It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for. We’ve spent months scouring the streets of Britain’s cities, sifting through hundreds of entries and keeping our eyes peeled for well-dressed men, and the results are finally in.

Last night saw a bash held in the menswear department of London store Harrods in honour of our three finalists, all of whom were handpicked from a shortlist of twelve by our team of esteemed judges. The party was populated by the great and the good from the fashion world alongside an array of Britain’s best-dressed real men – some of whom had travelled from as far afield as Edinburgh – and everyone was in the mood to celebrate.

It was tough to call, with some incredibly strong looks coming through from across the country, but a decision had to be made, and we think our team of judges made the right one. So, without further ado, here are the finalists, In third place an 18 year-old student of English from Liverpool, second a 23 year-old fashion pr guru from London and in first place a head tailor from East London.

First place – Ross Hancock

Dressed to kill in a checked suit from bespoke tailor Mr Start, fully packed suit bags in tow and with a bamboo umbrella from John Galliano under his arm, 34 year-old Ross Hancock had us at hello. A natural in front of the camera, the most consummate of professional models would baulk in the face of Ross’ bank of poses.

From the vintage Loewe sheepskin coat, to his collection of Missoni cardigans and vintage beads, Ross shone on set, animatedly informing us that “British men shouldn’t be scared of wearing colour, or to stick on a head scarf or some nail varnish now and again. They can still be straight and wear colour – live the dream, because you only live once”, before going on to exclaim “if I could be anyone I’d be Hugh Heffner or James Bond, they’re my kind of men.” While we’re unsure of Daniel Craig with French tips, we’re enamoured with Hancock and his ease with himself. Long may he reign.

Ross wins £30,000 worth of clothes from Harrods, a day in the Harrods grooming spa, a Longines watch worth £5,000 and an Esquire travel bar.

Second place – Matthew Zorpas

All springy ebony hair, Matthew Zorpas wasted no time getting down to business on the best-dressed shoot. Slipping into the studio an hour early, after being locked out of his house, the 23 year-old freelance “public relations practitioner” had four outfits picked out in the blink of an eye, leaving our team struggling to keep pace.

Having lived in London for the past four years since departing his native Cyprus, Zorpas – resplendent in Riviera-inspired Gucci – can’t imagine residing anywhere else. “For me, London is the most stylish city in the world. People of every age have a sense of what looks good and as the younger kids grow, their influence will be huge”.

Zorpas was also keen to proffer his wisdom to those less stylish. “My advice to the men of Britain would be don’t try too hard. Wear a pair of jeans with a white shirt. I’m bored of blue and stripy shirts. A white shirt will make the best of any shape or size. So go for it, but don’t go over the top, we’ll call on Lady Gaga for that.” Men of Britain, you have been told.

Third place – Jack Murray

It’s no mean feat to get up in front of a camera when you’re an 18-year-old student. Though, when you’re an 18-year-old student with an IQ the size of Luxembourg, you take it in your stride.

Effortlessly mixing Dior suits and Gucci slacks with brilliantly sourced charity shop buys of his own, Jack gave the entire team a run for our money in the style stakes. Jack – who describes himself as a “new generation journalist” – suggested that the best way to approach one’s style is to “create a persona, take something from within yourself that you’re willing to expose.” Jack then went on to tell us “whenever I’m wearing tweed or bow ties I like to call myself Cecil – I’d advise men to create an alter-ego, but not a psychopathic one”. Sound advice.

The frontman of Merseyside band Fake Union, Jack said of his style “it’s drawn from two ends of the spectrum. On one end there’s the mad professor kind of look, and on the other there’s a certain Gothicism. Like I’ve always said, for every Woody Allen there’s a Noel Fielding and for every Jarvis Cocker there’s a Bryan Ferry”. Meet our future employer.

Think we made the right decision or, indeed, the wrong one? Send in your comments to bestdressed@esquire.co.uk

These days, it takes a lot to get us hot under the collar televisually. Amid the durge of reality shows parading pond life – and the gameshows which do the same – a few gems still manage to shine through, and the latest offering from Brit director Shane Meadows – set to go straight to the small screen – has us champing at the bit.

“This is England ‘86″ will be shown on Channel Four this autumn in a series of four installments – returning to follow the fates of Milky and Woody since their premier outing in 2006’s “This is England”.

If the anticipation is proving all too much, there’s a way of getting in on the action a little earlier. Veteran Brit brand Baracuta (best known for the G-9 Harrington jacket, worn by the likes of Steve McQueen) helped kit out all the key characters in 80s inspired garb with a range of polo-shirts, cardigans and all the requisite bright red Harringtons.

To own your little piece of England, visit www.baracuta-g9.com. Harrington Jackets start from £125.

The brainchild of talented London-based designers Samuel Kientsch and Benjamin Vorono, Braille is our latest menswear love affair. The recently unveiled inaugural AW 2010 collection features a range of streamlined pieces whose lack of adornment and streamlined aesthetic had us at first sight. Very covetable indeed.

Featuring a selection of overcoats, blazers, bombers, trousers and ponchos (yes ponchos) in muted shades of wool, waxed cotton, silk and hemp, the collection will be sold from this Autumn onwards in Wolf & Badger and Beyond the Valley. We know where we’ll be buying out winter wardrobe.

www.brailleman.com

The shortlist for this year’s best-dressed real man of Britain project has been drawn up, and the winner will be announced in next month’s issue, available early September. Though this year’s competition is nearly at an end, we wanted to pay tribute to some of the entrants who threw their two cents in a little too late. Gentlemen, we salute you.

Name Tim Robinson

Age 21

Location London

Occupation Student of architecture

How he describes his style “When dressing I always keep in mind the style of a traditional British London gentleman. I also add alternative pieces to really make an outfit. I also make/adjust a lot of my clothes ( eg in the image given i have sewn leather patches on my trousers and i make the vintage style union jack flag).”

As far as blogs go, “It’s Nice That” sits pretty high on our pecking order. Founded by Alex Bec and Will Hudson back in 2007, the site is a one stop shop for up-to-the minute design news and all things lovely to look at.

Considering the bad press print has been having of late (get it?), it comes as something of a surprise that consummate web-heads Hudson and Bec are this month launching their fourth ink and paper publication, It’s Nice That Issue #4.

Available to pre-order from today, It’s Nice That Issue #4 features a host of meaty interviews with the likes of Nick Knight, Neville Brody and jelly maestros Bompass and Parr along with abundant visual sustenance from Michael Landy, Rui Teneiro and Peter Grundy. See below for an exclusive look inside the pages of the new book, which will be on general release from September 30.

To take a look inside the new issue see www.itsnicethat.com/publication/its-nice-that-issue-4

To pre-order visit http://shop.itsnicethat.com/products/its-nice-that-issue-4

There was a time when Swear London’s distinctive brand of winkle-picker-cum-bowling shoe was all the rage. Those days, however, are gone. Thankfully it seems that the homegrown brand has caught on and their latest collection of brogues, boots and lace-ups is one of the best we’ve seen in a while.

We’re particularly enamoured with this ox-blood version of the logan boot. An ankle-high take on the brogue, with a distinctly brother creeper-esque crepe sole, it’s the perfect addition to this season’s military-inspired wardrobe. Luckily for us, there’s a Swear just next door to Esquire HQ, catch you later.

The Logan 4 boot is available for £105 from www.swear-london.com

LIke a more interesting version of Feist, a sincerer version of Florence and a more believable version of Enya, with smatterings of both Joni Mitchell and Bat for Lashes, Glasser – otherwise known as Cameron Mesirow – releases her debut album ‘Ring’ this month. Here’s the skinny on what to expect.

Ethereal, textural and experimental, the most consistent thing about Glasser’s premier offering is her vocals, which manage to pack both subtlety and force in the same punch. Cooked up using all sorts of homemade instruments the album is as out-there as her performances, which regularly see Glasser bathed in kaleidoscopic light and accompanied by a “deconstructed” dance troupe.

Our favourite track from the album is Home, an energetic showcase for Glasser’s super-confident melodic approach. Moving seamlessly from tribal beats through to Scandinavian soundscapes of which Sigur Ros would be proud (who, incidentally, Glasser supported last year) the track looks set to affirm Glasser’s place on next year’s festival circuit.

Glasser’s debut album ‘Ring’ will be released on True Panther on September 28

One of our favourite American labels, Penfield, is this year celebrating its 35th anniversary. To mark the milestone it will debut two shirts in partnership with American shirt makers Gitman Bros as part of the Autumn/Winter collection.

The Woburn (above) is an 100 per cent cotton blue Oxford Shirt, while the Flitton is a rose flannel style (detail below). The collaboration merges Penfield’s traditional durability and practicality with the master construction and fine materials for which Gitman Bros. is known. We like their style.