Why He’s A Style Icon
Born in Texas with style in his blood -- his mother was a southern belle who believed strongly in dressing to the nines -- Tom Ford has become one of today’s most influential fashion designers; hence, he’s one of our style icons. Though he graduated from Parsons School of Design with a degree in interior architecture, Tom Ford’s studies provided him with a sense of proportion and a fondness for simplicity and clean lines that would later form his style when he entered the fashion world. After racking up some much needed fashion experience with a brief stint at Perry Ellis, Tom Ford made a bold move to Gucci, and a style icon was born. When Tom Ford signed on at Gucci, the company was on the verge of bankruptcy. The young designer saw an opportunity, however, and used it to propel his vision of style, quickly taking on other lines, including menswear. In a few short years, Tom Ford had resurrected the dying fashion house and single-handedly brought sexy back to the fashion world at large. His glamorous clothing, along with his sexually provocative fragrance campaigns, revolutionised the way brands marketed themselves. Never one to march to the beat of another’s drum, the marketing genius dramatically left Gucci in 2004, launching his own line, Tom Ford, in 2005 and winning the CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year award in 2008. As a testament to his status as a style icon, Tom Ford was commissioned to create Daniel Craig's wardrobe for Quantum of Solace, the latest addition to the James Bond franchise.
Dress The Ford Way
Finding Tom Ford products is getting progressively easier; in addition to the Tom Ford boutiques in NewYork,Toronto and Zurich, these coveted threads can now also be found in outlets in Milan, Moscow, San Paolo, Puerto Banus, and Osaka. Even if you have easy access to these clothes, it’s fair to say that prices at the Tom Ford boutique may be a tad out of the range of many men. Nevertheless, you can still pick up some valuable tips from this style master. First, the Tom Ford man is suave and sophisticated, yet he exudes a raw and masculine sex appeal. One surefire way to look smoking hot the Tom Ford way is to find a perfect-fitting dark suit, preferably bespoke if you can afford it, with strong shoulders, a tapered waist, lean legs, and a jacket that covers your butt.
Even more important than your suit, however, is that you project an air of assured confidence, meaning you need to feel comfortable in what you‘re wearing. The Tom Ford man is also a sensual being who prefers touchable fabrics that make getting dressed a pleasurable experience. The urban man whom Ford designs for is also not afraid to make a bold statement: leaving an extra button open on his dress shirt when suiting up for example, or throwing together patterns with a certain amount of irreverence. Last, but not least, to get the Tom Ford look, keep your accessories to a minimum. Wear only one or two simple, chic pieces at a time.
