Who: Domhnall Gleeson
Where: New York, USA
Look past the red hair and you’d easily mistake Gleeson for fellow Richard Curtis favourite Hugh Grant back in his hey-day. Both are brilliant actors with an air of raffish Britishness about them – the foppish hair, that relaxed black blazer, a not-too crisp white shirt sat underneath. Although, we don’t think you’d have caught Grant in a pair of Converse at any of those four weddings; nope, that extra casual touch is all Gleeson.
Who: Idris Elba
Where: Elrow Town Festival, Olympic Park, London
There’s been a lot of talk surrounding Idris Elba this week (something to do with a shaken-not-stirred martini) but let’s start steering that chat towards his peak festival style, shall we? A brightly colored Cuban collared shirt from British menswear brand Basic Rights is a fine start; cut not too long, not too short at the sleeves, and topped off with a baseball cap to keep the sun away from your peepers – Elba can do no wrong at the moment.
Who: Darren Criss
Where: 2018 Performer Peer Group Celebration, Los Angeles
Actor Darren Criss has officially parked the bus on our best-dressed men list. Honestly, we’ve given him a ticket and he still won’t budge. Anyway, while he’s here we may as well dissect his quite sublime mastery of smart casual. The key is a good blazer, and one with some texture running through it will stand out against a normal suit jacket – the melange effect in this case blends in well with the busy shirt.
Who: Scott Walker
Where: MTV Video Music Awards, New York
Double side stripe trousers are a bold move, almost as bold as removing the laces from your sneakers (what if you trip?). But bold moves can sometimes come off like magic and Scott Walker, you’ve pulled it off. Now, it helps that the stripes are slimmer than usual, a wide vertical on both the blazer and trousers would have people asking if that was toothpaste down your jacket. Also, the power of a good white tee doesn’t go unnoticed here, it’s smart but unfussy in nature balancing out even the busiest of looks.
Who: Gucci Mane
Where: MTV Video Music Awards, New York
Who: Kevin Hart
Where: MTV Video Music Awards, New York
The full sportswear tracksuit has never looked as classy as it does on comedian and actor Kevin Hart here. Of course, it helps when it’s made by Christian Dior, as does the neutral black which keeps it classy amidst a sea of gaudy designs. But let’s also commend Hart on having the ingenuity to contrast that black with a crystal clean white tee and sneakers – because it’s always time for monochrome.
Who: Shawn Mendes
Where: MTV Video Music Awards, New York
What can you say about Shawn Mendes that hasn’t already been screamed at the top of his adoring fans’ lungs. The 20-year-old has the voice of an angel, a flop of hair that could give Timothée Chalamet a run for his money, and a timeless style that has caught our eye more than a few times this year. Here we marvel at his two-tone suit, which avoids the Joker comparisons thanks to its rich hue and tidy crop. Then with a suit that grand, all you have to do is pop on the Chelsea boots and off you go to collect those awards.
Who: 21 Savage
Where: MTV Video Music Awards, New York
There’s a lot of guys laying claim to the title of best dressed in hip-hop. Travis Scott is currently in the lead, but 21 Savage who has been a mainstay on this list in 2018 is running Scott close. Savage likes to jazz it up with intricate patterns and while he’s all over anything floral he knows that to keep his look sharp he needs to take it down a notch with some relaxed jeans and white sneakers.
Who: Liam Payne
Where: MTV Video Music Awards Afterparty, New York
The fringe and brightly colored tees of those 1D days have gone from Liam Payne’s look (RIP), and in its place, Payne has cultivated quite the seductive R&B image – complete with skull tattoo-laden arms. And no R&B songster would be complete without a killer all-black uniform. Payne’s works especially well for its mixing of texture, a silky loose tuck for an air of rock and roll indifference, and some subtle bling – because black needs a bit of sparkle every now and again.
Who: Travis Scott
Where: New York, USA
And now onto the current king of hip-hop style and the future Mr Jenner-Scott, whose style always has a sense of organized chaos about it. Sure, no normal man on the street could pull off that hoodie and those trousers but at least he has matched the yellow with his trainers and the fit of his trousers is just about right – none of this down to your knees business.
