Hot and Covered...THE WELL-DRESSED REBEL

A GQ guide to breaking the rules

Sometimes you shouldn’t do what we tell you; sometimes you need to manhandle the rules in order to define your own sense of style

Photographs by Ben Watts

Special Thanks also in GQ/feature

GQ.COM

: home > gq > features

Be a Man—Wear Jewelry

Philip Crangi, Jewelry Designer

“People tend to think of jewelry for men in extremes, and it doesn’t function well at extremes. It’s not about chunky silver or NBA diamonds. What it comes back to is, Does it look personal? It should look like you’ve been wearing it for years—something you picked up along the way. I don’t want to look flashy. I want to feel comfortable. When you’re buying jewelry, all you need to ask is, ‘Do I feel like myself with it on?’ ”

• Want to get into jewelry? Start with a wrist piece and add to it over time, with a necklace and a ring or two. Don’t run out and buy a Mr. T–worthy haul all at once.

Necklaces by Philip Crangi. Bracelets by Giles & Brother by Philip Crangi. Watch by Herm?s. T-shirt by American Apparel. Glasses by Moscot.

Photo: Ben Watts

Tame Your Tux

Dao-Yi Chow, Designer, Public School

“If you look at my outfit, it’s formal from the waist up and nontraditional from the waist down. It’s the perfect balance between luxe and edge. There’s still a fashion component to it, but the way you put it together, you’re not fashion. To pull it off, you have to pay attention: You have to keep the lines from the jacket to the jeans—and the jeans to the shoes—in proportion.”

• The reason Dao-Yi’s outfit works so well is he pays as much attention to the fit of his jeans as he does to his tailored tux jacket. They’re perfectly in sync with each other.

Tuxedo jacket and jeans by Alexander McQueen. Shirt by Dolce & Gabbana. Bow tie by Polo by Ralph Lauren. Sneakers by Balenciaga.

Photo: Ben Watts

Short-Change Yourself

Michael Macko, Director of Menswear, Saks Fifth Avenue

“When you wear a blazer with shorts, you get the feeling that you’re dressed up, but you’re still casual. It says, ‘I don’t work for The Man.’ Most guys, if they’re going to pull this look off, would probably be more comfortable wearing an unstructured cotton jacket with busted-up cargo shorts. It takes a brave man to wear a tailored jacket with tailored shorts. But that’s the point: It’s something you’re not supposed to wear. That’s rebellion.”

• Whether you wear a crisp blazer or a rumpled cotton sports jacket, skip the socks. As Macko says, you don’t want to look like you live in Bermuda.

Blazer by Ralph Lauren Black Label. Shirt and tie by Charvet. Shorts by Michael Bastian. Shoes by Church’s.

Photo: Ben Watts