Uncertain times affect our wardrobes as much as our mindsets and, true to form, menswear in 2021 has been in a refreshing state of flux. Not so much an identity crisis as a broadening out of opportunity and choice, what we can wear right now has never been so terrifyingly ripe for experimentation.

The men who made it onto MR PORTER’s best-dressed list are the ones who took up the mantle of sartorial exploration and ran with it. From the show-stopping suits that they donned on the red carpet to the clothes they wore on the street, these guys all share a talent for bending the rules while still managing to look convincingly well-dressed and nudging the idea of what makes good menswear forwards. It’s the only way we can go, after all.

Colour coordinating your clothes is beginner setting. Linking up your accessories takes things up a level. Utah Jazz shooting guard Mr Jordan Clarkson, meanwhile, is playing in hard mode. Photographed before his meeting with the Denver Nuggets, we’d go as far as to say he’s got his game face on, but then, mid-pandemic, it’s hard to tell. What we know for sure is that the NBA Sixth Man Of The Year is more than a supersub when it comes to neutral tones, from the tattoo-revealing chore jacket and chunky gold pendant to the white ribbed socks worn with rainbow sneakers. What’s cooler than an iced frappé in October? A drinking straw that matches your face mask.

Is there anything actor, model and skateboarder Mr Evan Mock can’t do? Or, rather, is there anything he can’t wear? Wide-leg denim shorts with pink Lanvin sneakers? No problem. Bouclé crop top and a gingham bowling bag? Sign him up. For his MR PORTER cover shoot, the Gossip Girl star even sported a pair of furry paws and still managed to captivate completely and utterly. There’s little to be gained from attempting to replicate or even decipher Mock’s fearless sense of style. Quite simply, he has what the French describe as “je ne sais quoi” and what we rather less eloquently call “it”. Still, his readiness to scribble outside the lines of traditional menswear, take risks and find the joy in getting dressed each morning is an MO we can all aspire toward.

No one describes Mr Antwaun Sargent’s approach to dressing better than the man himself. “I have a clear direction of who I am and I think, when you have a clear direction of who you are, then that clarifies your style,” he told MR PORTER last year. The New York-based writer and curator has spent most of his adult life wandering the realm between art and fashion, so his eye for shapes and proportions goes a long way when it comes to putting together an outfit. The truth is, we could write a best-dressed piece featuring just Sargent’s tonal looks, but we’ve had to narrow down our choice to this all-black ensemble he wore to Interview magazine’s September issue launch party. The slub-textured layers are discreet, which makes the accessories the main attraction here – hardware-detailed loafers, stacked chains and, of course, his signature Esenshel Russian cuff hat.

For fans of The Crown, Mr Josh O’Connor may exist only in the Prince of Wales’ endless string of suits, naval dress uniforms and, memorably, an enormous ermine cloak. Back in the real world, where O’Connor is permitted to stand tall and flash a cheeky smirk at the camera, he’s still partial to a bit of tailoring, but happily has a more expressive range than the heir to the throne. Think customised SS Daley and LOEWE, rather than Anderson & Sheppard. Hence this deep V-neck drawing us in under a subtle navy suit. Hardly the wildest move on this list, but evidence of O’Connor’s willingness to play around with tradition, and do so well.

Mr Jeremy O Harris, whose drama Slave Play catapulted him into the limelight in 2018 for the way it tackled sexuality and racial trauma, is known for his off-kilter approach to his work and wardrobe. His sartorial gall regularly lands the playwright in the style columns for all the right reasons and his appearance at this year’s Tony Awards was no exception. Proving that there’s still room to reinterpret black tie – even in our new normal world of dialled-down dress codes – he peacocked onto the red carpet in a custom number from the revived house of 1930s surrealist couturier, Ms Elsa Schiaparelli. His bolero-esque jacket was doubtless a salute to Catalonian artist Mr Salvador Dalí, a prolific collaborator of Schiaparelli’s, while his corseted trousers and artful bijouterie furthered his go-bold-or-go-home attitude. Olé!

If you’re not familiar with the Australian actor Mr Kodi Smit-McPhee, then the upcoming award season will soon change that. His Golden Globe-nominated role in the movie The Power Of The Dog, in which he stars opposite Mr Benedict Cumberbatch, may signal Smit-McPhee’s breakout in Hollywood. But he also spent this year making his name on the red carpet. If a Gucci polka-dot suit with green feathered cuffs doesn’t say, “I’ve arrived,” then we don’t know what does.

Despite earning more money in a minute than most of us do in a year, Mr Seth Rogen does a very good job of looking like a regular guy. In fact, so normal does he look, he has the posture and facial expression of a boy who has been instructed by his mother to wear a suit that has been handed down from at least one generation of his family. The colour, cut and construction of his jacket and trousers have overt dug-out-of-an-attic vibes. None of this is criticism. It’s relatable, it’s welcoming and it looks good.

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