Let's hear it for the guys!

As I have been blogging about women in men's clothing I began to think about distinctive male style. On university campus the potential for fashionable menswear is fairly restricted due to the prevalence of three stereotypical types- the rah boy (Jack Wills, Ralph Lauren, Abercrombie- the preppy rich boy look), the indie/emo boy (alternative more experimental types) and the sports jock (forever in shorts and flip-flops even in the midst of winter, and often seen living day in day out in Birmingham labelled official sports gear). In the midst of this atmosphere of, what Andre Leon Talley would call, a 'famine of beauty' I turned to the internet to find pictures of several of the celebrity men who I think have a unique and forward-thinking fashion sense.

Of course I had to begin with Jared Leto. You may have been used to seeing Jared in traditional leading man red-carpet attire when he was predominantly just an actor, but with the growing success of his band 30 Seconds to Mars his front-man image has become a really interesting mix of alternative street-style and tailored designer pieces. Jared even sat front row of several of fashion weeks catwalk shows including Calvin Klein. Not just a pretty face after all.

Kanye West. Unquestionably a bit of an arrogant prick (need I mention the incident with Taylor Swift?), but you have to give him credit for having the confidence, swagger and sheer attitude to feel comfortable in pulling off a long fur coat. I also have to applaud him for his evolution of style- over the last few years he has shown an interesting transition from preppy to geek-chic to pimp proper. Whilst some of these looks may have seemed a tad contrived to some I like to see a man experiment with fashion to find what suits him.

I also have to express my jealousy and bitter resentment that Kanye can get custom made Louis Vuitton backpacks. My friend Luci has one which received as a gift when she was younger but the style has since been discontinued. Very upsetting.

Pharrell Williams. Like Jared Leto he proves that being a front-man for a band seems to give you an inherent sense of suave self assurance. Here Pharell works the retro-preppy look- loving the mix up of the cardigan with cap and shade, plus check out the old school digital watch!!

Justin Bobby from the Hills (real name Justin Brescia). I'm sure many Hills fans will be shocked and appalled at Justin's inclusion in a post on male style but I personally have a bit of a weakness for the punk/grunge look. I can get incredibly bored of clean shaven, metrosexual guys so a bit of stubble, long hair, and the winning combo of plaid, denim and leather really gets me going. I have also been seeing a strong trend for lace up 'worker' boots on guys and girls alike, so you could say that Justin is way ahead of the game.

Continuing the quirky, rough around the edges look is the inimitable pair of creative geniuses- Johnny Depp and Tim Burton. Their looks are incredibly personal and individualised- you would never catch them looking too made-up. These guys are the essence of expressing your personality through clothing.

Ok, I could not compile a post on men's style without including two of the most sleek and sophisticated men around at the moment. Tom Ford and Chase Crawford. These two men look so at ease and SO sexy in a suit. Chase Crawford especially, considering he is so much younger, seems to be at home in a shirt and blazer- most likely a slight crossover from his preppy character Nathanial Archibald in Gossip Girl. I could have included Ed Westwick in his role as Chuck Bass in this section too but his current character arc to moody, broody and pathetic has put me off him. A key aspect of successful styling is confidence- if you are feeling even remotely uneasy and uncertain of your look it will show.