Best Dressed Introduction

With 2009 done and dusted its time to look back through the year and give you Fashion Beans’ 5 Best Dressed Men of 2009. To find the Top 5 I have been asking the same question everywhere and to everyone, “Who do you think are the 5 best dressed men of 2009?” I have been planning this article for a while (since early December) and have had a huge response from facebook, twitter and with the street style guys and now that I’ve got everyone’s top 5 I can reveal the winners. Now I know everyone will not agree with the top 5 and will more than likely have a different top 5 depending on your own personal style and taste, but here are the most popular 5 I found from peoples answers.

Now as I said before these aren’t my top 5 these are the ones I found most popular from peoples answers, I look forward to reading you’re opinions and your own top 5.

No.4 – Kanye West

Kanye West has undeniably smashed the mould when it comes to hip hop and fashion combined, his mix of retro and preppy school style didn’t go down well as he worked his way up the ranks at Rocafella Records, from producer to rapper. However as soon as he did make it as a successful rapper he had a huge influence on hip hop and changed music videos from the stereotypical ‘street’ swagger to a mix of luxury labels and flashy bold designs. Fashion wise 2009 has been a great year for Kanye West, he collaborated with Nike to release his own shoe, Air Yeezys and on January 22nd at Paris Fashion Week he showcased his first men’s footwear collection for Louis Vuitton (Kanye for LV.) The line was later released in the summer of 2009. Kanyes biggest accomplishment of 2009 had to be the realise of his own label Past Tell towards the end of the year, when speaking about the line Kanye said that launching the line was a natural progression for him and that “His first love is for fashion” and that “He was a designer before he was a rapper.”

One thing that everyone can learn from Kanye’s one of a kind style, is not to be afraid of colour, from lime green to violet, pink and electric blue it’s a sure way to liven up any outfit and stand out from the crowd. Kanyes wardrobe covers a lot of men’s trends from preppy retro to ’70s and ’80s inspired sportswear but two things you never see him without is high top trainers and unusual eyewear.

Editor Opinion

We have covered the merits of the one and only Kanye West last year when I wrote my Style Icon Piece Here. Here is what I wrote at the time:

Since then, he has really set the fashion world alight. He seems to just “get it” when it comes to fashion and he has multiple looks like a chameleon which all look perfect as soon as he throws them on. When I show you some images of recent get-ups in the main post, you will be amazed at how he pulls off casual, smart, preppy, formal, etc. looks with effortless style. I have always said that for creative people it is really easy for them to express themselves through their fashion, and this is definitely a case for Kanye. Some of us have to learn (hence this site) but you can pick up tips and develop your own style just by viewing what works and what doesn’t for others.

His confidence (and maybe a little ego) is what really allows him to pull off any look – he wears beautiful pieces don’t get me wrong, but a lot of them are extravagant and bright bold colours that a lot of other’s wouldn’t dare to wear. Kanye ALWAYS has the attitude that he looks great and is a “style king”, which means he feels completely comfortable in any outfit no matter how outlandish it might be. Just having rock solid confidence will improve your style and overall presence two fold before you even start to learn the basics of fashion. You will give off a high value vibe which others definitely pick up on sub consciously – and if you have ever met a man who does this and can control a whole room with just his presence, you will know what I mean.

Forget for a second that the man has proven time and time again that he is actually a bit of an ass, and has an extremely inflated self-worth when compared to other’s who are just as big as him… this is the best dressed list and he deserves to be mentioned alongside the great male dressers. Also please disregard any look he rocks with real fur, as I just think this is a little too close to “ghetto pimp” for my liking.

The guy has style and creativity flowing through his veins. He knows how to mix bold statement pieces together with more muted items to really make them pop, and his layering is second to none. He often rocks the casual trousers and chinos instead of jeans which is a trend I am sure is going to really take off this year and change the way a lot of males think about putting casual outfits together. He was doing this type of thing years ago. He knows what he likes and follows through with it, oozing confidence with everything he wears. This is the one thing EVERYONE here should take away from him… do not be afraid to experiment, push the boundaries and dress for YOU… the more you love your own outfits the more confidence you will project, and this is the difference between a truly great outfit and one that is just the same as everyone else.

He is a true chameleon of fashion, you can see him pull off multiple looks, with geek chic, edgy, chic, workerwear and even country gentleman tweed showcased in the photos above. You don’t just have to be one person, your look should always be evolving and if you manage to develop your personal style to the point where you can carry off any look you want at the drop of the hat, then you truly have made it and will separate yourself from 99% of the other guys out there who rock the same look with different pieces each and every day.

Kanye Inspired Clothing

Topman

All Saints

MyWardrobe

ASOS