The Spring-Ready Capsule Wardrobe
Building on the phenomenal success of its first collaboration with sporting and style icon David Beckham – David Beckham Bodywear – Swedish retailer H&M has extended its partnership with the footballing legend to its capsule collection, Modern Essentials.
New for spring 2015, ‘Modern Essentials selected by David Beckham’ sees Beckham choose his key pieces from the range, including an on-trend oatmeal denim jacket, crisp white poplin shirt, sharp polo shirt and four more styles primed for warm-weather wear.
“I am thrilled to continue and extend my collaboration with H&M by selecting my favourite pieces from this spring’s Modern Essentials collection. Each piece is a new wardrobe classic that will update every man’s spring wardrobe with great style,” says Beckham.
H&M Modern Essentials Selected By David Beckham
Following its debut Modern Essentials collection for autumn/winter 2014, this latest update features up to the minute re-workings of menswear classics.
Crafted in a range of seasonally-appropriate fabrics – including cotton, linen and cotton-linen blends – the capsule line features all of the casual and smart cornerstones of the contemporary man’s wardrobe in a fresh palette of white, navy, oatmeal mélange and black, with highlights of powder blue and dusty pink.
As you can see from the accompanying campaign imagery (featuring the man himself) these are high quality, versatile and timeless staples that can be mixed and matched to produce effortlessly stylish looks for SS15 and beyond:
Key Piece: The Poplin Slim-Fit Shirt
Beckham says: “Every man needs the perfect white shirt in his wardrobe. This cotton poplin shirt looks great worn with a suit, but I like that it can work with most outfits.”
We say: A well-fitting white button-down is a perennial menswear classic and an item all men should own. This version is made from cotton poplin, which means it’s sturdy, slightly textured and doesn’t crease as easily as other cotton shirts. Not bad for £14.99.
Cut in a slim-fit, it can be layered underneath a lightweight blazer or minimal sweatshirt for an effortless take on smart-casual.
Key Piece: The Linen T-Shirt
One of the hallmarks of any stylish gent is dressing seasonally. Fabrics like wool, leather and cord may be your wardrobe frontrunners when it’s freezing out, but you’ll need to switch to lightweight materials once the mercury starts to rise.
Linen is the ultimate summer-ready fabric, and this T-shirt offers all its natural benefits: breathability to keep you cool in the heat, and a durable composition that is resistant to stretching, ensuring your tee will maintain its shape and fit in the long run.
Priced at just £7.99, it’s well worth stocking up on summertime staples such as this – style it up with a smart blazer and slim chinos, or down with a pair of shorts and a lightweight bomber jacket.
Key Piece: The Sweatshirt
Positioned right in that smart-casual sweet spot, the Modern Essentials 100 per cent cotton raglan sweatshirt is arguably the perfect transitional piece.
Combining a retro sportswear aesthetic and contemporary powder blue color, it’s a mid layer that looks just as good dressed up with a classic white button-down and slim jeans as it does dressed-down with a pair of tailored joggers for the gym.
Priced at £14.99, you hardly need to bother calculating cost per wear.
The Collection
A comprehensive edit, the Modern Essentials SS15 range also includes smart and casual trouser styles, T-shirts, polo shirts, sunglasses, white trainers, a linen-blend blazer, car coat and plenty more versatile pieces perfect for building your own spring/summer capsule wardrobe:
The Campaign Film
To celebrate the arrival of the collection, H&M enlisted Quantum of Solace director Marc Forster to create a campaign film inspired by The Hustler (1961), starring screen legend and style icon Paul Newman.
Featuring Beckham as an all-star pool player, the film shows how key pieces from the Modern Essentials collection are built for style and comfort as Becks breezes through a game of pool in front of an appreciative audience.
There’s also a sneak peek of his highly anticipated new Bodywear collection, which is launching at the same time:
Final Word
Limited edition collaborations so often focus on flash in the pan gimmicky prints or pieces that – although eye-catching – probably won’t feature heavily in your day-to-day looks. H&M’s Modern Essentials, however, focuses on versatile, easy-to-wear smart and casual basics that will see you through the vast majority of occasions in style.
We’d suggest stocking up while you still can – items are flying off the shelves with many pieces already sold out.
You can shop the full Modern Essentials collection in store and online at hm.com now. 
