Daniel RidingIt would seem that some time has passed since we offered our readers a piece on someone we felt attention must be drawn to in regards to personal style. That may be because in our opinion there really hasn’t been anything we deemed worthy enough to offer as a style inspiration piece.
We then thought that we may have been a little harsh in only looking at gentlemen of a particular standing within the world of celebrity, only looking at the stars that seem to shine brighter (sometimes undeservingly) than the rest.
So with that being said we have decided to look at some of the unsung heroes of style, some of the gents who you may not think of first hand but then you come to realise that they are fully deserving of being labelled a style icon in the eyes of MFM.
The name Ed Speleers may not be an obvious one and it may not be a name that a few of you would recognise straight away. The folks here at MFM have been gearing up for this seasons festive television by circling the specials and shows they want to watch this season, and if you know anything about our writers you will know there are a number of us who have a thing for a little program called ‘Downton Abbey’.
Now the name Ed Speleers may have turned on a light bulb, for he is the talented actor who plays the cheeky but charming footman Jimmy Kent.
More Than Just Style
As an actor and ‘celebrity’ he tends to fly slightly under the radar, and on a personal level I find this a big reason to respect him even more. If you watch him in interviews and the occasional public appearance it becomes apparent how well he carries himself, and how he delivers his charming personality to the public.
A gentleman is someone who carries and owns these qualities with pride and dignity and I cannot recollect an occasion where I have seen Ed show himself in a bad light. You may be slightly aware of how we deem style to be more than clothes, we feel it is how a man acts, how a man represents himself and how a man is respectful to those around him.
Well then this should explain why we have chosen to feature Mr. Speleers as our pick for a man we should look to in terms of style and being a gent.
Garments Of A Gentleman
So now onto the clothes, for we as a men’s fashion website may or may not have a slight fondness for fashion and style. If you take a look at the images we have featured of Ed, you will see he carries a simplistic style to the way he dresses which is something we like to advocate on more than one occasion.
You will notice that judging by the images we see, Ed seems to favour the simplicity of a luxury jumper, or a stylish shirt. On occasion he has been spotted sporting a tailored blazer to add a bit more of that (possibly) Downton formality, and as this season is all about tailoring for the impending festivities, we must make a mental note to pay attention to the Speleers way of wearing a blazer.
He doesn’t overload himself with layers and accessories, he lets the clothes speak for themselves. It must be noted that if you have a genuine identity complete with an honest and charismatic personality, you really don’t need to over dress yourself to make up for whatever you feel you lack as a person or gentleman.
The Key Pieces
As noted before there are three pieces that we have noticed Ed wearing more than most: the shirt, the jumper, and the blazer. It shouldn’t take a genius to realise that these three things are pieces that every man should have in his wardrobe. Staple pieces are key as always and make up the foundations for a really great looking personal style.
The Shirts
By shirt we don’t mean your stereotypical ‘basic white’ formal piece, we are suggesting you take things to the next level by paying close attention to those little details that make it more than just a shirt. Look for a simple granddad style neck, or a mandarin collar as opposed to a traditional one. Always look for the small details when selecting a shirt, and don’t be afraid to try on where possible.
Some collars look better than others, and certain collars or details won’t suit everyone. Look for shirts that have been tailored differently or take advantage of the rich autumn palette that we are all obsessed with. The options are there, and the choice is completely yours. We also recommend going for a slim fit shirt every time, regardless of your size a finely fitted and tailored shirt will always look great and give you a more masculine appearance.
The Jumpers
Knitwear is a favourite here at MFM and something tells us you may already be aware of that fact. As autumn came and winter is now creeping its way into the remainder of the year, the influx of luxurious and stylish knitwear is creating a ridiculous amount of choice for us to select from. We try to recommend that you push your budget just a little for a nicer quality piece of knitwear because to put it simple you get what you pay for.
If you look at the kind of jumpers Ed wears, you will see they fit well to his body without being super tight or super baggy, the intention here is to flatter the body and maintain ones personal style. Take a look at our selection of favourites, and you will see what we mean by quality.
The Blazers
This is one of my own personal favourite pieces of men’s clothing; it always seems to add a little something extra to whatever look you have on. There are a number of different styles which seem appropriate when looking at the style of Ed Speleers, we have the black formal pieces we have seen him wear and then there is the English gent style which seems very apt considering he is a cast member of Downton.
We must heed the importance of obtaining a blazer (or three) that a really well fitting because this is the beauty of such a garment. If it is well made and looks like it was moulded for your body then you know you will look great. However if in the name of budget you decide to opt for something a little more ‘basic’ and a slightly different size, then you really will notice the ill fitting difference.
I still have a poor choice of blazer hanging in my wardrobe; it is only there as a sore reminded never to make an ill fitting mistake again. With our recommendations and tips, hopefully that won’t be a possibility for you.
Style Like Speleers
Hopefully, like us you now realise the potential of looking to the less obvious ‘celebrities’ for style tips. We all know a lot of them heave stylists so it may put some folk off to know that the style isn’t their own. But if we shine our MFM spotlight onto the likes of the talented Mr Speleers, you will see a man who clearly knows how to dress and carry himself like a proper English gent.
He may or may not have had this kind of class and style all along, but we may be as bold as too say that Downton may have helped him out even just a little bit.
For those of you that are interested, you can see our fashionable footman in the Downton Abbey Christmas special being show on ITV on Christmas day at 8.30pm