Man Crushes of the Year! The 8 Breakout Men’s Style Moments of 2015 Inline
Photo: Getty Images1/8Travis Scott, musician
Why We Love His Style: The Rodeo rapper first impressed us with his deft medley of elevated punk rock and streetwear-inspired looks that were marked by perfectly distressed vintage concert tees, oversize shearling-lined moto coats, and sinewy leather pants. His personal style seemed as dark and richly layered as his tunes, but even more we knew it took a certain level of style aptitude to not only work with fashion behemoth Kanye West, but possibly catch the eye of style icon and his rumored girlfriend, Rihanna.
Photo: Getty Images2/8Wiz Khalifa, musician
Why We Love His Style: Popping up on the American Music Awards red carpet this fall in a finely tailored and cropped Giorgio Armani suit with complementing Saint Laurent brogues, Wiz seemed more like a male model than a MC. After all, on Wiz’s tall, lanky frame looks such as this appear like second-skin, part of an arsenal of retro suiting the rapper drew upon this year to make his rakish statements.
Photo: Getty Images3/8Zayn Malik, musician
Why We Love His Style: The minute the former One Direction heartthrob decided to go solo, the British crooner culled a look for himself that certainly distinguished him as his own man. Showing up at Louis Vuitton’s Men’s Fashion Show in Paris sheathed in a cheeky floral bomber and a pair of cropped navy trousers, the former boy-bander looked all man.
Photo: Getty Images4/8Børns, musician
Why We Love His Style: There aren’t too many men who can pull off the open shirt and tousled, long concert hair look that Børns has made his own. An homage to the rock gods before him, the “Electric Love” singer’s penchant for deep-cut ’70s glam (large-lapel shirts, bells, leopard-printed blazers) seems to work in perfect harmony with his retro-futuristic tunes.
Photo: Getty Images5/8Young Thug, musician
Why We Love His Style: It’s not necessarily easy to outshine supermodels, but Young Thug took over our Spring 2016 Collections video this past season, his 6’3” frame towering over the biggest names in fashion. Pushing back on gender expectations, the Atlanta MC gravitates towards the slightly bizarre. Cropped overalls, frayed, punk-inspired denim, fluffy Fendi pendants, and well-fitted soccer jerseys pepper his wardrobe.
Photo: Getty Images6/8Justin Bieber, musician
Why We Love His Style: Crawling back into our hearts this year, the 21-year-old reformed (?) bad boy of pop has had a style overhaul to complement his softer, more realized sense of self. Leaving the scruff of his youth behind him, the Canadian singer cleaned up quite nicely at this year’s Met Gala in a custom embroidered Balmain blazer with a fantastical gold dragon effigy. The look spurred a revolution as well-appointed as his new attitude.
Photo: Getty Images7/8Lucky Blue Smith, model
Why We Love His Style: Just all of 17, the dashing model is easily this year’s style wunderkind. True, it’s hard to look away from the handsome trendsetter when he walks into a room—with pools of blue for eyes and that distracting swoosh of icy blond locks—but his eye-catching array of standout blazers in hallucinogenic prints and striking shades of, well, blue has revamped the idea of suiting.
Photo: Getty Images8/8Leon Bridges, musician
Why We Love His Style: Sometimes a sartorial homage to years past can seem, well, costumey. But the R&B sensation Leon Bridges has not only breathed new life into the musical genre, he has created a mid-century pastiche. Whether he’s decked out in natty suits onstage or at this year’s Met Gala, dark denim, or saddle oxfords and vintage varsity sweaters, it all feels as much apart of the Fort Worth, Texan’s identity as the modern-day Sam Cooke vibes on his debut and Grammy-nominated album, Coming Home.
