

There is a slightly less triumphant atmosphere to this month’s best-dressed men line-up. Maybe we are projecting our inner feelings, or perhaps it reflects the fact that conjuring up a group of dapper men-about-town at the moment is a tricky task. But we have done just that. Which, in itself, is an uplifting notion to draw joy from. Life… finds a way, as Mr Jeff Goldblum once noted in a film about dinosaurs.

We have unearthed some fine examples of clothing combinations, worn by men who have, at one time or another, done something of note in their lives and become famous for it. Scroll down for style inspiration, or simply to see what people outside your Instagram sphere are up to. (Spoiler: even the stars go for walks.)

There is a slightly less triumphant atmosphere to this month’s best-dressed men line-up. Maybe we are projecting our inner feelings, or perhaps it reflects the fact that conjuring up a group of dapper men-about-town at the moment is a tricky task. But we have done just that. Which, in itself, is an uplifting notion to draw joy from. Life… finds a way, as Mr Jeff Goldblum once noted in a film about dinosaurs.
We have unearthed some fine examples of clothing combinations, worn by men who have, at one time or another, done something of note in their lives and become famous for it. Scroll down for style inspiration, or simply to see what people outside your Instagram sphere are up to. (Spoiler: even the stars go for walks.)


From Mr Bradley Cooper to Mr Justin Theroux, check out the seven guys we found to be stylish this month (and shop their looks)


The Best-Dressed Men Of February 2021



“I hope I die before I get old,” Mr Roger Daltrey, now 76 and tying himself in knots over immigration and Brexit, first sang in 1965. Which is a problem when marketing pop stars, given the youth-obsessed nature of popular culture: they all either, sadly, die or get old. But Daft Punk, who announced their split this week, found a way around that.

Messrs Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter, better known as Daft Punk, died in 1999. Or so the story goes. “We were doing a track and our sampler crashed and exploded and there were sparks,” Mr Bangalter explained after the event. “We were hurt a little bit, so we had to make a little surgery and then we became robots.”

“I hope I die before I get old,” Mr Roger Daltrey, now 76 and tying himself in knots over immigration and Brexit, first sang in 1965. Which is a problem when marketing pop stars, given the youth-obsessed nature of popular culture: they all either, sadly, die or get old. But Daft Punk, who announced their split this week, found a way around that.
Messrs Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter, better known as Daft Punk, died in 1999. Or so the story goes. “We were doing a track and our sampler crashed and exploded and there were sparks,” Mr Bangalter explained after the event. “We were hurt a little bit, so we had to make a little surgery and then we became robots.”


The French duo sold millions of albums and helped electronic music gain a foothold in the US. But as they walk away from their robot alter egos, could you spot them in a crowd? 

Daft Punk: Why Mystery Is The Ultimate Style Statement



Once regarded as a superfluous exercise of self-care favoured by Patrick Bateman types, the face mask can be one of the most transformative parts of the modern skincare routine. From membrane sheet masks that promise to plump out wrinkles to redness-soothing gel serums, pots of volcanic clay designed to minimize pores and even cyborg-esque LED masks built to zap scars and stimulate collagen production, whatever your skincare concerns, there’s likely a mask that can help. Plus, with the sorry state of our winter eyebags, some self-care tips from Bateman actually wouldn’t go amiss. Better to be a well-groomed psychopath than a disheveled one, after all.

Skincare technology means that face masks are more effective than ever. Here is our handpicked selection of the masks that deliver seriously good results

Five Face Masks To Transform Your Skincare Routine



We boreal men look forward to the arrival of spring, and its promise of longer, warmer days, with an excitement bordering on hysteria. And that’s during a normal year. What’s going to happen this spring, then, when it’s not just the cold and dark of winter we’re escaping, but the crushing boredom of months of Covid-enforced lockdown? If tradition dictates that we whip off our shirts at the first sign of a sunny day, as it does here in London, might we go further this year and take off the rest of our clothes, too?

This season’s menswear collections have us feeling more optimistic than ever – featuring the latest from Burberry, SAINT LAURENT, Bottega Veneta and more

Why This Spring’s Collections Feel Like A Breath Of Fresh Air



Basketball players are seemingly the most stylish people on the planet right now. We’re not sure exactly how it happened (maybe it’s because, like models, they’re so tall), but the NBA’s stars have been consistently turning it out in recent weeks – so much so that [MR PORTER’s best-dressed list for January was made up exclusively of them](https://www.mrporter.com/journal/fashion/best-dressed-men-january-2021-nba-players-irving-durant-simmons-1615710).

The man who caught our eye this week, though, is Mr PJ Tucker. The Houston Rockets player is a notably snappy dresser, and when he arrived at the Wells Fargo Center for a game against the Philadelphia 76ers last week, looking typically fresh and sporting a gargantuan Louis Vuitton backpack, we took notice. It would be comically big were it not being worn by a man who stands almost 2m high.

Basketball players are seemingly the most stylish people on the planet right now. We’re not sure exactly how it happened (maybe it’s because, like models, they’re so tall), but the NBA’s stars have been consistently turning it out in recent weeks – so much so that MR PORTER’s best-dressed list for January was made up exclusively of them.
The man who caught our eye this week, though, is Mr PJ Tucker. The Houston Rockets player is a notably snappy dresser, and when he arrived at the Wells Fargo Center for a game against the Philadelphia 76ers last week, looking typically fresh and sporting a gargantuan Louis Vuitton backpack, we took notice. It would be comically big were it not being worn by a man who stands almost 2m high.


NBA players are currently some of the best dressed people in the world (maybe they’re the only people dressed in the world). Here’s how Mr PJ Tucker caught our attention this week

Why NBA Star Mr PJ Tucker Is Our Current Style Inspiration



Since we no longer rely on them for practical purposes, candles are one of those things that fall into the “luxury” category – and we mean that in the literal sense of the word. They’re an indulgence: something to light when we need to calm our thoughts, unwind or, occasionally, set a romantic mood. No one _needs_ a candle, which is, paradoxically, one of the reasons they also make a first-rate gift. Here are five of the best at MR PORTER right now.

Since we no longer rely on them for practical purposes, candles are one of those things that fall into the “luxury” category – and we mean that in the literal sense of the word. They’re an indulgence: something to light when we need to calm our thoughts, unwind or, occasionally, set a romantic mood. No one needs a candle, which is, paradoxically, one of the reasons they also make a first-rate gift. Here are five of the best at MR PORTER right now.


Light up your life with the best scented candles that Byredo, Diptyque, Cire Trudon and more have to offer

Five Candles To Add A Little Luxury To Your Life



The premise of associate professor Dr Cal Newport’s new book _A World Without Email_ sounds tantalising – who doesn’t want less email? – and also terrifying. How would we get anything done?

“The reason why that horrifies people is that the way their organisation runs depends on email,” explains Dr Newport, the author of seminal productivity texts such as _Deep Work_, about the value of focused attention on cognitively demanding tasks (so not email then), and _Digital Minimalism_, about curtailing technological distractions (so email then, and social media). His Zoom interview with MR PORTER is arranged – potentially to his annoyance – via email.

The premise of associate professor Dr Cal Newport’s new book A World Without Email sounds tantalising – who doesn’t want less email? – and also terrifying. How would we get anything done?
“The reason why that horrifies people is that the way their organisation runs depends on email,” explains Dr Newport, the author of seminal productivity texts such as Deep Work, about the value of focused attention on cognitively demanding tasks (so not email then), and Digital Minimalism, about curtailing technological distractions (so email then, and social media). His Zoom interview with MR PORTER is arranged – potentially to his annoyance – via email.


Tech health expert Dr Cal Newport talks to MR PORTER about his new book A World Without Email

Zero Inbox? Professor Cal Newport’s World Without Email

Highlights



In Ms Deborah Levy’s Booker-longlisted novel _The Man Who Saw Everything _(2019), her blue-eyed protagonist Saul Adler always wears a string of pearls. The necklace belonged to his mother. It nestles well alongside his other clothes: a white Navy surplus suit, Levi’s jeans, an orange silk tie and green faux-snakeskin hat. “I had never given much thought to a pearl belonging to a gender,” he observes at one point. “If I had to fight in a war I’d have to take off my pearls, so obviously I was for world peace all round.”

In Ms Deborah Levy’s Booker-longlisted novel The Man Who Saw Everything (2019), her blue-eyed protagonist Saul Adler always wears a string of pearls. The necklace belonged to his mother. It nestles well alongside his other clothes: a white Navy surplus suit, Levi’s jeans, an orange silk tie and green faux-snakeskin hat. “I had never given much thought to a pearl belonging to a gender,” he observes at one point. “If I had to fight in a war I’d have to take off my pearls, so obviously I was for world peace all round.”


Pearls have had a real renaissance in men’s jewellery in the past couple of years. And far from being a flash in the pan trend, it looks set to be around for some time

Men In Pearls – Why The Trend Is Here To Stay



He may not have filmed a single second of it, but Mr Christian Marclay’s “The Clock” is a masterpiece of video art: 1,440 minute-long, painstakingly researched clips from thousands of different film and TV shows, depicting a peripatetic 24-hour day, in real time – whether it’s a close-up shot of a character’s watch, a clock in the background, or an alarm clock “kerchunking” from 5.59 to 6.00 (_Groundhog Day_, natch).

He may not have filmed a single second of it, but Mr Christian Marclay’s “The Clock” is a masterpiece of video art: 1,440 minute-long, painstakingly researched clips from thousands of different film and TV shows, depicting a peripatetic 24-hour day, in real time – whether it’s a close-up shot of a character’s watch, a clock in the background, or an alarm clock “kerchunking” from 5.59 to 6.00 (Groundhog Day, natch).


Some of the best movies and TV shows where a watch played a starring role, from Pulp Fiction to Breaking Bad

Screen Time: Cinema’s Best Watch Cameos

Watch These Cameos: Seven Screen Times That Hinged On A Timepiece



Merely months from buzzing our towers once again, it’s still too soon to make a call on what Mr Tom Cruise’s Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell will be rocking in _Top Gun 2_. Despite IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN’s official role as watchmaker to the US Navy’s real-life fighter-pilot school, aka “TOPGUN”, details remain strictly classified (for now…)

What we can tell from fleeting glimpses throughout the trailer is that a matte-black bracelet watch is involved. Given the vast array of stealth-mode watches out there in solid ceramic, PVD nitride or DLC carbon coatings, that hardly narrows things down.

Merely months from buzzing our towers once again, it’s still too soon to make a call on what Mr Tom Cruise’s Lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell will be rocking in Top Gun 2. Despite IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN’s official role as watchmaker to the US Navy’s real-life fighter-pilot school, aka “TOPGUN”, details remain strictly classified (for now…)
What we can tell from fleeting glimpses throughout the trailer is that a matte-black bracelet watch is involved. Given the vast array of stealth-mode watches out there in solid ceramic, PVD nitride or DLC carbon coatings, that hardly narrows things down.


Based on a cult favourite from 1994, the new IWC “Tribute to 3705” is a monochrome pilot’s chronograph cased in ultra-modern Ceratanium, exclusive to MR PORTER

A 1990s Icon Flies Again With IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN’s “Tribute To 3705”



If you’re a millennial from the US, chances are high that you watched _All That_, Nickelodeon’s sketch show for the youth. _All That_ was to Nick what_ Saturday Night Live_ is to NBC, complete with recurring characters, musical guests and spin-offs, but with a diverse cast from the jump. (_SNL_ cast its first Latina member in 2016, for the 42nd season; _All That_ had a Latina cast member and several other actors of colour in season one.) If you are in your early to mid-thirties (the show debuted in 1994), you are probably singing the theme song in your head right now and picturing the cast on the trampoline, smacking handballs and dancing in the streets. (By the way, did you know the theme song was performed by legendary girl group TLC? I was today years old when I learnt that. Epic.)

If you’re a millennial from the US, chances are high that you watched All That, Nickelodeon’s sketch show for the youth. All That was to Nick what Saturday Night Live is to NBC, complete with recurring characters, musical guests and spin-offs, but with a diverse cast from the jump. (SNL cast its first Latina member in 2016, for the 42nd season; All That had a Latina cast member and several other actors of colour in season one.) If you are in your early to mid-thirties (the show debuted in 1994), you are probably singing the theme song in your head right now and picturing the cast on the trampoline, smacking handballs and dancing in the streets. (By the way, did you know the theme song was performed by legendary girl group TLC? I was today years old when I learnt that. Epic.)


The longest-running SNL cast member got his start on All That, Nickelodeon’s answer to Mr Lorne Michael’s sketch show. His character, Pierre Escargot, will forever stand out for millennials of a certain age

One Memorable Look: Mr Kenan Thompson As Pierre Escargot



As hard-wired as we might be to survive, the instincts bestowed on us by evolution are being tested like never before. A worldwide pandemic, ongoing climate crisis and contested elections unfolding in real time are all contributing to a mental health crisis, with medical practitioners reporting never-seen-before spikes in anxiety and depression. 

Studies by the UK-based charity Mind show that more than half of adults and over two thirds of young people say their mental health has worsened during periods of lockdown, with boredom and loneliness among the major factors. How can we, as individuals, address this very real threat? Binge Netflix to distract from the chatter? Book an (increasingly optimistic) bucket-list trip? Or remain gripped by our newsfeed as doomscrolling cements its place in our lexicon – something psychologists view as an attempt to seek certainty in an uncertain world.

As hard-wired as we might be to survive, the instincts bestowed on us by evolution are being tested like never before. A worldwide pandemic, ongoing climate crisis and contested elections unfolding in real time are all contributing to a mental health crisis, with medical practitioners reporting never-seen-before spikes in anxiety and depression. 
Studies by the UK-based charity Mind show that more than half of adults and over two thirds of young people say their mental health has worsened during periods of lockdown, with boredom and loneliness among the major factors. How can we, as individuals, address this very real threat? Binge Netflix to distract from the chatter? Book an (increasingly optimistic) bucket-list trip? Or remain gripped by our newsfeed as doomscrolling cements its place in our lexicon – something psychologists view as an attempt to seek certainty in an uncertain world.


MR PORTER

THE JOURNAL