5 Stylish TV Characters

Historically speaking, film icons like McQueen, Brando and Dean played a key role in determining how a man stocked his wardrobe. And while Hollywood A-listers still hold considerable sway today, with the rise of a new TV age, where budgets and production quality are on par with the big screen, we’re seeing fictional characters becoming increasingly influential when it comes to men’s fashion and style.

Today, we salute five of the small screen’s most popular leading men, and show you how to take inspiration from their signature look.

1. Jon Snow, Game Of Thrones

Since Game of Thrones first aired on HBO in 2011, the plot twist-laden medieval epic has raised the hopes of men everywhere of one day being as sexy, courageous and powerful as its iconic lead characters.

Jon Snow, with his athletically lean build, aristocratic good looks and that tangle of curly brown hair, is the fantasy series’ man that every man wants to be. The bastard son of Eddard Stark, Snow is played by British actor – and genuine descendant of Charles II – Kit Harington, who, since debuting on the show, has gone on to land magazine covers and front fashion campaigns worldwide.

Though hardly fitting for modern-day battlefields (a boardroom or restaurant queue), elements of Snow’s warrior wardrobe resonate with a new direction in menswear, which values worn and weathered over preened and polished.

Now, we’re not suggesting you recreate the look to a ‘T’ – unless of course it’s a fancy dress party rather than the bar for a couple of drinks that you’re headed to – but why not take inspiration from Snow’s masculine, all-black leather and fur ensembles?

If wearing the lot together is a little too ‘warrior king’ for your taste, then pick and choose the pieces that appeal most. Try an edgy leather jacket from specialist brands such as AllSaints or Saint Laurent, a striking faux fur-collared overcoat layered over your modern-day armour (suit) for the morning commute or a simple pair of worker/motorcycle boots at the weekend.

However, if it’s Snow’s now-famous flowing locks you’re after, then you better book yourself an appointment with a professional hairstylist.

Inspired By Looks

Key Pieces: Leather jackets/trousers, fur/shearling collars, worker/motorcycle boots, overcoats, coated denim, black casual staples.

Key Themes: All-black and monochrome outfits, rugged and hard wearing materials, powerful/striking silhouettes.

2. Don Draper, Mad Men

Undoubtedly one of TV’s most sartorially adept characters of recent years, Mad Men‘s Donald Francis ‘Don’ Draper, played by Jon Hamm, is just as famous for his sharp suiting as he is for his enigmatic identity and extramarital exploits.

Partially based on Draper Daniels, a real life former creative director at Leo Burnett agency’s Chicago branch during the 1950s, Draper divides his time between chasing women, swilling whiskey and coming up with the odd genius advertising campaign.

Yet Draper’s biggest success has perhaps been off-screen, with the character responsible for sky-rocketing classic suiting to an unprecedented level of popularity and driving forward menswear’s new-found obsession with all things tailored.

As well as the Ralph Lauren and Brooks Brothers power tailoring he relies on for powwows, Draper’s got his off-duty looks down pat, integrating well-cut smart-casual pieces such as check sport coats, fitted navy polos and even the odd Hawaiian shirt into his downtime ensembles.

To emulate Draper’s timeless style, look to British and Italian tailoring labels such as Hackett and Zegna, who both offer plenty of classic-cut, single-breasted two-piece suits in shades of grey, charcoal and black that will ensure you look sharp and refined on a daily basis. If the budget won’t quite stretch that far, consider high street gentleman’s outfitters such as Reiss, Charles Tyrwhitt and T.M.Lewin for more affordable alternatives that still look the part.

Beyond the suiting, the finishing touches are especially important to the Madison Avenue mogul: crisp white point collar shirts, perfectly polished shoes, silk ties, pocket squares, cufflinks, aviator sunglasses and felt fedoras, along with immaculate grooming and a neat hairstyle to top it all off.

3. Ben Wyatt, Parks And Recreation

Parks and Recreation‘s nerdy, neurotic and straight-laced Ben Wyatt, played by Adam Scott, demonstrates what ‘geek chic’ really is: suits, plaid shirts and skinny ties, rather than comedy spectacles and obnoxious slogans emblazoned on cheap T-shirts.

While Wyatt’s fairly safe approach to style isn’t going to be featured in an edgy magazine editorial any time soon, his foolproof check shirt and tie combinations (sometimes teamed with a suit, other times worn under a Harrington jacket) are easily emulated to produce a clean-cut, everyday aesthetic that all men can pull off.

If you’re looking to this list for a little business-casual inspiration, then Wyatt is your man. Shop gingham button-downs from the likes of Thomas Pink, J.Crew, Charles Tyrwhitt and Uniqlo, suits and ties from Drake’s, T.M.Lewin or Reiss and classic Harrington jackets from heritage brands such as Baracuta, Ben Sherman and Ted Baker.

Inspired By Looks

Key Pieces: Suits (especially in slightly less corporate shades such as brown, camel and beige), Harrington jackets, flannel check and cotton gingham shirts, slim-cut chinos, skinny ties, Oxford button-downs.

Key Themes: Business-casual looks, dressed up chinos and casual jackets, check shirts matched with solid or striped ties.

4. Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock

To coin a fashion phrase, Sherlock is the very definition of ‘classic with a modern twist’ – a contemporary TV adaptation of the much-loved detective series penned by Arthur Conan Doyle in the late 19th century.

Though Benedict Cumberbatch, the acclaimed British actor who plays the shrewd protagonist, perhaps isn’t the most likely of style icons with his slender frame and unsymmetrical face shape, his on screen character’s distinguished style has come to be revered the world over.

The detective’s wardrobe is dapper, made up of statement overcoats, well-tailored suits and a seemingly endless series of slim Dolce & Gabbana shirts.

Learning to dress the Sherlock way means keeping it classic, but favouring the best of the best when it comes to quality – in the show, Cumberbatch wore a particularly iconic dark grey, double-breasted coat from Belstaff, while the suiting was from Spencer Hart.

Tap this sleuth’s style with a double-breasted overcoat and slim-cut suit from a revered British tailoring brand such as Hackett, Dunhill, Hardy Amies, Richard James or Gieves & Hawkes. Complement this sharp base with a series of slim-fitting shirts, a block-colour scarf (Sherlock‘s is a navy Paul Smith number), and a pair of Oxfords or brogues from traditional shoemakers like Tricker’s, Edward Green or Church’s.

As for your downtime? There’s only one choice: a luxurious silk dressing gown and pyjama set from loungewear specialist Derek Rose.

Inspired By Looks

Key Pieces: Overcoats, slim suiting, block-colour scarves, well-made shoes, deerstalker hat, silk robe.

Key Themes: UK designers and brands, British heritage aesthetics, country meets city dressing, hardy materials (tweed, herringbone, wool, etc.), luxurious loungewear.

5. Jax Teller, Sons Of Anarchy

And now for a serious change of pace – from quintessential London luxury to the anarchic Californian cool of US outlaw biker gang series Sons of Anarchy.

Jackson ‘Jax’ Teller, played by Newcastle-born Charlie Hunnam, serves as Vice President of the outlaw motorcycle club SAMCRO, which protects and controls the fictional town of Charming through a combination of tight knit relationships, bribery, and a little violent intimidation.

Jax’s style is, for want of a better descriptor, straight up badass. Chock-full of all-American workwear classics – from sleeveless biker jackets and plaid shirts to hard wearing baggy jeans – Teller’s wardrobe is the modern-day urban equivalent to a lawless frontier cowboy’s.

To lend your own look a little more attitude, you’ll need a sturdy, heavy cotton or flannel plaid shirt, a few classic white, black and grey crew neck T-shirts, a quality hoodie in navy, and a leather biker jacket or cut-off to layer over it all.

Add to that a pair of low-rise, straight-cut selvedge jeans in deep indigo, and you’re in the gang. For extra points, add a tattoo or two, a wallet chain, a handful of rings that mean business and a pair of totally incongruous but unquestionably cool box-fresh white Nike Air Force Ones.

5 Style Moves To Steal From Conor McGregor

It all kicked off – in the comments section, at least – when Conor McGregor was, according to some, most egregiously omitted from FashionBeans’ 2015 rundown of Best-Dressed Men. Disgruntled fans of the sharp-suited Ultimate Fighting Championship superstar gave us a severe dressing-down. So lest we endure an actual kicking, we thought it prudent to pen a belated tribute to The Notorious’ style nous. We’re menswear enthusiasts, after all, not seasoned fighters.

McGregor is by no means the only UFC bruiser bringing some much-needed sartorial flair to the octagon – traditionally a place where style, along with lesser competitors, has gone to die. Welterweight Rory Macdonald is also overturning long-held notions that the thriving sport is all Ed Hardy tees and snapbacks. But McGregor displays a level of swag to match his unrivalled swagger – and fighting prowess. As the Irishman himself puts it, “There’s two things I really like to do and that’s whoop ass and look good.”

At the risk of mixing combat sports, allow FashionBeans to be the grizzled Mickey to your Rocky – or the Sly Stallone to your Michael B. Jordan (who did make the list incidentally). Like a style version of a training montage, these moves will help you punch up your own wardrobe.

1. Have A Cut Man In Your Corner

McGregor’s custom suits fit him like a 4oz glove, which is more than half the battle. Even the finest suit will fall flatter than Ronda Rousey after a roundhouse kick to the face if it isn’t tailored properly. Indeed, if we had a dollar for every Hollywood actor treading a red carpet in a borrowed designer suit with sleeves sliding past their wrist and trousers puddling on their shoes, then we’d pay for their alterations ourselves.

Conversely, with a few judicious tweaks, an inexpensive suit can punch well above its weight. As a rule, set aside between 10 and 20 per cent of your budget for alterations. Especially if, like McGregor, you have an athletic physique with shoulders far wider than your waist – i.e. a ‘drop’ (the difference between the two measurements) greater than the standard six inches of most suits.

And if your quads are bulging at your seams, size up in your trousers and get them taken in. The only belt you should need is a championship one.

2. Keep Your Body Covered Up

Most men think of a waistcoat like the tailoring equivalent of a gall bladder: a hangover from a previous era that’s functionally useless. But not only does a waistcoat give your outfit – literally and metaphorically – a little extra than ten-a-penny two-pieces, it also has a profound visual effect on your torso, slimming you quicker than a pre-fight weight cut.

If you’re already as lean and mean as McGregor, then a waistcoat will accentuate what you’ve worked hard in the gym to get, widening your shoulders and streamlining your middle. If, on the other hand, you’re a couple of divisions heavier than you’d like to be, a waistcoat is an extra insurance policy that’ll cover your excess.

Plus, it looks neater than a crumpled shirt when you take your jacket off, either because it’s too hot or you need to teach somebody some manners.

3. Master The Right Combinations

Repeat after us (until it’s drummed into your head harder than McGregor’s jab): your tie and pocket square should never match exactly. Yes, they can be similar; perhaps close in colour, or the same pattern but on a different scale. They can ‘correspond’, sure.

But they should never, ever be identical, or they’ll bring your outfit down quicker than McGregor’s left hook sank José Aldo. It may seem like matching makes perfect sense, but it’s a mistake many men fall foul of – winding up looking like they ran out of budget on Don’t Tell The Bride.

Be wary of a silk one-two as well: a matte cotton or linen handkerchief is an effective counter to a lustrous tie and prevents the overall effect becoming too shiny, especially if your suit fabric already has some sheen to it. Unless you’re attending an evening event, it’s advisable to have some texture in there: too much gloss will only take the shine off.

4. Guard Your Chin

Ever wondered precisely why McGregor looks so damn tough? It could be his unmistakable, rounded-shoulder fighter’s build, muscles taut like an elastic band that’s ready to snap at any moment. Or it could be his massive, extremely graphic chest ink showing a gorilla eating a human heart, rendered in glorious technicolour and remarkable anatomical detail.

But it’s also – at least in part – on account of his facial hair. ‘Strong’ jaws suggest physical might, a throwback to when our ape-like ancestors, the australopiths, evolved tougher faces for fighting. (Scientists suggest strong jaws are more attractive to women for this reason.)

McGregor’s caveman beard makes his mandibles look even more manly, extending beyond the line of his actual chin like a force field of hardness. Juxtaposed with his skin-tight fade – which is another way to instantly inject some attitude – the effect is even more pronounced.

Justin Timberlake: Style Evolution

Introduction

It’s been a stellar couple of years for Mr Timberlake, having successfully reinvented himself from singer to actor following a break from his music career. With starring roles in movies such as The Social Network, Friends with Benefits (playing a rather well-dressed GQ editor) and In Time between 2010-2011, Timberlake’s self-imposed hiatus went astonishingly well, by anyone’s standards.

Having returned from the musical wilderness at the start of the year with the release of his third studio album, The 20/20 Experience, Timberlake is set to follow it up later this year with the highly anticipated second instalment.

This return to music has signalled not only a clear change in sound, but also style. With his music adopting a more suave, soulful and mature approach, his dress sense has followed suit. With a strong sartorial nod to Rat Pack refinement and a little help from Tom Ford, Timberlake has finally cemented his place as a true style icon…

Suit & Tie Sh*t

Winner of GQ‘s ‘Most Stylish Man in America’ title in 2009, Timberlake is no stranger to dressing well. However, since the turn of the year his style has fully graduated from its 1990s boy band roots and taken on a tailored approach worthy of his new sound.

Of course, that infamous Canadian Tuxedo during the Britney Spears years will never fully be erased from memory. Yet it would be unduly cruel to hold it over his head, especially considering his more recent style exploits.

As previously mentioned, our icon appears to have struck up a formidable partnership with the inimitable Tom Ford. The latter lent his eponymous label to the ‘Suit & Tie‘ video as well as many recent red carpet appearances, ensuring Timberlake has been topping charts not only musically but style-wise too:

Style Reinvention

Timberlake’s style reinvention has been very much in the guise of another FashionBeans icon – David Beckham – with his new found affinity for tailoring accompanied by a slick pompadour hairstyle on top.

Similar to Timberlake, Beckham has many outfits in his back catalogue that are best forgotten – matching all-leather look anyone? How about a holiday sarong?

Now in his thirties, Timberlake has ditched the ill-fitting streetwear, t-shirt and waistcoat pairings and tired trilbies of his pop star past and grown into his more mature style. This is reflected not only in his formalwear but also his casual attire, as he demonstrated with aplomb at Cannes; the maker of many an icon:

Timberlake’s style showing at Cannes this year was reminiscent of Ryan Gosling’s breakout in 2011

No Tunnel Vision

It would be easy to accuse Timberlake of simply having the unlimited funds to ‘buy’ his style. After all, how many of us have the money to deck ourselves out in Tom Ford tailoring week after week? Not to mention having the man himself a mere phone call away.

However, Timberlake has belied this accusation time and time again with his off-duty displays:

Casual wear is a moniker of true style icons; after all, once you nail the tailoring basics and find yourself a high quality tailor, you can’t fail to look good in a suit.

Timberlake has developed an incredibly simple approach to casual style: he combines timeless pieces to create classic and masculine looks that are far detached from his disastrous double denim past.

Great outerwear provides a stand out point of interest. Whether it’s an edgy leather jacket or rugged pea coat, Timberlake pairs them with high quality basics that reinforce the merits of a capsule wardrobe and show the importance of investing in versatile, everyday essentials.

He has also clearly upgraded his choice of headwear – ditching the unstylish, somewhat passé styles for driving caps and fedoras that perfectly complement his new refined approach to dressing.

Finally, showing he can switch from sharp formal wear to off-duty casual wear at the drop of a hat, Timberlake took a different approach for his second 20/20 Experience music video, Tunnel Vision [NSFW, ‘explicit’ version].

Aside from the more obvious eye-catching moments, the video features a pair of AllSaints chinos dressed down with a simple button-down shirt and t-shirt combination in a tonal grey palette, finished with a pair of leather and suede mix desert boots – effortless, everyday style at its best.

5 Unlikely Men’s Style Icons

Introduction

When we think of style icons, the usual faces always crop up: Ryan Gosling, David Gandy, Justin Doss and all the other predictable entries in a ‘best dressed list’ – and rightly so. These fellows have earned their place amongst the sartorial elite and deserve our applause, but what of style’s unsung heroes? What of the unlikely, unpredictable icons, swallowed up by their more esteemed fashion colleagues?

After watching incredible (in my humble opinion) 1990s films and even scouring old A-Level textbooks, we’ve compiled a list of five very unlikely figures in fashion – and it just goes to show that inspiration and style can be found anywhere.

1. Ted Logan From Bill And Ted’s Bogus Journey

Ah, the golden days before Keanu Reeves took himself far too seriously with ankle length leathers and thin reflective sunglasses (no, Neo from The Matrix will most certainly not be making an appearance).

Ted Logan is the very essence of 1990s candy grunge with oversized bright checks, torn-up vintage hi-tops and straight leg denims – think Kurt Cobain drinking Jägermeister with Katy Perry.

Sporting the iconic red cut-off jacket complete with huge smiley face on the back (it seems I overlooked this glaringly obvious drug reference in my innocent youth), Ted Logan really is spot-on for current trends and pieces. Minus the scarecrow hairstyle, he’s simple evidence that under thinking and oversizing an outfit can work wonders – the air guitar, however, is optional.

2. Prince Charles

Although some view the royal family as a bumbly, comical collection of people, what lies beneath is an extensive style history that spans decades. And the unlikely future king of style? None other than Prince Charles.

Believe it or not, there’s more to the man than a stiff upper lip: being clad in the best of British heritage wear has made him a firm favourite with everyone from Andre 3000 to Christopher Bailey. We can all learn from his penchant for impeccable tailoring, whether we’re going for that rural Barbour-coated look or something more formal.

You don’t need a royal title these days to look princely – just invest in some tweed.

3. Bane From The Dark Knight Rises

Take away the bizarre gimp/gas mask, the weird voice and the penchant for terrorism and you’re left with the fundamentals of a style icon.

Tom Hardy’s depiction of Bane was forever immortalised by that shearling coat, a cross between American workwear and European revolutionary. Team with a pair of Dr. Martens and slim-fit jeans for an ultra-masculine look that evokes the hunter-gatherer ethos; the bulkier of our kind will undoubtedly benefit the most from the workwear trend.

4. André Villas-Boas

In a sport known as the last prevailing bastion of wet look gel (I’m looking at you, Ronaldo), it’s not often we find our style icons. Before I even hear anybody utter Beckham’s name, just look at a few of his outfits pre-2006: consistency has never been a friend of David and Victoria.

Instead, we direct our attention towards the Portuguese manager of Tottenham Hotspurs, Mr André Villas-Boas. In short, the man dresses immaculately. Undoubtedly championing the strengths of good, classic tailoring, every suit is beyond flattering without ever looking too try-hard.

Some men are more at ease in a suit than anything remotely casual, and AVB’s knowledge of suit tailoring looks second nature.

5. Steve Urkel from Family Matters

The quintessential nerd from late 1990s Family Matters is every inch the unlikely style icon and spot on when considering recent trends.

With a pair of jam jar glasses that are now the standard hipster essential and the right level of American prep, Steve Urkel is like an early Will.i.am before he started creating soul-destroying music with Britney Spears.

Combine classic checks with braces and vintage-inspired acid wash denims, that are more Saved By The Bell than This Is England, and you can channel your very own Chicago goon-chic.