The exception to the rule. Timeless beauty. When elegance and charisma coexist, there’s not much to talk about, the picture talks for itself. Mr Irons, on the set for Style Magazine december 2015, was dressed really…normally: pullover, a scarf, dark jeans. The only almost clashing detail, but typical of the american taste, that belongs to the clichè of a great and a bit capricious actor: pointed boots. It’s ok. They’re ok. But you have to be tall. When I was a boy I often dressed like this, I liked it: a pullover, five-pockets in bleached denim and the above-menioned “camperos”. At eighteen you can wear almost everything. And then I was in perfect harmony with the trends. Jeremy Irons can wear almost everything because he’s a global star! Today the boots under the jeans are honestly outdated. But Irons doesn’t make fashion, he makes movies, he does it well and we like him. Total respect. But if you aren’t him, please, wear a pair of desert boots. Jeremy Irons in a picture by Brigitte Lacombe for Style Magazine.

Tie, yes or no?. Blazer and shirt, without pullover. And without tie. Claudio Antonioli, owner of one of the most fashionable boutiques in Milan, has proclaimed the “farewell to the tie”. Some jobs need the tie and other don’t. Some men love it (the main part of them) and other hate it (“It’s too tight, it’s annoying, it makes me feel uncomfortable). So give voice to the trendsetters like Antonioli but, for equal conditions, listen to those who think different: me, for example. The jacket worn with the shirt, but without the tie, suits very few men. If you belong to the “no-ties” side, have at least the caution to wear the shirt completely buttoned. Or, absurdly: wear it unbuttoned to the breastbone, even if you take the risk to look like a naff, especially if you have a hairy chest. In doubt, cover the shirt with a beautiful sweater made of light wool or, indeed, wear the tie. The American rockstar Michael Stipe in a picture of Ron Galella.

The top of style. Sporty and classy: in the mountains with style. The technological development of the fashion industry has often favoured comfort at the expense of appearance. Bright down jacket with a reflective effect, stuffed trousers, absurd boots, which are waterproof but also horrific. Luckily there’s a U-turn from this season on: waterproof garments and accessories that are also warm, comfortable and windproof, now become more fashionable and, above all, more appealing. Store your synthetic fluo jackets in mothballs and opt for neutral colors and wool fabric. Store your down mittens and buy a pair of gloves made of waterproof leather; wear a turtleneck instead of the sweatshirt and velvet trousers. Finally, free yourself of those old laced boots and try to imagine the coolness of a pair of leather shoes with non-slip sole and snowproof upper.

The Norfolk jacket. Contemporary menswear often brings back to fashion an archetype of the past. This doesn’t mean that we can’t find anything new in shops neither that today’s clothes are imitations (this is a totally different matter). What designers – since ever – have done is to draw inspiration from a certain era, keeping its charm untouched, but updating the reference model according to the new rules of menswear, starting from fabric and colours. In this week’s picture we can see a Norfolk jacket, a kind of blazer that was very popular in the upper bourgeoisie in the last 20 years of the 19th century. It was worn especially for hunting, with the knee-length knickerbockers and riding boots. Let’s see how to wear the Norfolk jacket’s reinterpretation: not an accurate quote, but with a bit of dandyism. The actor Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes in a movie of the 40s.

Autumn/Winter 1994: the “second half” of the campaign, in the advertising language. The outerwear style was still very similar to the 80s one with its big volumes, so far from the tight-fitting one that came along with the new decade and changed completely the men wardarobe. Same goes for trousers, shirts and ties. And of course the waistcoat which used to dominate the fashion scene: knitted, deconstructed or made of fabric but always loose-fitting and never tight. Shooting locations were basically non existent, neutral backgrounds and quite natural lighting. The main peculiarity has been the models attitude: intimist, thoughtful, reflective. Sometimes photographed with the eyes closed, like the top model Werner, (on top) shot by Mario Sorrenti for Dolce&Gabbana. Photographer Max Vudukul, shooting for Romeo Gigli (another waistcoat fan), has been aiming for the melancholic feeling expressed by the model’s eyes, staring beyond the horizon…