SWEATSHIRTS!

From its early 20th century roots as athletic apparel to its modern status as a casual wardrobe staple, the sweatshirt has never gone out of style. Constantly reimagined by menswear designers, it features in the spring collections of Raf Simons, Givenchy, Lanvin, Balmain, Alexander Wang and Neil Barrett to name but a few. Check the gallery, below, to see some of the stylish men that have worn sweatshirts, and to discover our tips for enjoying them!

Words by Mr Peter Henderson, Senior Fashion & Social Media Writer,
MR PORTER

STARS IN THEIR CARS!

There is more to being well dressed than just the clothes. It's about the life as well as the wardrobe, and a man's method of transport is an important element of the stylish life. We're promiscuous when it comes to transportation: we're big fans of cycling and we're certainly not above public transport, but we also love driving. It's undoubtedly easier to make a good impression if you emerge from the cabin of an Italian coupé, rather than from an underground station, and if you're offering someone a lift home after dinner it's more tempting if she knows that you've got the keys to an Aston in your pocket, rather than the keys to a D-lock. This is something the men in the photographs, above, knew well, and they set an almost unbeatable benchmark when it comes to automotive style.

FIFTY SHADES OF PORSCHE!

"I couldn't find the car of my dreams," Mr Ferdinand "Ferry" Porsche once said. "So I built it." Fifty years and more than 820,000 cars later, and the German car giant is still building, improving and perfecting what has been described as the quintessential sports car. Despite all the success of the Porsche 911, however, it was a difficult birth. 

Originally called the 901, Porsche swapped the '0' for a '1' because Peugeot claimed a patent on three-digit numbers with a zero in the middle

At the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1963, Porsche unveiled the 901. And if it wasn't for the fact that Peugeot complained about the name - the French manufacturer claimed a patent on three-digit numbers with a zero in the middle - we would probably still be talking about the 50-year longevity of the 901. As it was, Porsche simply swapped the "0" for a "1".

Mr Steve McQueen had a switch fitted on his 911 Carrera Turbo that cut the rear lights, just in case any highway patrolmen were following him.

Not only is the 911 an iconic car, it has always been beloved by legends. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Mr Steve McQueen owned three slate-grey 911s, deliberately making them inconspicuous so that he could race around the LA Canyon without attracting too much attention. Mr McQueen even had a switch fitted on his last Porsche (the 911 Carrera Turbo) that cut the rear lights just in case any highway patrolmen were following him. (The 1970 911S Porsche that Mr McQueen drove at the start of the film Le Mans was sold for more than £830,000 in 2011.)

Comedian Mr Jerry Seinfeld is another fan, happily describing himself as a "Porschephile". With a collection of more than 40 classic cars, Mr Seinfeld is well placed to explain the success of the German automotive giant: "'Cool' is what sells sports cars. I mean, can you name another company in the history of companies that could get a positive PR spin off [James Dean's death]?" For Mr Seinfeld, the 911 stands out as the definitive driver's car. "If you ask me, the front of the 911 reminds me of a human face," he said recently. "Yet, I find the location of the speedometer much more significant. This was what impressed me the most when I sat in a Porsche for the first time. This car's priority is speed. Period."

For Mr Ferry Porsche, however, speaking shortly before his death in 1998, he saw the appeal of one of the most recognisable cars on the planet like this: "The 911 is the only car you could drive on an African safari or at Le Mans, to the theatre or through New York City traffic."

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WEEKEND REPORT: IMAGE MAKERS!

Some of the best-dressed men of all time are figments of the collective imagination. However, the fact that they've only ever existed on celluloid takes nothing away from the power of their style. In many ways it's the brief duration of their existence that has immortalised their sartorial perfection, because they'll never be snapped by a paparazzo while looking out of shape and unshaven, or appear at the Oscars wearing a skinny tie and trousers that are two inches too long. These fictional characters are like a concentrated shot of style, and untroubled by the vagaries of dressing every morning they will remain elegant, sharp and well dressed, even as real men age, thicken, wear trousers with an elasticated waistband, and die. 

So what is it that we can learn from these guys? There's no single style here, even if there's a clear bias towards a better-dressed past, and the characters themselves range from intrepid and well-qualified archaeologists to impetuous stuntmen, and even extraterrestrials. However, there are a couple of common threads; the first is that we should dress in a way that expresses our personality, and the second is that feeling comfortable in one's clothes is a prerequisite for projecting charisma. These are the two things that every guy should strive for in his dress: authenticity and ease. It's hard to feel the latter if you aren't striving for the former. 

Having established these benchmarks it's time to put them into practice. So, the next time you're trying on a jacket or a pair of trousers, just ask yourself, "Is this something that Sir Sean Connery's James Bond could have worn?" (Feel free to insert the name of the fictional character who you find most sartorially inspiring.) Whether you're in the market for a new suit or a pair of swimming trunks, it's an almost foolproof test.

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OSCAR PREDICTIONS 2014: 12 YEARS A SLAVE!

12 Years a Slave is an upcoming historical drama film based on the autobiography Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup, a free black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in the pre-Civil War United States,. The film is directed by Steve McQueen and written by John Ridley.

Stars: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Kenneth Williams, Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Paul Giamatti

THE ART OF HOLLYWOOD SNAPSHOT: MR SID AVERY!

My name is Ron Avery and my father was Sid Avery. When people ask if I'm Sid's son, I joke, "That's right, I'm SOS." Not the appeal for help mind you, but rather, Son of Sid. For the 45 years I knew my dad, I always considered myself very lucky to hold that title. I tried to model my career after his and admired him not only as a person but also for his work. To honour the memory of my dad, I thought it was high time to let others share in some of the magic he captured through his lens during his extraordinary career. More than that, though, I wanted the reader to hear, for the first time, my dad's stories about the assignments he shot on and the interactions he had with some of the 20th century's most celebrated icons. These stories are sometimes as interesting as the images themselves.

I was always in awe of my dad's work ethic. Whether I was helping him in his studio as a child during my summer break or when I began working with him full-time as an adult, he always treated everyone with respect and kindness, from the first assistant down to the lab technician.

READ THE WHOLE STORY AFTER THE BREAK!!!

MR SCOOT MCNAIRY KILLING THEM..SOFTLY!

Having spent the past 10 years hopping between guest TV appearances and cantankerous but likable leading roles in low-budget indie flicks, the 32-year-old Texas native (real name John, but he's gone by Scooter, or Scoot, for as long as he can remember) now has four films lined up with four high-profile directors - who all share a taste for moody cinematography and gritty realism, as well as a knack for making cantankerous but likeable renegades look good on camera. First he plays an amateur thief set upon by Mr Brad Pitt's notorious hit man in Mr Andrew Dominick's Killing Them Softly; then a US foreign service worker trying to escape from 1979 revolutionary Iran in Mr Ben Affleck's Argo; then a slippery circus hand in Mr Steve McQueen's 19th-century Shame follow-up, Twelve Years a Slave (also with Mr Pitt); and finally, a role in Mr Gus Van Sant's touted Oscar winner Promised Land, next to Mr Matt Damon and Mr John Krasinski.

"I always knew I never wanted to stay [in LA]," Mr McNairy says. "And having met my wife she was of the same mind-set... We really wanted a house in the middle of nowhere, where we can be as loud as we like and shoot guns." 

Did he get his wish? 

"Well, picture this," he says. "You wake up in the morning, brew a nice cup of coffee, walk out onto the back porch and just start firing off firearms in your boxers."

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YEAH MAN, B&W GENTLEMEN!

Dear all, this is the first part of what is going to be a looong series of b&w real gentlemen pictures! Enjoy!

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DAY 2: OUTWEAR - THE WAXED JACKET

THE WAXED JACKET!

Barbour: Yachting, Fishing, Driving, Boating, Walking, Shooting

SHOP HERE: MR PORTER!

The cover below is dated 1908, but it was not until 1980, that Barbour, still a family

company, came to be known internationally and its jackets attained iconic status!

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THE ESSENTIAL: THE WHITE TEE

All it takes is a plain white t-shirt, a pair of Levi's 501, sneakers and a pair of Persol 649. 

The result? A minimalistic, simple, clean, fresh, sleek and relaxed look like the 

'King of Cool' below, Steve Mcqueen in the late 1960s. A timeless and versatile look! 

Add a grunge touch by wearing a black leather jacket (we will come to that later)

or why not a dandy touch, wearing it with a light coloured double breasted jacket. Enjoy!

Steve McQueen

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