What can the average guy take away from the red carpet? Stephen Doig looks at the best dressed men....
It’s award season, which might not cause much of a flutter around the average breakfast table, but within a particular ecosystem is most resoundingly a Big Deal. And it’s noteworthy that, alongside the critiques over what Emma Stone is wearing, a new style current has been quietly running alongside the women of the red carpet. The recent Grammys, this week’s Brit Awards and the Oscars on Sunday are – or will be – proof that there’s more to razzamataz dressing than the tried and tested white tie.
While I doff my hat to Jared Leto for his outré ensembles (it takes a brave man to carry off Gucci’s Kelly green coat and bubblegum pink trousers), it’s not a look that translates well to a rotary club dinner. Pharrell Williams might push the boundaries in Chanel (a departure in itself, as Chanel don’t make men’s clothes) and Donald Glover might strike out at the Golden Globes in velvet, toffee-coloured Gucci in a sea of standard black penguin suits, but these are exceptions that exist in a starry orbit. All too often men veer towards the kind of thing their father wore, or rent a tuxedo that’s ill-fitting.
However, there are pointers to take away from the more avant-garde realms of red carpet pizzazz and fashion houses are reworking the tuxedo’s rules. Dior Homme recently launched a Black Carpet collection with the aim of upping the ante, adding etched stitching to the surface of jackets, adapting selvedge denim into evening attire and generally making the whole proposal a lot cooler. Likewise, Givenchy operates a “Modern Tuxedo” collection of jackets dotted in studs or rich with jacquard patterns. It’s also worth exploring beyond the tuxedo if you’re eager to break free of those rigid shirting constraints. Mad
Men championed the discreet, sleek elegance of the polo neck, and it’s risen to become a crux of the sartorially informed man’s wardrobe.
It was pithily noted on Instagram this week that no fewer than three GQ editors graced the Burberry catwalk front row in tailored jackets worn with a polo neck. Pairing a thin-knit number with a shawl-collared tuxedo looks debonair, with a hint of 1950s Rat Pack swagger. Similarly, a natty swap of the shoes can update a tuxedo; One Direction boy-banders might pair theirs with trainers but anyone over 30 should don a grosgrain evening slipper or loafer.
Gentlemen, get ready for your close-up.