The Cut: 24 Things Every Stylish Man Must Do This Season

1. Take Megan Fox and Zoe Saldana to the bedroom

Festival present panic for Miss FHM has officially been nipped in the bud already – and you’ve got none other than Hollywood to thank. After all, what woman can resist lingerie approved by Megan Fox and Zoe Saldana – currently the most desired actresses on the planet? Whether she gets Megan’s Emporio Armani underwear or Zoe’s Calvin Klein’s Envy lingerie, we’ll leave to your impeccable stylistic (and almost certainly one-track) mind.

2. Own a Breitling tick tock

If you’re looking for something to add to your forever collection, then Breitling’s newest, just came to town. It was a long wait for this limited edition Navitimer Caliber 01. But all was forgotten when this baby came to town accompanied by John Travolta. With a widely placed diameter and a see through dial to appreciate a fine motor, this stud will definitely get people talking. So if you share a passion for chronographs & aeronautics or just the money, take out your money clips for the Caliber 01. Price on Request

Read FHM India in the digital libraryEvery issue, every shoot, on TCG Media.

3. Keeping it casual

So, on most days you don’t care about what you wear … Besides messing up your hair and putting on a good watch, you don’t want to make much of an effort. Don’t worry because there are designers who care much more about what you end up wearing outdoors.

Keeping your bottoms skinny if not pencil thin, there is a pallet of colours available that won’t make you feel any less of a man. From jumpsuits, leather pants, v-neck T shirts Zara seems to have a collection which won’t make you look like a FTV model (because they aren’t magicians) but it will be in vogue with no strain on the purse strings.

4. Sneak around…

Nike Sportswear: It’s all about the Air Max for Nike this winter, with the Air Max 90’s twentieth birthday and reissues of the ’95 and ’97. Our favourite though is the ’90. The original and still the best.

Puma Ducati: After Adidas & Porsche, it was time for Puma & Ducati to get together to make sneakers and much more. Bad news is that they haven’t made it to India. Order online at www.shop.puma.com

Puma: A classic low top, the Puma Suede is available this season in two brand new colours, burgundy and camel.

Adidas Originals: Another classic reissue from Adidas’ archive. Originally released in the ’70s it was deemed by Adidas to be too futuristic and has only now been let loose.

Lacoste: Launching exclusively in JD, Lacoste’s re-interpretations of three models, the Deviation, Marcel and Albany have been updated with a new logo and finishing details. Simple, clean and classic all over again.

Gucci: These lace up signature sneakers are a classic. Keeping the mundane colors behind, these low-ankles, leathered sneakers can even be worn from meetings to parties.

Alternative accessories to try out

Braces: alternative to the belt. Originally worn to hold up wider cut trousers with a higher back, braces have been a staple of skinhead and mod fashion since the ’50s. Worn with a white shirt and dark jeans, they’ll make it look like you’ve made an effort, without having to wear a tie.

Bow tie: alternative to the tie. Traditionally a formal item, if you wear a bow tie with a shirt and V-neck jumper, it won’t look as stuffy. Look for a small bow in dark colours to avoid looking like a teddy bear. Try Ralph Lauren or pre-tied ones, which will save you having to learn how.

Snood: alternative to the scarf. Scarves are fine, but they keep coming undone. A snood however is a circular piece of fabric that sits around your neck, meaning that it works much better as a draft excluder.

5. Start your night out with a Bang

It’s been almost a decade since Marc Jacobs launched his first men’s fragrance. During that time we guess he’s been rather busy with global domination, churning out six catwalk collections a year for Louis Vuitton and his eponymous lines, so we’ll excuse him his tardiness. The starting point for his new whiff BANG was to create something he wanted to wear himself. Turns out that’s pepper. This is dry, manly and, as the bottle suggests, it packs a punch.

Marc Jacobs Bang Eau de Toilette 50ml, ₹2,728

6. New whiffs to sniff

It’s not just Marc Jacobs who appeal to your senses, here are some sensual scents that caught our attention.

Jaguar Classic Eau de Toilette Spray 75 ml – ₹2,525
Nautica Voyage Eau de Toilette Spray 50 ml – ₹1,850
4711 Original Eau de Cologne 100 ml – ₹1,000
Voyage d’Hermès Eau de Toilette Spray 30 ml – ₹3,646
Swiss Army Classic Eau de Toilette Spray 50 ml – ₹2,125
Ed Hardy Love and Luck Eau de Toilette Spray 50 ml – ₹2,275

7. Let Diesel rebuild you

There was a time when merely distressed denim was enough, but to make a really strong statement this season you need it reduced to rubble and rewired from the bottom up. Which is where the highly collectible 5pockets Blue Eyecons line from Diesel comes in. The 8J3 wash is our pick - thread-repaired Japanese denim treated for an enormous 18 hours (that’s seven-and-a-third Inceptions) so that yours is one of a kind. From ₹12,000 onwards; diesel.com

8. For the above

It’s time to make a change. Now we aren’t all talk and no action like Barack Obama. We come with a mod squad equipped with contingency plans. Wider checks and deeper stripes are seen and loved in the collections of Tommy Hilfiger and Zara this year. Prefer sticking to the classic original? Try out a micro structured shirt for mundane mornings or classic black with a satin finish from Hugo Boss for suave saturdays. Or even the denim shirt from Levi’s which made its comeback this year.

9. Put the boot in/getting the boot

Milan came calling to your door and this time, you answered it. Off the ramp, to many racks, the theme of combat boots seems to be the style men should be indulging in right now. If you’re thinking Brad Pitt in Inglorious Bastards, you’re almost right. Strong, sleek yet rugged- boots seem to be going from ankle wraps to long stemmed aviator boots. From Timberlands to Salvatore Ferragamo, Gucci to Burberry Prorsum to Prada and Puma, it’s all about finished leather, metal hardware and dark colors. Now this is what we call fashion and functionality at its best.

10. In the shade

If you’re not over the wayfarer cut, we understand-neither are we. Neither are Robert Pattinson or Jude Law. After making their comeback this season, this cut makes geek look chic and has caught everybody’s attention. But for those who want to live slightly more, here are the other hotshots of the season.

John Galliano ₹25,650
John Galliano ₹17,950
Ferrari ₹9,000
Opium ₹1,850
We also like: Chrome Hearts ₹82,000

Fashion rescues you should know

Hemming tape: If you’ve bought a new suit and the trousers are too long, hemming tape is a quick fix. Be warned, it’s no substitute for stitching. Wonderweb though, allows you to fold the desired amount of trouser inside the leg and iron it in place, thus taking your trousers up on the spot.

Steam: If you’re stuck without an iron the next best thing is to steam your clothes. Hang your shirt in the shower and run hot water for 10 minutes with the door closed. It’s not ideal, but will help the creases to drop out.

Cleaning a silk tie: Spilt dinner on your tie? Don’t let it dry and don’t use water on it. This will create a further stain. Instead apply stain remover using a white tissue. Blot it off with a paper towel and have it dry cleaned. The same applies for suit jackets… and any ladies dresses you inadvertantly ruin.

Shoe odour: Spraying shoes with deodoriser only masks the smell. You need something to absorb it. Enter baking soda, which will draw the smell out. Fill a thin sock with baking soda, tie it off and leave it.

Trend: camel

Seen at: Gucci, Dunhill, Louis Vuitton. Get it for less: Zara, M&S. How to wear it: Camel coats and suit jackets work nicely with denim blues and shades of brown for a refined look with a nod to the ’70s. Be warned: unless you want to channel Del Boy avoid draping it over your shoulders.

11. Splash the plastic in the new breed of online stores

The advent of dotcom fashion was a start, but now the chore of going to the shops has been consigned to the bad old days forever – along with Wimbledon FC and Mel Gibson’s career – as three major menswear players have joined the easy-to-order fun. Banana Republic (bananarepublic.eu) and H&M (hm.com) are both offering their new seasonal wardrobes online, while Ralph Lauren (ralphlauren.com) will now deliver many of its lines, including Collection, Golf and Black Label, anywhere in the British Isles.

12. Dress code at work

So which one is it? Casual, business-casual, quasi-formal or just formal? And you thought you were smart.. For those sick of trying to look smart, but seeing their ‘care-free’ lifestyle – Designers at Zara, Brioni & Burberry Prorsum have come up with a whole collection to help you look tardy. So the next time you’re standing in front of your closet, try teaming up dark fitted pants teamed up with a shirt and a sleeveless formal jacket.

13. To suit your needs

Be it Barney Stintson, Chuck Bass or Don Draper, these characters hot off sitcoms haven’t caught our attention for their performances, but re-inventing the the three piece suit that are being raved all over. Indulging more in neutral hues of blue, brown and gray, shape up with slim cuts, narrow lapels and diagonal and prominent pocket squares. Look sharp by showing a considerable length of your sleeve and don’t forget to add a bit of color with a scarf or a tie. Sure, the pieces may be classic, but the mind-set is anything but. From Gucci, Brioni, Burberry Prorsum or the tailor next door, these tailored suits, can found anywhere trendy.

14. Covering up

Now we know it’s going to get nippy so cover up in plush leather and shimmering velvets in varying hues of grays, camel browns, and military. Be it high-necked, open-collared, double-breasted, shearing covered or flying jackets with fur necks, keeping it utilitarian is what the trend says. Inspiration from French naval officers or from band & military uniforms, brands like Brioni & D&G’s collection are all sporting this look. Also hot on the block are double breasted parade jackets that cover half of your shirt. So be it treading in the snow or hopping to clubs, combat the cold with these cuts.

Know your top model earners

Gisele, ₹147 cr/year: The Queen of the modeling world, Gisele makes more than all the other girls in this list together. Flip flops, fragrance, catwalk: you name it she does it. She also likes a gamble, having apparently won $1m after betting on Inter Milan since last year.

Heidi Klum, ₹70 cr/year: Has her fingers in many money-making pies including designing shoes for Birkenstock and knickers for Victoria’s Secret.

Kate Moss, ₹42 cr/year: Moss is still one of the most in-demand faces on the planet. And her line with Topshop earned her ₹32 cr in one go.

Adriana Lima, ₹35 cr/year: The face of Maybelline, Lima spends her cash on clothes for orphans in her hometown.

Doutzen Kroes, ₹28 cr/year: Kroes fronts campaigns for Victoria’s Secret, CK, Gap and every other designer under the sun.

Trend: chinos

Seen at: Band Of Outsiders, Michael Bastian, Dries Van Noten, Margaret Howell. Get it for less: Arrow, Tommy Hilfiger, Dockers. How to wear it: The staple item of the King’s Road Hoo-ray Henry is tipped to go mainstream next summer so get in on the action now before your mates do. If the preppy tag puts you off remember the chino originated around the 1900s as the US Army pant for soldiers serving in tropical climates.

15. What’s in a dial?

With mounting EMI’s, recovery from recession and the world coming to an end in 2012, you might say ‘no time’ for a lot of things. But we tell you to live up (since the end is near) and buy a dial that’s a heavy investment for sure. This is surely going get some eyes popping.

Fendi Crazy Carats Collection – Price on Request
Hublot Big Bang Cappuccino Gold – Price on Request
I-Gucci Collection – Price on Request
Chopard L.U.C. 150 ‘all in one’ – ₹1,62,000
TAG Heuer Monaco V – ₹49,90,9000

16. What’s the formality?

Keeping the woodpecker peak inspired shoes away, this season is about narrow but elegantly lacquered heads are hot this season. Be it lace-ups or with concealed laces, ankle length in horse leather, suede with a satin finish create a cutting-edge look. And keeping it classy with laser cut and sometimes buckled embellished apparels is what the latest collections of Gucci, Hitz, Valentino, Louis Vuitton and Fendi aim at.

17. Follow Gant and Michael Bastian’s layering smarts

When fighting off the cold, it’s easy to let enforced layering take you down a style notch or two (Nanknitted sweaters included). Enter New York designer Michael Bastian’s first collaboration with classic US menswear maestro Gant, a modern mix of smart tailoring and lacrosse-inspired sportswear, with multi-purpose jackets and knits perched between preppie and practical.

18. Rock ‘the rock’

Pulling off the ‘rock’ look can often leave men looking like they’ve been thrown through a public school outfitters backwards. So luckily Brit design legend John Galliano’s diffusion line Galliano Groupie has taken the London rock scene and turned it into a cavalcade of crumpled perfection. Dubbed ‘Picnic At Hanging Rock’, it merges over-dyed distressed denim, washed leathers and military parkas so that your willful anarchy is at least stylistically assured.

Key fashion terms explained

Tab collar: A tab collar has an extra fastening below the collar button that sits underneath a tie, holding the collar and shirt in place. Have a look at De Niro’s tie in Casino. It doesn’t move an inch.

Double cuff: Referring to a shirt cuff that doesn’t have buttons, a double cuff takes its name from the extra layer of fabric that you have to fold back over.

Last: Refers to a the shape around which a shoe is designed. A wooden block, resembling the foot is used to build a shoe around. As the last changes shape, so does the shoe, for instance from round- to square-toed.

Selvedge: This is the self-finished edges of fabric which stop the edges fraying. It’s most commonly referred to in terms of denim, where the fabric inside a pair of jeans is finished neatly on the inside and then turned up as a marker of quality.

Drop crotch: When trousers have a particularly deep crotch sewn in to make them appear baggy around the waist. This style has been appropriated by carrot-fit denim which is slim at the ankle and regular at the waist.

Trend: flying jacket

Seen at: Balmain, Acne, Marc by Marc Jacobs. Get it at: Burberry Prorsum, D&G, Gucci, Prada. How to wear it: Look hard in the key jacket shape for winter; the aviator or flying jacket. Sell the car for a Burberry, flog the telly for Acne’s or nip down to H&M and still have money left over to eat for the rest of the month.

19. Take your sportswear to the next level

The days where sportswear was an excuse to retreat into the land that style forgot are long gone, and Lacoste Red! has two more additions to your armoury. Whether it’s the primary palette T-shirts of the skate culture-inspired Ride Park or contemporary twists on hockey sweaters of the preppie-flavoured Yale, you need never graze your knees in anything less than sharp threads ever again. From ₹4,450

20. Dress Brit way with Fred Perry

It’s fine spending your hard-earned on Italian suits and American trainers, but care for something Brit? Fred Perry has a quick fashion fix. Its new British Collectables range of apparel, accessories and footwear made from UK fabrics and in home nation factories, with our favourite being the Harrington jacket made with British Millerain cotton at Cooper & Strollband. From ₹8,000 onwards

21. Crash anniversary parties of the rich and stylish

There’s nothing we like better than a good birthday celebration, and not one but three fashion superpowers are throwing style shindigs this year. Tommy Hilfiger celebrates 25 years with its Icon collection of sportswear inspired by the likes of Steve McQueen and Iggy Pop. Elsewhere, Roberto Cavalli’s 40th has seen it overhaul its website (robertcavalli.com) for the occasion, with a virtual museum and ‘Anniversary’ line. And Woolrich’s 180 years in the game sees a new collection with a limited production run of 180 pieces of each style. See what it did there?

Details that always count

Cuff length: When wearing a blazer, ensure that it finishes no less than an inch above the thumb knuckle. It should be short enough to let your shirt cuff poke through.

Trouser length: Formal trousers should break just over the top of your shoes, or if you’re feeling fashion forward, look for trousers with no break at all that skim the top of your shoes.

Shirt collars: Choose the right shirt collar for your tie knot. If wearing a cutaway collar use a wider knot to fill the space.

Turn-ups: A turn-up works best on selvedge denim, with denim heads wearing the inner seam as a badge of honour. Turn it up once for a ’50s look or roll them up three times so that they sit just over your shoes.

Blazer buttons: Never do all the buttons on a suit jacket up. Always leave the bottom one undone, unless it’s a single button blazer and above all else, do not fasten just the bottom button. Finally, always undo all your buttons when you sit down.

Trend: military

Seen at: Burberry Prorsum, Dsquared2, Topman Design. Get it for less: Zara, Promod, Timberland. How to wear it: As trends go there’s a high percentage of military making a later comeback so any outerwear with this look is actually a sound investment. Army shades of green/brown and brass buttons are obvious references, but going for a classic shape – double breasted with shoulder epaulettes – is less so and therefore has more longevity.

22. In a trench

It might not be raining yet or you might not be a vampire, but trailing yet fitted trench coats are making news. One current trendy version of the men’s trench coat is the double-breasted hip length version worn with or without a belt. Whether produced in leather or gabardine, a black or brown hip length version is currently a very popular fashion trend in men’s trench coats. The smart military styling and variety of fabrics and lengths make a trench a coat a must have for any modern man’s wardrobe.

23. DIY with a little help from Polo Ralph Lauren

Tired of sporting a polo that any old Tom, Dick or preppie could have? Fear not, as Selfridges is now home to Polo Ralph Lauren’s Design Your Own Polo to hand a man of your calibre the bespoke casual fix he deserves. Choose from 10 mesh colours and exclusive embroidery, and your personalised top will be yours in 24 hours. It costs some ₹5,000 if you want a small logo (including initials), or ₹7,000 if you’re into big horses. So visit Selfridges on your next visit.

24. Pay tribute to Alexander McQueen

Winter work wardrobe looking a little ragged due to you constantly thinking ‘warm’ first and forgetting the ‘stylish’ bit? The final adventure of late British fashion institution Lee McQueen is one worth embarking on to provide some cohesion. Using the tromp l’oeil (‘trick the eye’) technique, it prints natural textures on everything from suits and shirts to shoes and bags made in luxury fabrics. The result? A rustic yet modern uniform for the office and beyond. uk.alexandermcqueen.com

Trend: woodcutter

Seen at: Rag & Bone, CP Company, Diesel Black Gold, Lee 101, Michael Bastian, Timberland. How to wear it: We’re betting you actually own all the elements of this look already. The influence of classic American work-wear on our wardrobes reaches maximum impact this winter. Dig out the plaid shirt, heavy boots and worn-out denim jeans. Update it with a pair of solid, old-fashioned style hiking boots or replace thick flannel shirts with fine checked cotton to take it smarter.

Key designers you should know about

Nigel Cabourn: Designing menswear since the ’60s, Cabourn has made a name for himself with his exacting reproductions of military and mountaineering gear including Sir Edmund Hilary’s expedition parka which is fast becoming a classic in its own right.

Raf Simons: This Belgian minimalist is obsessed with youth culture and has quietly become the most influential designer in menswear. He designs for his eponymous line and holds the post of Creative Director at Jil Sander, as well as collaborating with Fred Perry.

Christopher Bailey: Noted for making Burberry cool again, Bailey has a hand in everything from designing the consistently brilliant menswear collection to casting the likes of Emma Watson in its ad campaigns.

Kim Jones: Dunhill’s Creative Director made his name working with everyone from Umbro to Hugo Boss. Now he’s in charge of one of the most well-respected luxury brands around and has managed to make it cool without losing its traditional values.