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David Beckham Style: Haig Club Launch 2014

 

A crewneck sweater, a chambray shirt, some beaten up jeans and a great pair of shoes. There ain’t nothing complicated about it. In fact most of us already have those pieces in our closets. But the combo David Beckham wore in October, 2014 for the launch of his Haig Club whisky still has a lot to teach us about personal style.

David Beckham style alternatives
David Beckham, with Datuk Jimmy Choo, at the October, 2014 launch of the ex-footballer’s Haig Club whisky. Photo by Tom Bunning.
David Beckham Style Lessons

First, Beckham’s outift highlights the importance of investing in good quality basics. Beckham was wearing a mohair sweater from Saint Laurent, a chambray shirt from Ralph Lauren’s Denim & Supply brand and selvedge denim jeans and longwing Wilberforce shoes from Lauren’s RRL label. Those aren’t cheap peices. And we certainly don’t need to spend as much to look good. But it is a great example of how elevated basics can carry the day.

Second, the outfit clearly illustrates that fit is king. Beckham’s sweater isn’t baggy. The shoulder seams hit where they should, it’s a little trimmer through the body, and the bottom hits just below the beltline. The shirt is just long enough so that the right amount of untucked hem is showing. And the jeans have that great straight fit we keep talking about: roomier in the top block with a nice taper below the knee.

David Beckham style alternatives
Beckham wearing the Saint Laurent sweater, Denim and Supply chambray shirt and RRL straight fit selvedge jeans in the Spokane wash and Wilberforce longwing shoes.

Third, Beckham’s look reminds us to pay attention to the details. The textures all work together. The combination of chambray, denim and pebble grain leather is no-brainer. But Mohair is normally considered a more delicate fiber. Here however it adds some loft to the sweater so it looks a little more rugged. I also have to say that longwing shoes (affectionally known as “gunboats” in certain circles) are one of my favorite designs and tend to be underappreciated when we’re trying to give our casual fits a touch of sophistication.

David Beckham style alternatives
A closer look at the individual pieces: chambray, lofty Mohair and some awesome pebble grain leather.

Ready to try the look yourself? Let’s bring on the alternatives!

 

David Beckham Style: the Haig Club Launch Look

David Beckham style alternatives

 

Notes

I’ve already said a lot about what I like about this look. So I’ll keep this short and simple. Yes, those alternatives are definitely more expensive. But, again, it’s worth investing in the basics that are going to see a lot of wear. Do you have to pay $450 for selvedge jeans, $145 for a chambray shirt or $5000+ for a watch? Of course not. Which is why I’ve shared more options below at various price points. Just remember to focus on the details and, most importantly, the FIT when you’re choosing your clothing!

The great slightly fuzzy texture of Beckham’s green mohair sweater from Saint Laurent.

About the knitwear: this isn’t the time to pull on your thinner cashmere sweater. If you want to recreate the look, a thicker knit is the way to go. So look for heavier Merino wool, lambswool or Shetland wool sweaters that have a coarser textrure to stand up to the denim and pebble grain leather. And speaking of the footwear, if you’re a fan of Bond style your Crockett & Jones Islay boots (or whatever alternative you have) would make a great substitute for those gunboats. I’ll be updating our post on options for fall boot styles soon!

As for the accessories, even thought Beckham goes minimalist with the extras (no watch or belt), I thought it would be fun to add some. For those that don’t know, I went with a Tudor watch because Beckham is a brand ambassador. And I picked those sunglasses and that belt because I thought the colors picked up on the British Tan of the shoes.

 

My attempt at the look …
David Beckham style alternatives
Inspired by the clothes. The hair and tats? Not so much …

Here’s my humble attempt to recreate that David Beckham style. The sweater is from J.Crew, the chambray utility shirt is from Beams, the selvedge jeans are an old pair of Banana Republic samples, and the shoes are from Loake. It’s definitely a go-to fall look for me.

And if you’d like to see Beckham’s fit in action, this is the 2014 promotional video from the Haig Club launch at their Cameronbridge, Scotland distillery.

 

Some Other Options To Try
The Sweater

 

The Shirt

 

The Jeans

Just a quick note before sharing the other options. If you’re looking for some great pre-owned (and nicely faded!) selvedge denim jeans, definitely check out Kiriko. They have an awesome selection from both mainline and artisanal labels in a variety of sizes and states of wear. And the prices are actually pretty reasonable. To learn more about selvedge denim, visit our Beginner’s Guide here!

 

The Shoes

 

The Watch

 

Have some ideas for alternatives you’d use for some David Beckham style? Let us know about them in the comments. And please share suggestions for another modern style icon look you think we should tackle. For more about how your clothing should fit and ways to combine colors and textures, check out our post on How To Dress Like James Bond. Also remember you can find more style inspiration on Iconic Alternatives’ Facebook Page, our NEW Instagram Account and Pinterest Boards!

Some of the photos and much of the information about the clothes Beckham wore came from the blog Where It Like Beckham (@wearitlikebeckham on Instagram).

Iconic Alternatives

The search for classic and affordable menswear, inspired by the style icons of today and yesterday.

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