10 Things Stylish Guys Were Grateful for in 2013

It's not like they ever truly went away, but in the past year Timberlands prospered. Celebs wore them all the time, and to celebrate its 40th anniversary the New Hampshire-based brand produced a buttload of collaborations. No one strayed too far from the classic, but the likes of Stussy, Ronnie Fieg, and Supreme all gave dope options that sat alongside the classic 6" wheat boots in every stylish guy's closet.

Skinny jeans reached their peak two years ago, but in 2013 guys were grateful that other options surfaced. Finally, there were choices beyond, "Do I want to have my nuts put in a denim vice?" and, "Do I want my balls to exist in two dimensions?" We asked if baggy pants were coming back again early in the year, and definitely saw a shift towards looser and slouchier silhouettes. While we hope to never see OJ Da Juiceman-levels of bagginess again, jogger pants, roomier denim cuts, and cozy boi sweats all gave literal and figurative relief to dudes who were tired of fighting the battle of the bulge.

When East Dane launched in the fall, guys were kinda wary of shopping the male version of Shopbop. But if you've ever experienced the retail mastery of Amazon, then you can expect the same ease and efficiency from East Dane (Amazon bought Shopbop in 2006). And when it comes to men's brands, the online retailer definitely knows what it's doing. High-fashion labels are sold next to more accessible names, providing a dope mix that is exactly what stylish dudes today are looking to mix together.

Sneakers are an essential, and this past year saw a ton of designers tip their toes into the more casual footwear game. Afterall, who wants to be wearing hard-bottoms and boots all the time? Guy's style is all about comfort, and when high-end designers and contemporary brands started producing sneakers that put aesthetic on a pedestal without forgoing comfort, everyone wins.

Shaving sucks. It's expensive, painful, and seen as kind of a chore. However, Harry's came along in the spring and completely fucked up the game in that it essentially solved everything. The products are durable and get the job done masterfully. But you won't be shelling out serious scrilla for what is essentially a priceless service. Full shaving sets come in at eye-popping prices, and subscriptions mean you can get replacement blades, hardware, and product all sent to your door so you aren't stuck with a rusty, dull scraper cause you're too lazy to buy a new one. Revolutionary.

Dad jeans are the one thing that shouldn't have ever happened, but in a year where comfort was a primary concern, they triumphed. Light washed denim were a refreshing switch to the heavy, raw denim that ruled the #menswear era of 2009 through 2011. Your dad may have given you a smug look when you rolled up in a pair of these, but hey, sometimes parents just do understand.

Comfort has always been an integral aspect of men's style, but this past year is when cozy boi went from a few hours on the couch to a full-blown lifestyle. Tailored sweatpants proliferated, and sweatshirts, hoodies, and athletic-inspired clothing allowed dudes to relax at all hours of the day, no matter where they were. And while guys slid into recline position with comfy gear, we didn't look like slobs. Plenty of brands made sure that the cozy bois weren't synonymous with couch potatoes, even if the two lifestyles were rooted in the same philosophy that comfort comes first.

When news broke that Dover Street Market NYC was opening up an NYC location, stylish dudes were elated. When the news broke that the location would be in Murray Hill, stylish dudes were confused. But when the doors opened, stylish dudes (and plenty of hypebeasts) flocked to 160 Lexington Avenue. The seven story store brought together high-fashion, streetwear, and emerging brands to create a mish-mash that was unlike any other retail location in NYC. It was a golden cap on a great year for style-conscious guys, and DSM NYC is sure to remain a destination for many dudes throughout 2014.

There was a moment there where it looked like cows, pythons, ostriches, and lambs were going to become endangered species. What started out as a dope trend soon went into OD territory, and every single rapper was draped in animal skin from head-to-toe. It was excessive, and as everyone tried to one-up each other, shit ended up just looking wack. Thankfully that whole thing has died down, and while leather will always be an essential material in a dope wardrobe, guys are no longer resembling big-game hunters.

Whether you called them rants or visionary streams of consciousness, these were extremely entertaining moments that pushed the conversation of men's style into directions that it had only timidly approached before. Why was Kanye so impassioned about creating clothing? Why were there so few black designers? What was the relationship between hip-hop and high-fashion? Calling them "rants" takes away from what Kanye's monologues did for men's style, and even if you didn't feel directly affected, you were definitely talking about it the next day.