David Beckham Style Icon

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 the ex-England captain is a man who loves being in the thick of the action, 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 Euro 240 haircuts. The LA 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 lucrative brand Beckham has seen him, market his own collection of fragrances and appear in high-profile advertisements - witness how your girl reacted to the Armani advertisement in Oxford Street.

 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 world's most famous footballer 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 woolly scarves, logoed sports T-shirts, man purses, and of course, suits for red carpet appearances.

By far the most recognisable 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 it 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 tried cutting corners