How To Wear Like David Beckham ?

David Beckham wields a multi-stringed bow. Women swoon over the footballer for his God-given grin, and men envy his ability to strike a ball – and score. The Briton’s poignant quiff and chiselled jaw has splashed across the cover of big-name magazines making his face one of the most recognised faces in the business.

Despite his retirement in 2013, the man still remains a top scorer in our book when it comes to personal style.

Today we show you how to steal five of the man’s most iconic looks.

Breaking it down

Beckham shops like most men should; filling his wardrobe with staple tailored pieces that hang alongside easy loungewear jerseys and leather jackets. Off-duty, he dominates comfort looks and has no trouble balancing the complexities of smart casual wear.

He favours the tux on the red carpet, and isn’t shy on shorts and shirts snapped up from his athletic kit. Beckham’s thematic approach to style sees him play many roles. There is Beckham the biker and Brooklyn hipster Becks; James Bond Beckham and David Beckham Esquire – the English gent.

To sum him up in one simple sentence: Ralph Lauren suits, navy over coats, denim shirts and Christian Louboutin shoes – topped off with a flat cap or beanie, of course.

Key looks

The Sophisticated Moto Cafe Racer

Pushing a black cropped leather biker jacket with plain

white or grey tee, Beckham channels a modern Marlon Brando; from the airport to doing the groceries, to posing for a Belstaff campaign. Bottomed out with slim black wash jeans and a leather Chelsea boot, his cruise-y biker look rides easy – work, rest and play.

The Sartorial Hipster

Beckham isn’t a hipster but he likes to spruce his casual look with Brooklyn-inspired accessories. The slouch beanie and beaded bracelets are two favourites, paired with a red plaid shirt worn open and vintage leather carryall. Double denim is also key for Becks, opting for light denim button downs over washed out black or raw denim jeans. Layer the shirt haphazardly over a plain tee: roll up the sleeves, roughly tuck it in and never fully button to the neck (revealing the fitted tee underneath).

The Timeless English Gent

Heavy weight cable knit jumpers or cardigans are often paired with train driver/flat caps in Herringbone – for night and day wear. Beckham layers textured cashmere jumpers with slim-fit navy outerwear pieces such as three-quarter length coats. And the coats always have a defining point of detail such as a leather collar or brass nautical buttons. Tweed and check blazers in ochre yellow are a third gentlemanly look worn over khaki chinos.

The Casino Royale High Roller

The tuxedo is Beckham’s go-to suit for the red carpet. With most celebs like Pharrell sporting athleisure looks (think blazers and sneakers) this season, Beckham channels 007-class in a sapphire blue suit with contrast black lapel. Keep it simple with patent black derby shoes.

The ‘Seal The Deal’ Business Hotshot

Corporate Beckham opts for razor cut jackets with slim (but not overly so) trousers in wool. Not much of a black fan for tailoring, Beckham usually suits up in tobacco browns, navy and charcoal grey. His choice of suit for a meeting or business lunch is typically single breasted with a white shirt and navy tie.

Essential Beckham Fashion Items

Shirts
Blue denim/chambray monogrammed shirt from Louis Vuitton or Levi’s vintage wash denim shirt. For suiting, Beckham favours Ralph Lauren Black Label crisp whites. He takes his tees from his self-designed H&M range, particularly the long sleeve henley.

Jackets
The Hugo Boss ‘Orange Joser’ leather jacket offers a classic Becks look in dark brown leather. So to does the Belstaff ‘Stannard’ biker jacket with black quilted shoulder. For denim, go for Acne‘s ‘Jam Shearling Collar’ raw denim jacket with wool collar.

Suit
Dior Homme‘s sapphire blue suit is Beckham’s suave alternative to black. For the casino, a white contrast lapel dinner jacket and black pants from Ralph Lauren is best. The Ralph Lauren Black Label three piece suit is a statement piece, paired with the brand’s Purple Label silk tie, white silk square and brown polished leather lace-ups. Separating the pants and jacket, Ralph Lauren-obsessed Becks goes for Polo Ralph Lauren ‘Sport Coat’ and wool trouser for some unashamed mono-branding.

Jumper
Beckham is an avid fan of French brand Maison Martin Margiela and its cable knit jumper. His other recent favourite is Missoni‘s zigzag wool blend cardigan heavier winter layering. For the gym and more lightweight comfort, look to Givenchy graphic sweatshirts such as the ‘Stars and Stripes’ or Kenzo‘s ‘Tiger Face’ jumper.

Coat/blazer
The leather collared coat from Saint Laurent layers well over cardigans and knits is an obvious choice for Becks in navy. Meanwhile, the Junya Watanabe ‘Field Coat’ in grey with brown suede detailing is a great adventure option.

Shoes
Beckham rarely attends a formal event without his Christian Louboutin ‘New Orleans’ lace up derby shoes. And the Adidas ambassador only sports the retro German brand’s sneakers, favouring the ‘Stan Smith’ model most recently.

Hats
Herringbone flat caps from Ted Baker and milliner Jaxon Hats are great interpretations of the allusive Becks cap. Stick to navy (Beckham’s favourite colour for winter pieces) or traditional green tweed hues for authenticity.

Jeans
Denim is a second skin for Beckham. He wears Acne Studios classic wash in slim fit and Belstaff’s ‘Blackrod’ for his biker travels. And Ralph Lauren vintage denim is almost a daily wear for the star, slightly distressed and always relaxed.