By Dipankar De Sarkar, IANS,
London : Esquire magazine, reputed to be the last word in men’s fashion, has named Prince Charles as the world’s best-dressed man.
Charles, the 60-year-old heir to the British throne, beat off a challenge from an impressive and younger field, including US President Barack Obama and rapper Andre 3000, to claim the title.
But two other Britons – Prime Minister Gordon Brown and London mayor Boris Johnson, who gets his suits stitched in Mumbai rather than London’s Saville Row – were slated for their poor appearance.
Charles, who favours double-breasted suits hand-stitched by leading oldest English tailors Gieves and Hawkes, was described by Esquire as “always incredibly well dressed, as befits his position as the heir to the throne.
“He is perfectly turned out in a double-breasted suit. Admirably, the Prince keeps his wardrobe in appropriate style: we’re told he has a room laid out like a tailor’s shop.”
Charles also wears outfits by men’s clothing retailer Austin Reed and Frank Hall Tailoring.
The title doesn’t come cheap: bespoke suits by Gieves and Hawkes cost around 3,500 pounds each.
And the Prince’s accessories usually include a pocket handkerchief, silk tie and shoes by John Lobb, which cost 2,600 pounds a pair. He also has other footwear made by the firm RE Tricker.
Two other Englishmen, comedian Ronnie Corbett and actor Bill Nighy, came second and third, respectively.
However, the magazine criticised Brown and Johnson, who likes to show off suits tailored in Mumbai.
“Gordon Brown turned up in the Iraqi desert wearing black lace-ups [shoes]. And Boris Johnson wears odd socks, has jacket pockets like second-hand bookshops, and hair the result of an encounter with a ghost in a wind tunnel,” said the magazine.
Esquire Editor Jeremy Langmead said: “It’s the men who dress like grown-ups who really caught the judge’s eyes this year; as well as those who have developed their own distinctive style and stuck with it.
“I love the fact that we have such a diverse list: from artists to royals, to one of the Two Ronnies.”
Esquire’s most stylish men in the world:
1 – Prince of Wales
2 – Ronnie Corbett
3 – Bill Nighy
4 – Barack Obama
5 – Sheikh Majed al-Sabah
6 – George Lamb
7 – David Hockney
8 – Roger Federer
9 – Adrien Brody
10 – Andre 3000