This year has seen a real shake-up of GQ's best-dressed list, with a record number of new entries, as well as a surprising tally of re-entries. It seems that the judges not only have a new set of sartorial heroes but have also become aware of recently having ignored some of their past masters. To be fair, though, far more than 50 men were nominated by the GQ panel, so the difference between making the grade and not was barely a handful of votes.
What hasn't changed about the list is how accurately it reflects the enormous variety of different styles that make up the quintessential British look – from the sharpest Savile Row suits to the hippest hip-hop swagger. That is why the world still looks to these islands for inspiration – and even an education in what to wear.
So who has made the grade this year? The new breed of British actors have taken Hollywood by storm, have won roles as the most American of superheroes and are winning plaudits for their unique style that make them some of the most photographed men in the world. Elsewhere, the British music scene is having an extraordinary renaissance and the look of its leading lights is celebrated far beyond these shores. As ever, there is always room for that great British talent for quirk – who couldn't say that the likes of Jarvis Cocker make the world a more interesting place to look at? And the Brits are brilliant at growing old gracefully – from our industrialists to our musicians. And long may that continue.
Top 10:
1. Tinie Tempah
2. Mario Balotelli
3. Matt Smith
4. Robert Pattinson
5. Andrew Garfield
6. Henry Cavill
7. Idris Elba
8. Christian Bale
9. Sergio Pizzorno
10. Ian Brown
And on the flip side…
…The worst dressed:
1. Chris Brown
2. Steve Hilton
3. Robbie Savage
4. Dappy (N-Dubz)
5. Mike Jeffries (Abercrombie & Fitch CEO)
6. Country Winston Marshall (Mumford & Sons)
7. Mark Wright (reality TV star)
8. Douglas Alexander (shadow foreign secretary)
9. Jamie Oliver
10. Ollie Locke (reality TV star)
