Male fashion icons can help you navigate your own style. Here are 18 of them!
Whether your personal style involves logo-heavy Louis Vuitton or more anonymous pullovers and slacks, looking at style icons is a good idea. First of all, inspiration is a great way to keep a fresh attitude towards your rotation. It’s also a good way to find new pieces here and there.
Even more, regardless of how you identify style-wise, it’s always good to give male fashion icons their due credit.
18 Male Fashion Icons
Here they are, in no particular order. I conclude with a few of my favorite short fashion icons in their own category!
Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen, The King of Cool, is one of my favorite fashion icons. He often gets categorized with the more rugged Marlon Brando types.
I understand why — denim, leather jackets, Brando-esque white undershirts as actual tops. I think he has an air of elegance to him, though. He makes a shawl cardigan look stunningly unstuffy.
And yes, it’s easy to consider modern-day style icon Daniel Craig as a sartorial descendant of Sean Connery. James Bond connection aside, he’s really more of a McQueen. If you love Craig’s easy transition from tailored suits to combat boots (paired with a knit sweater, of course), check out McQ.
In a way, McQueen is the Harrington jacket to Brando’s bomber.
Clint Eastwood
Americana style is a staple in menswear all around the world. Arguably, Clint Eastwood’s Western flicks played a big role in that. If you love textures, coarse fabrics, workwear, and a touch of cowboy, Eastwood is your style spirit animal.
He takes all of these rugged elements and finds ways to add a sense of effortless sleekness to it. You can probably thank Eastwood’s influence for the birth of Ralph Lauren as it relates to Brooks Brothers. The former is sportier, ranch-esque, while the latter is more urbane.
Besides, no one breaks a suit using denim or corduroy, as well as Eastwood.
Cary Grant
Cary Grant is synonymous with suiting. And while button-count and pant fit is ever-changing and evergreen, you’ll notice that a photo of Grant from the waist up never looks outdated. He never overdoes (or underdoes) the arm and shoulder fit, allowing his tailoring to hang beautifully on his frame.
Acceptable levels of hair coiffing change with trends, as does how much of a tan a guy should be sporting. Grant represents the timelessness of grown-up men, men who comb their hair and live a good life. He balances his martini intake with his exercise and has a complexion that says, “I have a house in St. Bart’s.”
David Bowie
Even for those of us with highly conventional styles, gender-bending has always seeped into the mainstream. Heck, I’m pretty by the book, and I have pink shirts, choir boy collars, and (because of my small wrists) several women’s watches in my closet.
By pushing the boundaries of this while mixing pop glamor with rebellious rock and roll, David Bowie represents the extremes. He was doing this long before Brad Pitt wore a sequin dress for Rolling Stone.
Elvis Presley
Whether your fashion icon is David Bowie or James Dean, there’s an Elvis for everyone. And, of course, his pompadour is a true moment in time when it comes to men’s style.
However, the most iconic Elvis, in my opinion, is the moderate one. He’s slightly prep, slightly workwear, slightly trendy, but always wears nice lines. Think Cuban collars, tapered high-waisted pants (talk about combining several eras onto one garment), argyle socks, and Harrington jackets. And let’s not forget his Hamilton Ventura watch.
Still, there’s super country denim Elvis and super flamboyant glittery jumpsuit Elvis.
King Charles III
From Princess Diana to Princess Catherine, the female British royals get tons of credit for being style icons.
But, here’s what’s great about most of the male royals, and King Charles III, in particular. They are practically 100% trend-resistant, sticking to what their generation considers a modern yet timeless wardrobe.
With suits, Prince William, a millennial, wears closer-to-body fit trousers. King Charles, a boomer, on the other hand, has flowier ones.
They stick to these fits even as style trends change. But even a broken clock is right twice a day. In the age of the oversized suit, it’s fun to see King Charles now sporting fits that Gen Z-ers would approve of.
Royals prove that timelessness can be about sticking to your guns.
King Charles is a great person to look to for extreme examples of seasonal suits. He’ll wear a well-structured cream suit with a club tie during a trip to India and a tweed three-piece suit in Scotland.
David Beckham
David Beckham is the patron saint of experimentation and late ‘90s Gucci.
He’s the male answer to Carrie Bradshaw (your girlfriend or wife will understand what I mean about that).
He can go from a fitted suit to workwear and combat boots to boldly sporting chav-chic. He makes any outfit look handsome. And that has to do just as much with his ability to play with silhouettes as it does with his bone structure.
President John F. Kennedy
Some might consider it ironic that one of the icons of Northeastern WASP style was America’s first Irish Catholic president. Still, JFK is a great style icon to look up to if you love broken suits, nautical sportswear, and elegant leisure.
As president, the more official image of him is in a full suit. But where he really shines is his casual moments, sporting Wayfarer-style sunglasses on a boat, tennis whites at the Kennedy compound, or a well-fitted polo on the golf course.
George Clooney
Yes, George Clooney is a huge Hollywood star. Bear with me, though — he’s a great person to look to for everyman style. He only owns one tuxedo, for instance.
He’s also been restyling the same gray suit with the same moderate fit for decades.
Even more, he wears unapologetic dad jeans (and has done so even before they were cool), and his polos? Not so pique.
Sure, he has that Cary Grant-esque tan and salt-and-pepper hair that makes him look like a classic gentleman. Still, everything he wears and how he styles it is completely attainable.
Muhammad Ali
You have to love a professional athlete who can rock understated lines off the field or, in this case, outside of the ring. Muhammad Ali may have been known for a fanciful fighting style, but he was a classic dresser.
These days, boxers and fighters tend to have a conspicuous Connor Mcgregor-esque style. Ali was the last generation who looked dapper in neutrals, collars, and slacks, even in the most casual situations.
Paul Newman
Paul Newman is a classic men’s style icon in that he masters balance. It’s something most universal style icons do, but Newman incorporated pieces of Americana, prep, and workwear into his rotation long before they became staples.
Similarly, he was sporting six-pack abs long before they became a Hollywood requirement, making him a bit of a fitness icon, too.
And, of course, he’s associated with the Newman Rolex Daytona, a record-breaker in the watch industry.
Michael Caine
Restraint meets men’s style. Add a touch of retro cool, and you’ve got Michael Caine. If you’re the kind of guy who likes simple, clean tailoring, Caine is a good fashion icon to turn to for inspiration.
He uses a minimalist palette and then levels it up with accessories and details that don’t take away from the overall simplicity. Some details he’s known for include roll neck sweaters, bold-framed glasses, and a leather jacket over a full suit. He’s the embodiment of the swinging ‘60s, but if the swinging ‘60s went to etiquette school.
Sidney Poitier
I don’t understand why Sidney Poitier doesn’t make more style round-ups. Sure, he never took risks (rarely was he even ever seen in a double-breasted suit jacket). But, he represents the kind of guy who followed style codes to a tee.
Ironically, in today’s everything-goes world of fashion, I think we’ll come around to Poitier’s classic rule-following. Plus, his outfits are always conventionally handsome.
Short Male Fashion Icons
These stylish gents all are 5’8” and under. I know that the average height of men in the US is just an inch over that. But as someone who grew up in Beverly Hills, let me say that if a celebrity is reported to be 5’8” he’s probably actually 5’7” or under.
By the way, when you’re done here, check out our coverage of the height and style of several celebrities of modest altitude.
James Dean
What makes James Dean different from the other rebel fashion icons is that he has a touch of youthfulness to his aesthetic. He has just as many schoolboy pull-overs and nautical stripes in his line-up as he does Eastwood-esque work shirts.
That’s why his most iconic piece of clothing is his red windbreaker. It’s a practical piece, as most rebel fashion pieces are; think leather jackets, jeans, and general workwear. But the bright red tone is fun, with just a touch of a pretty-boy quality.
Bob Marley
Do you remember the early aughts when everyone was coming back from spring break with braids and an intense tan? Well, there are far more sophisticated and socially acceptable ways to incorporate the fun, patchwork, and color-forward aesthetic of the Rasta style.
Of course, the best person to look to when it comes to this is Bob Marley. Not only did he beautifully sport unbuttoned shirts, layers, and patterns, but he’s a masterclass in confidence.
If you look at any image of him, he makes separates that shouldn’t go together work, all thanks to how he carries himself.
Gene Kelly
Gene Kelly is my go-to inspiration when it comes to resort style. As a dancer, his outfits always needed to be free-flowing. Yet, he always added the right amount of structure in all the right places (in the shoulders, for example) so that these flowy pieces were flattering.
These very tenets are also good cues for us shorter folk. Whether Kelly wore a cardigan, a rowing blazer, or socks with loafers, he always looked effortlessly elegant.
Ryan Seacrest
Ryan Seacrest was an unabashed self-groomer in an age when the word “metrosexual” was thrown around at any guy who even dared to use conditioner.
As a media personality and show host, he often sticks to the classic suit-and-tie look but often dips into trends in safe ways — a velvet jacket here, a wide lapel there.
Still, he’s a great example of how to use fits and colors on a small and short frame. This also goes for his off-duty looks.
Elton John
Elton John’s fashion is the complete opposite of what I’d call everyman style. He’s loud, flashy, and undeniably confident. I think that’s inspirational, considering he never had the conventional height or hairline that would “allow” a man to style himself the way he does.
His non-stage looks are a good source of inspiration if you just want to add a piece of glitz to your outfits. Regardless of your personal style, he’s a good style icon to turn to if you’re attending a theme party.
Conclusion: Who Is the Biggest Male Fashion Icon?
There isn’t one male fashion icon you can call “the biggest.” If you love a rugged style, it could be Clint Eastwood for you. Preppy-leaning gents might think it’s JFK. James Dean is a great fashion icon who combines boyish charm with rebel influences.
I personally have always loved the style approaches of Cary Grant and Clint Eastwood. Normal, everyday guys don’t always have just one personal style, and sometimes, you fall in between two extremes.
Who are some of your personal style icons from the list? Any fashion icons I missed? Let me know!
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