THE JOURNAL

The loosening of social-distancing restrictions around the world continues to provide men of style with novel opportunities to strut their stuff. As the best-dressed men of August demonstrated, it is now possible to look simply fantastic while doing any of the following: stepping out of Ferraris on your way to restaurants; posing for press photographs at movie premieres; or, in the case of Mr Ben Affleck, strolling the sun-drenched streets of Capri with an old flame. Imagine any of that happening six months ago. It’s good to be back, isn’t it?
01.
Lil Huddy

Lil Huddy in Los Angeles, California, 18 August 2021. Photograph by Backgrid
Lil Huddy – real name Mr Cole Chase Hudson – is famous for being one of the most influential people on TikTok (at the time of writing he has a cool 32m followers), not to mention his frustratingly good bone structure, but don’t let that put you off. At 19 years old, Lil Huddy also one of Gen Z’s snappiest dressers – case in point with the louche black shirt, fuzzy Mr Kurt Cobain-esque cardigan, nail polish and subtle pearl necklace that he’s rocking here on a night out in LA. Basically smart, but with an edge of eboy grunge, it’s working; cue the heart-on-fire emojis.
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02.
Tyler, the Creator

Tyler, the Creator in West Hollywood, California, 29 July 2021. Photograph by Backgrid
Throughout his countless evolutions and alter egos, Tyler, the Creator has maintained his predilection for clashing colours and statement headwear – not to mention a knack for melding together LA skater style and an East Coast country club aesthetic in a way that makes absolutely zero sense, yet somehow transcends. For a man whose style muses have encompassed everyone from Ms Anna Wintour to the bellhops in The Grand Budapest Hotel, this off-duty outfit is comparatively low-key. Still, we’re bowled over by the attention to detail here – look a little closer and you’ll realise he’s pulled out the colours from his camo shorts to create a coordinated look, right down to his mint-green manicure. He may be one of the most unpredictable men in music, but don’t doubt there’s a method to the madness.
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03.
Mr Mark Tuan

Mr Mark Tuan at Disney's premiere of Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, Los Angeles, California, 16 August 2021. Photograph by Ms Amy Sussman/Getty Images
For the premiere of Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, Mr Mark Tuan showed up and showed off. The young rapper, singer and member of boy band GOT7 effortlessly demonstrated that oversized tailoring is the way forward by wearing a loose-fitting periwinkle-blue suit by Stella McCartney paired with a delicate pendant and a knit white top underneath. And to make his whole ensemble a bit more perfect, Tuan topped it all off with CELINE HOMME heeled black boots, embracing his androgynous style.
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04.
Mr Jack Kilmer

Mr Jack Kilmer at the Premiere of VAL, Los Angeles, California, 03 August 2021. Photograph by Mr Rich Fury/Getty Images
“Memory sequence in a film about something bad that happened in Victorian times” is not a vibe we thought we would be going for while trying to enjoy the final death rattle of summer but, after seeing actor Mr Jack Kilmer do so at the premiere of VAL – which, by the way, is a movie about his father, Mr Val Kilmer of Batman and Top Gun fame, and not your mum’s life-long mate who is also your auntie by proxy – consider us a chimney sweep with a terrible secret.
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05.
Mr Michael B Jordan

Mr Michael B Jordan in Los Angeles, California, 13 August 2021. Photograph by Mr Rick Mendoza/Getty Images
OK, who had “crochet bowling shirt” on their summer style bingo card? While it might look like the handiwork of a particularly talented grandmother, this crafty piece of knitwear actually comes courtesy of Valentino, which anticipated our lockdown knitting obsession with its excellent spring/summer collection. Mr Michael B Jordan completes the outfit with flat-fronted plum-coloured trousers and a simple silver chain-link necklace, while the backwards swoosh on his sneakers hints at a highly desirable pair of Air Jordan x Travis Scott sneakers.
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06.
Mr Ben Affleck

Mr Ben Affleck in Capri, Italy, 27 July 2021. Photograph by Backgrid
The 20-year rule suggests that everything from music, film, décor, art to style eventually comes back in fashion. For Mr Ben Affleck and Ms Jennifer Lopez, the notion also lends itself to relationships; the pair have gone public with a 2021 rekindling of their early noughties romance that earned them the portmanteau “Bennifer”. The relationship, which ended in 2004, feels like something from another time but Affleck is reliving the moment in classic style. On a recent trip to Capri, Italy – part of the couple’s summer long campaign of PDAs in exotic locations – the actor sported a grandad-collar T-shirt, warm-weather friendly chinos in a neutral shade and classic white sneakers. The effect is timeless, just like Bennifer’s romance.
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07.
Mr Taika Waititi

Mr Taika Waititi in Los Angeles, California, 11 August 2021. Photograph by BauerGriffin/INSTAR Images
Mr Taika Waititi spent much of August out and about promoting the global release of Free Guy, Mr Ryan Reynolds’ new movie about an NPC (non-player character, for the uninitiated) in an open-world video game, which was great news for us, because it meant plenty of opportunities for the New Zealand actor and director to show off his singular personal style. He loves matching sets – who could forget the pineapple-print shorts suit he wore to Comic-Con 2017? – and was back at it again last month with a pintstripe variant, which he accessorised with tasseled loafers and a gold watch for a subversive take on 1080s-style power dressing.
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