What’s stopping you from dressing like Mr Bill Nighy every day? Perhaps a lack of suits, which the actor seems to own in abundance, sure. However, you don’t have to look particularly closely to notice that he doesn’t match his jackets to his trousers, mixing and matching navy and grey as he strolls around London doing who knows what. We’ve written over and over about why being a suit guy is actually quite modern and cool and though Mr Nighy might be our senior, we think he’s the perfect model for such an argument. He manages to look pulled together and laid-back and elegant and relaxed all at once. Thank you for the inspiration, Mr Nighy.

The most influential silhouette of the present-day menswear epoch? That would be PaRappa the Rapper, the two-dimensional anthropomorphic dog of late-1990s PlayStation fame. But we’ll accede that three-dimensional writer, editor and curator Mr Antwaun Sargent is up there. He’s got the trademark headgear – possibly a white beanie for every day of the week, given that his is always pristine. And he tiptoes a teetering tightrope between smart and casual, oversized and slim fit, but does so with aplomb. What’s his cheat code? At a guess, he just knows what works for him and doesn’t overthink things.

What are pop stars for? (Other than the obvious, of course.) Well, we’ll tell you what they’re not for: blending in. Looking inconspicuous. Playing it safe. Mr Troye Sivan understands that. Not out of a deliberate, cultivated sense of “I’m a pop star, better dress like one”. But inherently, essentially, fundamentally. Freedom of expression is rather the whole point. And yet, the looks that caught our eye this year aren’t utterly wild – they’re somewhat subversive takes on preppy, geeky, schoolboy themes, with all that navy blue and monochrome going on. He’s got a particularly good line in denim that’s a world away from workwear. OK, and one fit that looks like he might have beamed straight down from outer space, which is pretty much par for the pop star course. And with that hair, that jawline, those cheekbones… who’s to say he hasn’t?

Another Elvis to steal our hearts, Mr Austin Butler has been serving us sleek and chic looks all year and is rightfully hitting the MR PORTER charts. As a man who understands proportions, Butler is partial to a lean, minimal and well-tailored suit. He knows how to experiment, but keeps things clean at the same time. Whether it’s with stronger shoulders and no shirt, playing with pinstripes or keeping it classic, he manages to always avoid the snooze button with his style choices. And it doesn’t stop on the red carpet. His street looks are equally worth the attention – Butler isn’t scared of playing with cowboy boots and double denim or keeping it low-key and nonchalant with chore jackets and adidas Sambas. A man who knows what he likes is one to watch.

Forgive us if this one is a bit obvious, but we can’t keep a man off the list just because he’s on every list everywhere. His big navy mac with jeans and loafers? Chef’s kiss. A classic raincoat with… is that… a leather tie? OK, we’re in. How about 1990s-era racing jacket with 1990s-era dress shirt and a 1990s-era tie and 1990s-era khakis and the Louis Vuitton bag? Yes, yes, a million times yes. Rocky has proven time and again that true personal style is innate and idiosyncratic and very, very difficult to emulate. Not that that should stop you from trying.

Avid readers of The Journal might remember that Mr Oscar Isaac appeared on the 2022 iteration of this very list, and for this we make no apologies. The dapper actor is a MR PORTER style hero. In a world of change, Isaac’s style is reassuringly consistent but never dull. With some thanks to his stylist, Mr Michael Fisher (who also dresses similarly suave but laid-back men including Messrs Paul Rudd, Jake Gyllenhaal and Kieran Culkin), he has perfected a look that is perfectly him. It’s minimal, yet with just the right amount of playfulness. At events, this translates to impeccable tailoring, but with a twist – be that his (now-trademark) Thom Browne skirt, a pair of ever-so-slightly high-waisted trousers or a just-the-right-amount of oversized, made-to-measure ZEGNA wool jacket, complete with matching pleated trousers and shirt. While his immaculate grooming (the hair, the beard) certainly helps to pull the whole look together, what stands out most is this: he never looks like he’s trying too hard.