10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...2015!!.

Ever since the ancient Babylonians began the tradition by making promises to gods to pay off their debts, humanity has attempted to defeat turn-of-the-year existential dread with New Year’s resolutions. And from the outset, this yearly January pastime has been a thankless and doomed one.

According to recent studies, just eight per cent of people manage to stick to their new year self-improvements, while everyone else abandons them after just one week. This is, at best, unsurprising. It seems rather illogical to make 1 January – when you’re either drinking, or recovering from the consumption of said alcohol – the day you attempt to begin dragging yourself to the gym, making better decisions, or eating less fatty food. Way to kick off 2015 with the only thing worse than a hangover: a hangover weighed down by failure.

That’s why our New Year resolutions – as listed below – are style-related ones. Not only can you keep doing all the things in life that make it more interesting, but if you do want to better yourself by, say, getting fit, falling in love or enjoying life to the full (three of the most popular New Year resolutions), then our picks will help you with all of that too. And if you’re truly determined to give up the fun stuff – extravagant eating and drinking, swearing, or cigarettes – you may as well feel better about being a bit of a killjoy by being the most stylish man in the room.

1. Lanvin Wool Tuxedo I’m getting married in April and I’m determined to look my best (which is a good resolution if I ever heard one). I’ve been waiting to buy myself this tuxedo for ages, and my wedding is the perfect occasion for it. Best of all, it’s beautiful and classic, so will work in a number of different settings.

2.Bowers & Wilkins C5 In-Ear Headphones Closely linked to my wedding – I’ve been tasked with getting a six-pack (ahem, please wish me luck). Having a hatred of all arduous cardio, I’m going to need these to take away the boredom.

3. Kjus Downforce Four-Way Stretch Ski Jacket I haven’t been skiing for 10 years, but I’m determined to get back out on the slopes in 2015 – which provides the perfect opportunity to wear some amazing Kjus product. This really is very special kit.

4. Edward Green Ulswater Brogues I’m constantly looking to raise my shoe game, and I’m hoping 2015 sees me stepping it up even further with this beautiful pair of brogues.

1. Hasselblad Camera My job means I travel a lot, and I often find myself taking photographs of everything from sunsets to suppers on my iPhone rather than a decent camera. Next year, I intend to document my adventures more professionally with this Hasselblad, which is compact and has lots of handy features to help with on-the-go snapping.

2. Polo Ralph Lauren Hooded Sweater I find myself spending an inordinate amount of time in airport lounges, so an important New Year resolution for me is to do more lounging in my own home. I also think that to be stylish, one must be comfortable – so I should practice what I preach more.

3. Montblanc Rollerball Pen I’ll be thanking everyone for all the Christmas presents I (hopefully) receive in style – with a handwritten note. You can’t beat this personal touch, and it’s a practice I want to continue with throughout the year.

4. Elton John AIDS Foundation Globe-Trotter 21 A big thing I need to address is how I pack. In the new year, I intend to challenge myself to get everything I need into this compact yet stylish case – whatever trip I’m on.

1. Backgammon Set Resolutions seem to serve one of two things: either to increase health or add cultural strings to one’s bow. To stave off my existential misery in January I intend to learn how to play backgammon. I won’t, of course, but if I do, boy will I have ever-so-slightly more to talk about when I’m in the pub breaking my health-related resolutions.

2. Nike Run Sneakers It would be remiss of me not to pretend to attempt some sort of exercise in 2015, so the most vague, non-committal genre of exercise – running – is my go-to option. I already do a bit of running a few times a week – for the bus, mainly. If I do ever go for an orchestrated run, these will do very nicely.

3. Sunspel Boxer Shorts The unknown origin of underwear is a phenomenon that many men experience. You didn’t buy half of the briefs in your drawer, and you can’t quite pinpoint who did. Your socks and pants seem to exist in a vacuum outside of time and space. As a New Year resolution, I’ve decided to take full responsibility for my underwear.

4. Midori Brass Ballpoint Pen À la Style Director Mr Dan May, I intend to commit to hand writing more of my correspondence with friends and colleagues next year. My reasoning is to alleviate the threat of online surveillance. You want me to reply to your text? I’ll write you a Post-it. Sent me an email? A letter’s on its way.

1. Lanvin Navy Blue Nylon Bomber Jacket In the winter months my style retreats into the comfy realms of classical menswear. With spring in the back of my mind, I can freshen up my look in 2015 with some more contemporary pieces. I like this because it is essentially a design classic (stemming from the iconic M-A1 flight jacket) but Lanvin gives it a subtle but contemporary twist with a much deeper knitted hem.

**2. **Tomas Maier Khaki Trousers A new year update on classic “khaki trousers”, these ones from Mr Tomas Maier (design guru behind Bottega Veneta) are versatile enough to wear day in, day out, but by picking a slightly darker, richer khaki colour and cutting them slim but not tight they feel contemporary.

**3. Masion Martin Margiela Garment-Dyed Petrol Blue Shirt **Ostensibly an easy-to-wear “blue shirt” the MMM team have put a stamp on this by garment dying it to achieve a kind of petrol blue. It’s slim cut so works well for my resolution to dress with a more contemporary edge.

4. Edward Green Cordovan Derbies I am going to have a hard time convincing you that me buying a Goodyear welted pair of English made shoes is any kind of “new year resolution” but oddly because these are made from high-grade Horween cordovan these shoes feel really modern. And they will last a lifetime.

1. Café Du Cycliste Bib Shorts I am sure the only exercise I will do over the Christmas period will be lifting food to my mouth, so getting on my bike will help me shed those festive pounds and these shorts are as good a motivation as any.

2. Zimmerli Boxer Briefs I’m all for wardrobe overhauls to give yourself a fresh start – and they do say “New Year, new you” – but beginning with the simple stuff such as new underwear is always a good place to start.

3. Common Projects Sneakers The cold, wet weather means it’s probably time to stop wearing canvas sneakers. These Common Projects are a perfect seasonal upgrade, and an answer to my resolution to stop getting my feet damp in less waterproof footwear.

4. Iffley Road Running T-Shirt “Run more” is usually one of my New Year resolutions, and I expect this year will be no different. New gear is always a good catalyst – and Iffley Road, named after the track where the four-minute mile was broken, is as good a brand to get me going as any.

1. Baxter Of California Razor I’ve worked hard to put a lot of bad CDs, clothes and decisions from the mid-1990s behind me. But I’m still using the same brand of razor. I don’t know why. This Baxter of California upgrade fulfils two common New Year objectives in comparison to my old one, being both more stylish and more economical in the long term. But more importantly, it doesn’t remind me of getting ready to go hang out at the skate park.

2. Perricone MD Supplements Resolutions can be a disappointing business so I’ve decided to keep mine simple and achievable this year: all I want is better skin, better hair, better nails, better overall cardiovascular health and to lose a few kilos. Looks like I’ll be taking these then.

**3. Paul Smith Oxfords I wore a lot of sneakers in 2014. Overall, it was easier to get around, but they wouldn’t let me into Duck & Waffle, the upscale restaurant in the Heron Tower. I’m hoping these rubber-soled Derbies from Paul Smith will pass muster, so I can finally find out what an ox cheek doughnut tastes like. ** 4. Smythson “Notes” Notebook Resolving to write a novel is a noble beginning to any year – everyone has one inside them, apparently. I’m not so sure about that in my case, but I can manage some shopping lists and a few games of hangman at the very least.

1. Issa Toothbrush I like a pearly smile, and, short of going down the teeth whitening route in 2015, I think upgrading my toothbrush for one of the most sophisticated electronic ones in the world has to be a good enough solution.

2. Le Labo Bergamote Shower Gel I’ll be throwing out all the awful shower gels I’ll inevitably get for Christmas and starting next year with a truly quality one. Nothing beats the citrus-meets-vetiver aroma of Bergamote from New York perfumer Le Labo.

3. Perricone MD Moisturiser My New Year resolutions include a mission to completely rid myself of the excesses that the festive period brings. Part of our Essentials collection, this moisturiser’s “restorative” powers will certainly help with that.

4. Byredo Mister Marvelous Cologne I think that the new year should mean a fresh start – and updating my cologne is a good base on which to build (especially one called Mister Marvelous).