Best of 2010 So Far: The 25 Style Must Haves

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#25. HIGH CONTRAST TORTOISESHELL FRAMES.
We know what you're thinking, you're thinking we're CRAZY for throwing a pair of glasses frames on this list at the 25 mark. That's cool. If you have 20/20 vision, high five, good for you. Go fly a plane. If you DO have glasses and hate the ones you've got on (send us a Twitpic, we'll confirm if you should kill them ugly joints with fire) check these out. They are perfectly retro in a way that was HUGE in the first half of 2010 but they're not so time-specific that they'll be out in 2011 and feature larger, boxier (rather than rectangular) frames. Plus, the high-contrast tortoiseshell pattern looks stylish without being too "fashiony."

#23. WHITE LABEL; WHITE JEANS.
White jeans are scary, but much like a khaki suit it's all about realizing that there is no possible way to ruin this look. You're not some orange, greasy-haired douchebag foam-partying in Monaco (or whatever those people do), you're a guy in a city who will rock these jams like it's no big deal on public transportation. Just don't wear them too skinny because you'll look like aforementioned Euro-tool but don't over-think it. Besides, at 45 bucks for these white-labeled Levi's you can afford the risk. Dirty these up. Go to town.

#22. THE LEATHER WALLET POUCH.
All right. We know that some of y'all will be on some played-out "no homo" ish when we try to talk to you about a man's leather pouch (II) BUT here's what we unabashedly admire about this wallet-ish accoutrement. And we know we just upped the ante by calling it an accoutrement... Hear us out. This not for you. It's not for your boys. But the girls will notice this because they're just not expecting it. It's made by THE Swedish brand to know, fashioned of incredible materials, the zipper is sturdy, and the encasement will fit cash, ID, and credit cards. It's classy but not pretentious but most importantly, it's not just some boring, predictable wallet. Plus you can keep hard candies in it, Grandma. KIDDING, seriously, get it, it's awesome.

#21. THE STRIPED WINDBREAKER.
It's been 'water water everywhere' all year with the nautical trend but what we like about these pin stripes is that they're horizontal not vertical and featured on a zippered drawstring hoodie with zippered pockets to boot! It's a great shove-it-in-your-backpack layer that will keep you covered during spring showers while being way less cumbersome than an umbrella. We don't need no steenkin' commas.

#20. THE RED POLKA DOT HAT.
While Supreme will be a mainstay on any style countdown we do, the reason why we chose this piece of patterned, sportswear pop is because it's just conspicuous enough but doesn't speak to bleary-eyed nights spent hypebeasting it up in some line with 18-year-old Honeyee obsessives. Plus, it's the perfect topper to an otherwise understated or color-block outfit.

#19. THE BLACK RUBBER CHRONO WATCH.
Throwing your iPhone fifty million glances a day to check the time is fine for some people but nothing beats owning a timepiece worth having. This one is totally indestructible in pitch-black rubber but the large, chrono face is easy to wear while reminding anyone within eye-shot of how fantastic U-Boats are. Something so sub-nautical badass about this. Plus, you should consider that a comparable Bell & Ross is about $1,500 more.

#18. FIVE-POCKET TWILL TROUSERS.
If you're still skittish about throwing on a pair of pants that aren't jeans, these were made just for you. You should think about writing these dudes a thank-you note. Not only are they slung by L-R-G and therefore only around $60, they're cut exactly like a typical five-pocket, rivet-stamped pair of blues—except they're slate and far breezier than their indigo counterpart for the summer months.

#17. BLACK WIRE FRAMES.
We've said it before and we'll say it again: there are few things that the ladies find more reassuring than the authoritative, wire-rimmed, manliness of these "Mad Men"/Cuban Missile Crisis glasses. They mean business. Risky, sexual business.

#16. THE WAXED JACKET IN CARAMEL.
Just look at it. It's not gray, blue, black, chocolate, it's burnt sugar. This waxed Barbour is the much-beloved Lieutenant silhouette but in the most surreal caramel color. It's motorcycle jacket-inspired in some ways but because it's treated cotton it's extremely light, wrinkles beautifully, and feels unbelievable. Plus, we just appreciate when majillion-year-old, very established brands quietly lob us an Easter egg like a hyperstrike colorway.

# 15. THE DOUBLE BREASTED BLUE TWILL BLAZER.
Even after putting this badboy in our Feb/March issue, we kinda still can't believe that this little specimen of radness exists. Granted, it's not an easy fit. It's double-breasted so some of you will be all, "Boo hoo, that means weirdo foreign-language teacher or fat-cat finance dude's DAD." Um, not this one. This is not only from G-Star (already feeling the curveball on that), but it's blue twill that's shrewdly cut, totally modern, and as casual as it is dressed-up. And at $260 a pop, we feel like it's an unsung hero that deserves mention. Again.

#14. MID-HIGH, NEUTRAL CANVAS SNEAKERS.
Canvas, suede, neutral, classic, classic, classic. We've been huge supporters of Clae from jump and the myriad reasons won't get delved into here. So just look at this silhouette. Gorgeously unfuckedaround with. Confident quality speaks volumes.

#13. STRAIGHT-LEGGED BLACK JEANS.
Here's your basic, black, straight-legged jeans with just a wee smattering of bleach. Twenty-ten to date has featured a slew of unfortunate acid wash mishaps but we do appreciate that this is complemented by a trend and not completely over-powered by it. A.P.C. makes a classic fit but they're pretty slender so if you have larger thighs or cankles, then opt for G-Star or Diesel's straight-legged iterations.

#12. THE CLASSIC PARKA IN RED.
The brains behind Garbstore is none other than a former designer for Paul Smith, Ian Paley. And if you are not yet up on all the covetable staples of the brand, you need to brush up. And this parka is a good place to start. Available in four colors and featuring all the bells and whistles of leather zipper tabs and slanted fishing pockets, the thing we love most about what this jacket represents is the HUGE influence of what we call "European Streetwear." It's not so much that it's desperately urbane, it's that while it's a classic sportswear brand it feels limited-edition. Whatever you call it, we feel it's move in the right direction on all fronts.

#11. THE STRIPED PAINTER'S JACKET.
Patrik Ervell's name is bandied about a bunch. He IS an important designer. He IS new and exciting but not 100% of his line will be fitting for the Complex reader. But don't sleep. The reason he's a critical darling and closely scrutinized is because your man knows how to cut. This four-pocket painter's jacket with railroad stripes follows the workwear trend but what gives this away as being very, very high-end is the fabric and fit. The popped collar stays popped and looks like freakin' architecture and despite the trunk being boxy, you'll notice that the arm fits perfectly and that the shoulders still remains totally streamlined. Gangsta.

#10. BLACK SUNGLASSES WITH GREEN LENSES.
These are cult-lusted frames. It's funny because the average guy might not know what's up with this particular pair of shades but we guarantee that if you're angling for a PYT who knows anything about anything style-related, she'll recognize the three-prong, tell-tale, golden triangle at the hinge. These are constantly sold out because there's no visible branding and the entire silhouette is a little larger which is perfect for not only grown men, but men with broader noggins like Asian guys and black guys and Jay-Z. Yeah, he has these. No big deal.

#9. WASHED-TO-FIT KHAKI TROUSERS.
The thing about these is that they're slightly less expensive than anything in their Woolrich Woolen Mills brother brand, but they too carry all the fine tailoring and sumptuous textures. It's heritage workwear all the way but they're washed-to-fit, feature zippered pockets, and look rad whether they're wrinkled, dirty, sweaty, or stained. And they'll make your summertime junk area feel amazing since they're lightweight at about 8-10 oz. (that's for you fashion geeks) and perfect with a pair of Jack Purcells or a denim shirt. And the great thing about these is they're khaki but they're not in the least bit preppy.

#8. WINGTIP BOOTS.
Florsheim by Duckie Brown floored us with their...well, everything, but here's what's up with these wingtips. First of all, "wingtip" refers to the stitched pattern on the upper and the shoe is also sometimes referred to as a brogue. These are amazing because they're boots. The leather is pebbled, the toe is classic and not too pointy/date-rapey, and they're fucking boots. They're perfect if you feel weird about regular hard-bottoms because they're rugged and substantial but still narrow enough for tapered twill trousers. Bonus: you can still sport them with a baggier leg provided you rag-and-roll the hem.

#7. SUMMER-WEIGHT KHAKI SUIT.
OK. Straight up. This is not freshman ish. Fewer things speak to sartorial expertise more than a guy who can confidently wear a suit, in a summer weight, in a non-dark color. There's this HUGE barrier to entry and it's understandable, but the minute you throw on a well-cut, khaki suit with two buttons, tapered leg, narrow lapel, (wait for it) no socks, and well-worn hard-bottoms, you are an unflappable man who is unafraid of looking GREAT. Our Fashion Editor adds that if you must, socks are fine but you must select socks "with purpose," and should you go without then (please) "baby powder those shoes and lotion those ankles." She'd be real grateful. And if khaki poses a problem for matching, you can't go wrong with a pale yellow shirt, charcoal shirt, light pink (if you're feeling British), or even denim.

#6. BLACK LEATHER MOTORCYCLE JACKET.
Oh Shipley & Halmos, why do you rule so hard? It makes zero sense how flawless and infallible y'all stay being. This leather jacket is no exception. For the last couple of years, the shrunken moto jacket has been as utilitarian AND stylish as the denim jacket, but not only is it de rigeur in fall as it is in spring, what used to be a ZZ-Top, pointy-bearded-white-guy thing or a tiny-Japanese-greaser-with-a-gigantic-fetish-pompadour thing, is now mega good-looking on Brooklyn Circus dudes, Sons of Anarchy dudes, rap dudes and skinny-jeans hipster dudes. It just looks cool. And this particular one's dimensions are slick.

#5. THE OLIVE ARMY JACKET.
We know what you're thinking: 'Military is in, of course it is, when is it not? Blahblahblah.' But seriously, do you own this jacket? It's 2010 and we're still stressing that every worth-his-salt dude civilian desperately needs one in their closet. Your girl will absolutely try to shimmy into this and steal it because it has a 1.4 million pockets, looks ridiculously good on anyone and the color ensures that it complements every level of melanin. Even you, cave beast. The drawstring flatters rectangular or round dudes and the length makes you look virile and awesome. It's in our top five because it's been in our top five for the last ten years. And a decade's gotta count for something.

#4. THE LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMBRAY SHIRT.
If you've been keeping up with our site and our book—which, of course, you have—you'll know of our open admiration of this shirt. Tucked-in, wrinkled, bow-tied, peeled off the floor, this shirt looks impeccable and as of-the-moment as it did when sunburnt, toothless dudes were prospecting for gold in the 1840s. Polo has a distinctly approachable American fit with an equally inviting price-point. Just avoid gimmicky Western cuts and costumey snap buttons and being named Pappy and you're all set.

#3. CROPPED, CLASSIC TRENCH.
There's nothing like a crisp, finished, cropped trench. What kills us is that this one has a hood. A hood that is detachable. Hello? Unbelievably useful much? Plus, the tortoiseshell buttons, substantial hardware, and the narrow, yet slightly A-lined trunk of this hip-hitting coat looks fantastic—and frankly, expensive—on any guy.

#2. THE QUINTESSENTIAL BACKPACK.
This is both retro and completely modern. The familiar, utilitarian dimensions with the suede bottom hark back to Back-to-School seasons and tatty Jansports but the diagonal zipper and the all-too-perfect color combo speaks to design elements that are 100% grown.

#1. THE ALL-SEASON DENIM JACKET.
It's been a banner year for the denim jacket. No other single noun of clothing has enjoyed a comeback quite as visible as this. Uncomplicated, durable, and appropriate for any season, this cotton staple complements everything while functioning both as layer and outerwear. If there's one thing on this list that you absolutely MUST buy, it's a good, non-trendy denim jacket. This one has subtle whiskering, a great straightforward fit, and a wash you won't tire of.