The best-dressed men at the iconic film festival this year.

We’re roughly at the midpoint of the 2017 Cannes Film Festival and the dominant talking point so far seems to be Netflix, with some (including jury president Mr Pedro Almódovar) voicing their concern that two features made for the streaming service are up for the Palme d’Or. Just today, quotes have emerged of director Mr Noah Baumbach defending his Netflix funded film The Meyerowitz Stories, which stars Ms Emma Thompson, Mr Ben Stiller, and… Mr Adam Sandler. Indeed, perhaps more controversially, this neurotic comedy may well reignite the career of the Happy Gilmore actor, who has received glowing reviews for his role as the son of an aging artist, played by Mr Dustin Hoffman. But we digress.

Today, in this small corner of the internet, we are not interested in who is arguing or acting well. We do not want to concern ourselves with politics (the UK general election is quite sufficient, thank you) or careers. Here, we want to discuss the shallow business of clothes. Obviously formal attire is the go-to at Cannes, so we picked out four men who put their own slant on “smart”.

Cannes is awash with men far better looking than you and I in black tie, so choosing a look that stands out can be tricky. However, Mr Niels Schneider – who won the Trophée Chopard Award in 2011 for Male Revelation Of The Year (quite a title) – manages to represent formal attire at the Ismael's Ghosts (Les Fantômes d’Ismaël) screening while putting an individual slant on things. Firstly, he has eschewed the usual oversized, slightly droopy ties chosen by most men in favour of an elegant, slimmer variety. And secondly, his watch, which looks to us like a Jaeger-LeCoultre timepiece, is as sophisticated as it is classic. A revelation indeed.

Korean-American actor Mr Steven Yeun (perhaps best known for his role in The Walking Dead) presents the perfect argument for going tie-free at Cannes while attending the photocall for his film Okja (which also stars Mr Jake Gyllenhall and Ms Tilda Swinton). The key to this look is balance: the actor has slipped a simple black T-shirt under his navy blazer, thrown on a pair of tinted shades and then sharpened things up with a nifty patterned square. We approve.

If you’re searching for a distinctly classic style, take a look at French actor and filmmaker Mr Louis Garrel – pictured here at the Mr Jean Luc Godard biopic Redoubtable premiere. Although he has swapped his bow tie for a more understated neck tie, the satin sheen of his lapels suggests he’s wearing a tuxedo jacket, which keeps him safely in formal territory. The neat white pocket square and simple colour palette add to the sleek style, proving that sometimes a simple well-fitted suit is all you need.

If you have to dress on the smarter side, but don’t wish to conform sartorially, why not mix things up with a singular style such as this? The idea of wearing all white might sound like a rather drastic idea on paper, but South Korean actor Mr Sung Joon pulls it off with ease at The Villainess (AK-Nyeo) photocall yesterday. The trick here is in the subtly contrasting tones – his blazer and trousers are cream, and his sneakers and T-shirt are a sharper bright white. Failure to break up a white outfit can result in an almost messianic aesthetic, which could draw attention for rather different reasons…

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