David Beckham

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Why He’s A Style Icon

Mark Simpson, the man credited with coining the term “metrosexual,” was the first to hail David Beckham as the ultimate metrosexual. Simpson appears to have been right on the money, as while on the pitch David Beckham is a guy who loves getting down and dirty in his soccer uniform, off-field he’s a man very comfortable with his masculinity who enjoys wearing, well, everything. From suits to hoodies, chunky boots, leather, tattoos, skimpy swimsuits, and sarongs — if you can name it, David Beckham’s probably worn it.

Indeed, arguably his greatest accomplishment as a fashion icon was to show the world that it was possible to be a man’s man and still enjoy regular pedicures and $500 haircuts. The L.A. Galaxy star’s keen interest in his appearance coupled with his naturally good looks did not go amiss amongst fashion’s inner circle, and the footballer is also a lucrative brand in his own right, marketing his own collection of fragrances and appearing in high-profile advertisements and fashion magazines.

The secret to bending it like Beckham is to mix things up. Always keeping people guessing requires staying on top of trends, knowing your basics, adopting a willingness to wear items out of context, rotating your look regularly, and not being afraid to break all the style rules. No wonder fashionable people everywhere admire David Beckham: He’s inspiring, confident and fun — everything fashion is all about.

Dressing The Beckham Way

David Beckham may be willing and able to wear just about anything and his day-to-day looks may seem like such a melange of pieces, but the soccer star definitely has a few standbys in his closet that he relies on. Sunglasses are one of his staples, as are all kinds of hats, belts with lots of hardware, long wooly scarves, logoed sports T-shirts, man purses, and of course, suits for red carpet appearances.

By far the most recognizable element of his vast wardrobe, however, is his distressed jeans, of which he likely has many, many pairs. Diesel’s Zatiny 73J jeans perfectly exemplify David Beckham’s preference when in comes to denim. They’re a slim-fit, boot cut that is faded and worn in all the right places and they manage to look fitted yet a little baggy at the same time. Like Britain’s most famous export, consider denim one of the building blocks of your wardrobe that will help you create an infinite number of ensembles. Try a plaid shirt, tie and cardigan for a funky but smart style. Or throw on a T-shirt, layer on the necklaces, don a toque and get yourself an ethnic-inspired hobo bag. As David Beckham has shown us, the possibilities are endless.

One word of caution: Don’t even think about trying to find these jeans in a knockoff version; we all know this man loves his labels, so you would be missing the point if you went for the cheaper variety.