Men of the Year

Last night saw the GQ Men of the Year Awards and boy, did they get it on the money!! This year my top winners were:

Firstly, Aaron Johnson, who won the Smirnoff Black 'Most Stylish' award. A perfect choice: slightly under the radar but his stylishness is quintessentially British, in that raffish, slightly scruffy sort of way.

Secondly, the appeal of Gossip Girl and Mad Men clearly extends beyond us girls: Ed Westwick won the prize for 'Best Breakthrough Talent' and John Hamm for 'International Male'. Both of these men are equally suave, stylish and super-masculine in their refusal to display emotion. Both have a propensity for single malt whisky and a well cut suit. Prize-worthy indeed.

Cane it like Chuck Bass in Paris

Recently I came across pictures on the internet of Ed Westwick filming the new season of Gossip Girl in Paris carrying what may or may not become the new 'manbag': the cane. I have of course realised that it may not be an accessory at all, more of a prop (as remember he went down in the series finale of Season 3 in that extremely fake shooting scene), but I like to think that Chuck is taking his modern day Beau Brummel look to the next level. A cane is the perfect accessory for Chuck's character as he is debonair, prone to evil and also sort of kinky. Personally, I am loving the cane: there is something intrinsically masculine and old-school about it. The trick for modern dandies is not looking too pretentious or like a school history teacher. I truly believe that the cane would in fact make the ideal accessory for the Dior Homme coat/capes so Chuck Bass, please take note because I am deeply upset by this black trousers/white shirt/waistcoat ensemble in the bottom picture. It looks like when Dan Humphrey had to be a 'cater waiter' at Eleanor Waldorf's Seder. Quelle horreur!

Why should I be an usher....

.....I'm Chuck Bass (and I look ridiculously good in a suit).

When I was on my Gap Year, I spent 4 months working for Tiffany and Co and I developed a complete and utter (style) crush on one of the boys who I was working with who came to work one day wearing the most beautiful handmade bespoke pale grey suit. I think the image will be imprinted on my memory forever, such is the impact of a well-cut suit. Suits are undeniably the very essence of masculinity.

Although a suit would seem to be a fashion no-brainer, a man in a good suit is hard to find and for this I blame one thing: mass production. When you look back on the pre-industrial revolution history of suits, each was created made to measure, by a tailor who was highly skilled in the art of suit making (it is an art, as anyone who works on Savile Row will know). However this does not mean that for a man to wear a suit well that they have to employ such lengths (or expense).

Firstly, the cut is vital. Often I see men in suits that are too big at the shoulders and therefore the drape is completely wrong. Secondly, the material: if it is not shiny, then you are half way there (seriously, I've spotted a lot of men on my daily commute who look dangerously flammable). Finally, well placed accessories can make a vital difference. Personally I love the flair of a suit worn with a cravat, or a well placed hankerchief in the upper breast pocket, but I understand that not every man has got what might be regarded as dandy-ish inclinations. However simplicity and a good, pressed shirt and well-knotted tie will never fail.