When you think of corduroy, what comes to mind? A slightly fusty geography teacher? Still, if you’ve been taking any interest in menswear – and, if you’re reading this, we trust you have – then you’ll know that this once dowdy fabric is reasserting itself in sartorial circles. Brands including Brunello Cucinelli, Gucci, TOM FORD, Paul Smith, Boglioli and all manner of Parisian houses have been experimenting with the fabric, as have many well-groomed men in the public eye.

The fabric itself has a history as mixed as its reputation. The granddaddy of corduroy, a furry, velvet-like fabric called “fustian”, supposedly first made an appearance around 200AD in Roman Egypt, in the town of Fustia, from which it takes its name (and also we like to think, gave us the word that became the adjective for antiquated types). In subsequent centuries, the cloth made its way to Europe by way of globe-trotting merchants and began to be produced in England, most notably in Lancashire. It was here that it acquired its distinctive ridges or “wales”, evolving into the corduroy we are familiar with today. The legacy of this origin is still evident today – in Swedish, for instance, the word for corduroy is simply, “Manchester”. And it was around this time that the cloth became favoured by working-class men in ink trades – schoolmasters, clerks and the like.

In more recent times, the 1960s and 1970s saw corduroy become the uniform of the anti-establishment, with its less restrictive, soft handle being favoured by rebel musicians and artists, including Messrs Bob Dylan and Pablo Picasso. While you might not wear corduroy as a declaration of your political allegiances today (unless perhaps you are cosplaying as Mr Jeremy Corbyn), it’s fair to say there’s still something a little bit rebellious about a tan corduroy suit when hung alongside your favourite navy flannel two-piece.

And fashion, being a fickle beast, has a habit of reinventing something that was once considered a sartorial faux pas, which is just the case with corduroy. In a typical stroke of irony that is so often a hallmark of fashion, it is, once again being worn by men of style, as we see here.

Here, Mr Aaron Paul demonstrates the virtues of a dark-corduroy ensemble. With its rich texture, the suit draws in the eye for all the right reasons, and is much more three-dimensional than a plain-weave navy cloth would ever be. Mr Paul knows that the suit should be the focal point, so has kept the rest of his outfit clean and simple, with a fine-gauge rollneck and apron-toe brogues in rich brown leather. It’s a decidedly cooler and more comfortable take on your typical suit and certainly a step-up from the neon-yellow chemical hazmat number he dons in Breaking Bad.

Mr Eddie Redmayne, the forever-in-demand London-born actor, has been topping best-dressed lists for many years now. So it should come as little surprise that he knows how to pull off cord. Here, The Aeronauts protagonist shows that you needn’t rely on a starchy black-tie combo for the red carpet, opting instead for a sage-green suit. The addition of a crisp white shirt and silk tie create a look that’s equally appropriate for weekdays in the office or a negroni after hours.

Despite his somewhat sheepish demeanour in this shot, Mr Paul Bettany’s corduroy get-up looks perfectly on point. With its plush handle, it’s perfect for cooler weather, while the tonal, earthy browns and beiges are enjoying a revival with the unrelenting influence of 1970s fashion on menswear – as are his circular tinted-lens sunnies. Allied with a considered cut that’s tailored, but not restrictive, it’s a million miles from the ill-fitting gardening garb favoured by your grandad and as comfortable to commute in as a cashmere track suit, but considerably more polished.

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