and it reminded just how far his style has developed in recent years.

Not only has Hoult come a long way in his professional career since the days of About A Boy, but he has also matured style-wise, learning what suits him and what looks good for his body shape. Back in the days of Skins, Hoult’s style was nowhere near as eloquent as what it is today; with a mix of graphics tees, oversized shirts and hoodies dominating his wardrobe. Hoult has since matured – both literally and figuratively – and now his key looks comprise of slimmer fits, tailoring and items which frame his body shape perfectly. This transformation in style had even led to Nicholas securing the number 3 spot on the coveted GQ 2011 Best Dressed Male list.

Oscillating between colour, cut, material and fabric, Hoult’s new tailoring looks have a versatility to them that allows all of us to draw inspiration from them in one way or another. Hoult has an elegant quirkiness about him that is projected congruently from his attire. Hoult is the ‘cool’ young Englishman that has onlookers (and the industry) eating out of his hand and wanting to collaborate with him.

Nicholas Hoult Look Book

Style Breakdown

The look book above shows Hoult’s new and increasing reliance on tailored pieces and a well cut suit. If you have been following our style icon series, you will of noticed one thing that all ‘well dressed men’ have in common: tailoring. This means utilising well cut suits and formal wear a lot more regularly in your looks in order to look sharp, chic and refined. Tom Ford, George Lamb, David Gandy and the like all rely on tailoring when they want to look their best and at any public appearance. It is something that you can definitely take away and be inspired by; mixing in some more formal pieces when you dress for work, go to a party or even on a night out can separate you from the crowd and have you looking like the best dressed man in any room.

This is not to say that you have to look ‘stuffy’ in order to pull off this well put together look. Hoult is still only 21 years of age which means he can experiment with his formal looks and add some youthful playfulness to his outfits. You can see this by above by the use of a cravat instead of a tie, rocking a Harrington jacket over a shirt and tie, and even when he has been styled for photo shoots they have played on this by losing the socks, adding a gingham print shirt and funky bow tie.

If you are one of our younger readers who hasn’t begun to incorporate tailoring into their everyday outfits, then try mixing colours and prints, whilst adding your own personal quirky touches to otherwise formal outfits. You should be free to experiment with your personal style and it is all about finding what works for you. A great start would be to just add a simple navy cotton blazer to one of your usual casual outfits [shown perfectly bottom row right] in order to add a little sophistication to your look.

The thing to remember, no matter what your age, is that fitted suits look SO much better than loose fitting suits hanging off of your shoulders. As Hoult has matured he has managed to find the perfect cut and type of suit for his particular body shape. It is not surprising when you have Tom Ford as a style mentor though right? You can see in the look book from just a couple of years ago [top row left] to this year [top row middle], the cut of his suit has become much slimmer and the difference in my eyes is noticeable. This is why even if you buy high street suits off the rack, you should always visit a tailor to get those final tweaks sorted. It makes an infinite difference to how the suit looks and makes you feel.

His casual wear generally includes a mix of dark wash denim jeans, check shirts, polos, Harrington/leather jackets and boots or shoes. He is not fond of bold or in your face colours, with many of his looks incorporating simple basics such as white crew tees, plain long sleeved shirts and polos. Just goes to show you can build a successful wardrobe by just investing in the key pieces – perfect when the economy is like it is.

Again he generally keeps even his casual looks more refined these days, as his jeans are nearly always black; a colour that generally looks sharper and more formal than indigo or light washes. When paired with black shoes and a polo shirt or Harrington jacket, it is almost a ‘Mod-ish’ inspired look which again plays on this young Brits traditional English heritage style.

Altogether these are easy looks to put together and suitable for the masses. This is a stylish young male who I think will only get better with age once his taste develops even further.

Get the look

Nicholas Hoult epitomises British style, providing inspiration to all of you who want to re-create a perfect youthful tailored look.

Matthew
www.twitter.com/matthew_j_burt