The 25 Best Men's Style Brands of 2013

Club Monaco's rise to the forefront of men's style has been astronomical, and what was once a non-factor is now a serious contender in the arena. Club Monaco has gone from fast-fashion trend-chaser to legitimately advancing men's style and acting as a true destination whether you're looking to solidify your basics or make solid strides in style. Strategic collabs with surf brand Katin and cozy boy king Reigning Champ caught the attention of savvy and steezy dudes, who were then mesmerized by a year of apparel that blew minds without blowing up bank accounts.

Supreme's story doesn't really change. The wildly popular brand continues to put out incredibly well-made product that connects with countless fans around the world. The past year wasn't any different from previous ones, and that level of consistent success is pretty fuckin' difficult to master. And yet, time and time again, Supreme's high level of quality, in both aesthetics and caliber refuses to dip below anything short of excellence.

This past year saw a bunch of high-end designers dip their toes into apparel that's typically more in the streetwear framework. If you were a fan of the blurred lines between couture fashion and streetwear, you can thank Kenzo. Last year, Kenzo had the fashion set rocking fitteds and snapbacks. This year, the Parisian/Japanese brand made the sweatshirt a favorite item of both streetwear heads and fashionistos around the world. Humberto Leon and Carol Lim have continued to revamp Kenzo, and their contributions to the prospering of the cozy boy movement have made the world a very relaxed and very stylish place.

Norse Projects doesn't do anything except continuously drop gear that is at the highest levels of quality construction that perfectly executes an aesthetic that's both simple and everlastingly dope. The Copenhagen-based label is a leader in the minimalist streetwear movement, and being born in the Scandinavian coldness means this good-looking apparel is hands down tough. This past year only proved that Norse's consistency and dependability warranted the fandom that had people looking up how to say "dope" in Danish.

Tim Coppens built a name for himself in 2012, and while the inflated buzz may have subdued a bit, the product he put out this year spoke for itself. The Belgian designer may not have kids in the streets pledging allegiance to the swag, but the label is most likely your favorite fashion editor's favorite brand. Coppens snagged a nomination for the CFDA Swarovski Menswear Designer of the Year, and it's only a matter of time before this brand goes from critical darling to the next highly-coveted brand stylish dudes will have in mind when they eat a week's worth of Cup Noodles.

KTZ is a brand that's only to be worn by guys with the balls to leap into mostly uncharted territory. The label has been big in London and Tokyo for a minute, but in 2013 it really blew up on our home turf. It received a ton of celeb co-signs this year, and challenged other boring brands to step it up at least a few notches. Inspirations for the brand ranged from Eastern Orthodox crypto-Christianity to campy horror films to hockey to create a look as unique as its dope lookbooks. This was a breakout year for designers Koji Maruyama and Marhan Perjoski, and it doesn't look like they're going to stop sailing uncharted waters any time soon.

Patagonia proved once and for all that if something works, stay in your lane and good things will come. Four decades ago, the label decided to begin producing stuff that brought a bit of fun and color to the outdoors world. In other words, the brand literally created the notion of combining form and function. And it's still leading the way. Don't get the vintage look of some of the garments fool you—Patagonia has some of the most technically advanced gear on the market. And the brand is doing it all with the intentions and soul that's severely lacking in the world of apparel. Plus, you really can't be mad at a clothing company that decides to get into the beer game.

Alexander Wang probably started about half a dozen trends and countless imitators in 2013. The champion of all-black, wearable minimalism quietly had a dominant year thanks to the simple fact that he created clothing everyone wanted. Any worries that his eponymous brand might slip after he took the helm at Balenciaga were quieted when his advanced yet incredibly easy to wear designs rolled out bearing the designer's name. And Wang is a brand that knows how to have fun and not takes itself too seriously, a quality that's lacking in the high-fashion world, but only makes fans devote themselves further to the effortlessly cool label.

Kith is proof that streetwear is still alive and well. The Mercer pant became an instant wardrobe staple, and the brand's numerous capsule collections had people literally flying around the country and lining up around the block. The extensive "East Coast Project" nearly shut down the entire game with its long list of participants, but beyond ill partnerships it seemed like every month Kith was dropping something new, adding up to a flamethrower's worth of heaters in 2013.

Been Trill was everywhere this year. Any brand that wanted to up its cache teamed up with the art/music/fashion collective, and the collabs were non-stop. Countless celebrities wore their shit, and it was impossible to go to any cool kid party without seeing the drippy font and/or hashtags on at least a few stylish dudes. Say what you will about a brand that mainly does T-shirts and snapbacks with a few simple graphics, but Been Trill (along with its cousin Pyrex Vision) was one of the first brands to become relevant without going through the usual song and dance that a brand has to commit to. Instead, the online-driven made shit happen its own way, and perfectly reflects how the Internet and savvy customers have reshaped the marketplace.

Engineered Garments always drops strength, but 2013 was a little extra special. The gear is unfuckwithably high-quality, and the designs always provide a fresh take on classic American clothing. This year, EG made fall florals not only cool but highly-coveted, and the freshly dropped spring lookbook has given hope to everyone that is already afflicted with Seasonal Affective Disorder. 2013 also saw the first Engineered Garments runway show, and it was a highlight of NYFW for those who care about well-made clothing that subtly switches it up instead of the glitz and the glamor. The ideas that flow from designer Daiki Suzuki's mind aren't going to slow down anytime soon, which is an exciting notion for American style.

It's not often that the very inventors of a genre are still able to body the competition that's been coming at them for 30 years. And yet, Stussy manages to both keep streetwear's roots and core relevant while pushing the whole game forward. Right when it seems like Stussy has done everything there is to do, the brand continues to innovate and impress. In 2013, the number of dope Stussy collaborations was huge. They also began producing a biannual publication, and aligned themselves with the A$AP Mob and other cultural movers and shakers. As 2013 proved once again, Stussy acts as both a bridge to streetwear's golden times, and the bridge to what's possible with streetwear's future.

Opening Ceremony the store stocks some of the most progressive and up-and-coming labels in the world. But 2013 was probably the first year that the Opening Ceremony label outshined the retailer. For the first time ever, the brand showed during New York Fashion Week, and the star-studded show dominated the week's news. Additionally, OC delved into the film world, putting out collections in conjunction with Spring Breakers and Her. And it wasn't just the movies that OC worked with. Timberland, and adidas continued to merk it with their collabs, and a partnership with DKNY brought some '90s grit back to the label. Elvis also made an appearance in what could be considered the most unusual teamwork of the year. With one of the best stores in the world behind it, the Opening Ceremony brand's potential is pretty limitless if they continue to put in work like it did in 2013.

If there's any one trend that truly flourished in 2013, it was the street goth movement. And the shadowy lord of the drapey, dark look was and always will be Rick Owens. The American-born, Parisian-based designer spawned plenty of imitators, but Owens' eponymous label had already forged a trail that others simply hopped on in 2013. And with a pop-up shop in NYC's SoHo neighborhood, a new flagship store in Miami, and the brand's launch of e-commerce, adding some Rick to your wardrobe was all the easier this year.

The mysterious Maison Martin Margiela may have entered the collective canon with an H&M collaboration in 2012, but the past year cemented MMM as a leader of esoteric, experimental style that only the truly brave could approach. Case in point: the masks. But since the high-fashion house was charged with the task of creating several custom outfits for Kanye West on his "Yeezus Tour," it must be doing something right. Not to mention that Margiela dominated the high-fashion sneaker market, making the likes of Kendrick Lamarcop two pairs at a time. The house is known for its anonymity and reclusiveness, but successful collaborations with Converse and G-Shock meant this was the year Margiela went from a "Niggas in Paris" lyric in most people's minds to a real-life fashion label that made incredibly advanced shit worthy of existing in the "kingdom of dopeness."

Timberland has and always will be a staple of the streets. That being said, 2013 was a marquee year for the bootmaker. The New Hampshire-based company was tapped into the wardrobes of both celebs and regular folks like us, and celebrated its 40th year of existence with a slew of insanely dope collabs, including partnerships with Supreme, Stussy, A$AP Rocky, Ronnie Fieg, Opening Ceremony, and many more. But as exciting as all these projects were, Timberland's 2013 proved that appreciating the classics will always be a stylish move.

Billionaire Boys Club hasn't ever gone away, but it enjoyed a serious resurgence in popularity and growth in its tenth year of existence. The streetwear pioneer has seen its share of ups and downs, but 2013 was the year that Pharrell's business started seriously humming again. Besides BBC Bee Line continuing to pop off and advance the "grown-up streetwear" movement, the launch of BBC Black had street goths, fashion heads, and regular fans of style frothing at the mouth. Unlike a lot of streetwear brands, BBC moved in worlds beyond hype, and if the moonman continues to bring in this type of coin, the brand name might become literal.

The Japanese label visvim has always been on the wishlists of guys who take style seriously enough to learn a whole 'nother language. But this is the year that Hiroki Nakamura's designs really blew up. Of course, there's no better press than having the likes of Kanye West, A$AP Rocky, and other dope celebs wear your shit, but the next-level American-inspired clothing this year was so well-made, so amazing looking, and—fuck it—so beautiful, that dudes were studying the corners of the Internet to try and join the #visvimgang. Lucky for your wardrobe but unlucky for your wallet is the news that visvim just got a whole lot easier to score in person.

In 2012, the talk surrounding Saint Laurent Paris focused on Hedi Slimane's overhaul of the vaunted label, and if he was tarnishing the legacy of the late founder Yves Saint Laurent. All that talk was silenced when Slimane's designs rolled out in early 2013. Saint Laurent Paris brought rock 'n' roll rebellion back to the runway, and roped in the appropriate rock stars of the '90s to star in its campaign. The brand also continued to create leather jackets that are more buttery than Paula Deen's Thanksgiving. And even though SLP was definitely the main driver of one of 2013's best trends by looking to the past, the label also developed a relationship with the year's biggest stars and gave double middle fingers to anyone who talked shit simply by letting dope collections shift the landscape of men's style.

Hood By Air was the cult brand of the year. In a few short months, HBA became an acronym any style-conscious person knew, and seats at the brand's two NYFW shows were some of the most sought-after pieces of real estate in NYC (Kanye got a seat). And while individual pieces from the label were co-signed by some of the biggest celebs out there, designer Shayne Oliver pushed a vision that was both embraced by fans and challenged the very notion of what a T-shirt, denim, or brand loyalty could be. If Hood By Air continues to evolve and land in more retail doors, things are going to get real exciting, real quick.