AFTER looking at the on-screen style of everyone’s favourite university-going heroines – and how to get their looks for less – we turn our eye towards the male students of cinema to draw inspiration on how men can diversify their wardrobe. Natalie Ng brings you the menswear edition.
Menswear is all about tailoring. In fact, style is really all about tailoring, for both men and women, but tailoring is especially essential for menswear, where the structure of clothes leaves no room to hide.
Basically guys: the number one rule when buying clothes is always buy something that fits well.
Shirt cuffs should always end at the wrist and not dangle oversized. Pant hemlines must always hit mid-ankle unless you are trying to show off your socks, which is not a look that everyone can pull off. And neither should your ankles be swimming in pant fabric!
And of course, since it is currently autumn (and moving into winter!), get some great structured jackets and coats. For now though, read on and draw inspiration from some of the most stylish students on screen.
Kenny (A Single Man)
A Single Man (2009) is the feature film debut of legendary fashion designer Tom Ford, so he knows a thing or two about clothes.
The film, although set in the ’60s, features extremely classic looks for men, none more so than with Kenny Potter (Nicholas Hoult), the college student who becomes interested in Colin Firth‘s character.
Kenny’s style is a combination of classic All-American preppy and Hollywood cool. The preppy side of the look includes the mohair jumper, checked button up shirt and white pants. But the pieces that really make the look stylish are the ‘cool’ pieces, which include the brown corduroy jacket and tortoiseshell sunglasses.
You can basically replicate and update this look by replacing the corduroy jacket with a leather jacket.
Teddy and Pete (Bad Neighbors)
In Bad Neighbors (2014), Zac Efron and Dave Franco are Teddy and Pete, best friends and president/vice-president of the Delta Psi Beta fraternity.
Teddy’s style is more laidback and sporty, while Pete, who is the ‘smart’ one, has a more smart casual style. A combination of both styles results in a versatile wardrobe that works for everyday as well as times where you need to look sharper.
Black jeans from Topman are a great alternative to the usual blue denim just because they provide more contrast. A raglan shirt offers a great casual look, and always have on hand a well-fitted dress shirt for interviews and more formal situations. The turquoise and blue gingham check shirt from ASOS adds a pop of colour instead of the usual plain white dress shirts.
Charles and Sebastian (Brideshead Revisited)
On the other side of the Atlantic and epitomising classic menswear and dandy fashion is Brideshead Revisited (2008).
Protagonist Charles Ryder (Matthew Goode) is a middle class history student at the University of Oxford who befriends the flamboyant and wealthy Sebastian Flyte (Ben Whishaw).
Although this is set in the early 20th century, plenty of people still turn to these looks to draw inspiration from.
Sebastian’s style can be classified as being dandy and flamboyant, so this may not be a look for everyone, but what we can pick out from that is his use of colour. Instead of the usual navy and blacks, have fun with brighter blue hues seen in the royal blue blazer from Zara Men or the striped mint jumper also from Zara Men.
Charles and Sebastian also wear lots of great scarves and knitwear, which is perfect for the colder weather now.
And of course, the best part about British menswear are the shoes. Classic oxford shoes get a modern update with this black pair, or stick to tradition with the tan pair, both from Kurt Geiger.
Eduardo (The Social Network)
Eduardo’s (Andrew Garfield) look in The Social Network is sophisticated and sleek in contrast to Mark’s (Jesse Eisenberg) non-existent sense of style.
This is an extremely achievable look to put together. Eduardo dresses in predominantly blacks and greys, and the key items in his wardrobe are his black dress shirts and slightly oversized coats.
Andrew Garfield has a slim build and although his coats seem oversized, they actually fit really well around his shoulders, so when looking for ‘oversized’ pieces, pick those that are actually designed that way, and not size up, because that will just leave you looking slouchy and swimming in a too-big coat.