Annual best-dressed lists often make little sense. That's because a whole lot of backroom politicking and planning go into them. So Esquire is once again asking you, dear reader, to decide upon our Best-Dressed Man of the Year. Last week, Idris Elba squeaked a win over Mahershala Ali. So it's onto round eight, and the last of the knockouts: David Beckham vs. Sebastian Stan.
Note: voting is now closed
There's nothing like a small town success story. So many stars hail from the metropolises of New York, London and LA that it can be hard for regional folk to stake a claim. Hard, but not impossible, especially if you combine real talent with a real strong wardrobe – which is exactly the sort of team-up that has propelled David Beckham and Sebastian Stan to fame.
For the former England captain, it's been a long and illustrious path to the top. And at every stop, from Madrid, to LA, to co-financing menswear venture Kent & Curwen, there's been a selection of well-composed, much-imitated outfits.
The secret? Beckham keeps it simple. And incredibly British. On the back of Peaky Blinders fever, the 44-year-old went terminal in a baker boy hat. We've enjoyed razor-sharp suits that work time and again. But, most importantly, there's an understanding of left-field brands (in Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto) followed by an interpretation that keeps it readily available for us all to access. Less geometric monochrome overcoats, more classic monochrome hoodies.
Sebastian Stan prefers to go leftfield, though. That means colour palettes that rejig the classic formula – think rust red and forest green. It means big, big trousers at Givenchy's front row. And it also means a rainbow of mustard yellows on summer-friendly knitwear.
All of which highlights the Marvel star's nous at skirting what's expected without screaming about it. This isn't menswear madness, which is precisely the point. A sky blue two-piece can earn as raucous an applause as any Met Gala interpretation of a Susan Sontag essay.
So, who gets your vote? The Leytonstone lad done good, or the Romanian transplant in Hollywood? Small wins can go big, y'know.
