Sixty years of GQ means six decades of amazing clothes. And what you see here is a sampling of the amazing-est: the pieces that have stood the test of time and become modern essentials. If you were to start your wardrobe over from scratch with these 60 pieces, you’d be pretty much set. Because the clothes here are, above all, versatile. They’re classics. They’re the shirts, pants, suits, shoes, hats, rings, watches, and glasses that have defined our point of view since the Eisenhower administration. They’re what you need to look very GQ.
If you want to buy these eternally cool pieces—and we're right there with you—you can click here. And if you want to see what inspired us, scroll down to wander through over a half-century of GQ moments that inspired this story in the first place.
1. Slip-on Loafers (1965)
They’re timeless because they’re versatile. Wear them with socks or no socks. Pants or no pants. (And by “no pants” we mean shorts.)
2. Lace-up Wingtips (1986)
The businessman’s shoe will be in style as long as there are businessmen.
3. The Patch-Pocket Suit (1971)
We hadn’t seen this one in a very long time. Then Prada brought it back. And you know how it goes: When Prada does something, so does everyone else.
4. A Crocodile Belt (1985)
Exotic leather suggests an exotic personality. People will wonder: Just who is that man with a reptile around his waist?
5. The Flat Cap (1976)
Who knew that the newsboy cap would outlast actual newspapers?
6. The Repp Tie (1983)
Just as “Bimmer” is an awkwardly spelled slang for your BMW, “repp” is an awkwardly spelled term for the diagonally striped ties worn by men who drive BMWs.
7. Banker Pinstripes (1962)
A thinly pinstriped suit is still the fastest way to look like money. Whereas a thickly pinstriped suit is the fastest way to look like you should be robbing a bank with a Tommy gun.
8. Corduroy (1967)
We love cords as the sweet spot between blue jeans and fancy trousers. For a great 1967 reference point, go re-watch Dustin Hoffman wearing corduroy in The Graduate.
9. The Tweed Revival (2002)
Tweed used to be so dusty and professorial. Then, about 15 years ago, designers started youth-ifying it. And now it looks like this.
10. Zany Socks! (2006)
Look, we love socks with some personality, but you don’t want to wear them every day. Unless you are the prime minister of Canada, that is. Then you can wear them every day.
11. Tough-as-Nails Work Boots (2009)
When you buy a pair of these, don’t baby ’em. Maybe even consider the radical notion of wearing them for manual labor. They look better scuffed.
12. A Ritzy Dinner Jacket (1958)
The next time you have a special occasion, make it feel genuinely special. Pull on the kind of jacket you might’ve worn to see Sam Cooke slay the Copacabana, had you been alive back then.
13. A Tuxedo Shirt That Boogies (1968)
Whether you do ruffles is up to you (we’re very pro, and so is Ryan Gosling). But definitely don’t shy away from color.
14. Pre-Recession Cuff Links (2000)
Please don’t let the president be the only man wearing cufflinks right now.
15. The Indestructible Tank Watch (1973)
Over the years, we’ve always championed wardrobe staples—like rectangular tank watches—that strike a perfect balance. They’re classics, sure. But they also evolve with the times.
16. The Varsity Jacket (2010)
Maybe you earned your varsity letter in high school and want to relive your glory. Or maybe you never did, and this is your revenge on all the jocks. Either way, there’s a jacket for you.
17. Horizontal Chest Stripes (1996)
By now you should know that horizontal chest stripes will bulk up your chest faster than any gym membership. They’re also an un-mess-up-able style move.
18. A Perfect Camel Coat (1998)
Kanye wears one. The old men at your grandpa’s law firm wear one. This is one of those pieces that’s never not in style. Just get one.
19. Designer Track Pants (2015)
They’ve been athletic staples for years. But it wasn’t until recently that designers figured out how to style them up into streetwear.
20. Outlaw Boots (1979)
Like anyone who’s seen a Clint Eastwood movie, we love westernwear. Start with boots and then work your way up to snap-button shirts and bolo ties.
21. The Air Tie (1995)
This may be the easiest style move of all time. The only trick to it is that you need a shirt with the right kind of collar. Basically anything other than a spread will do the trick.
22. The Double-Breasted Power Suit (1987)
Back in ’87, when Gordon Gekko was giving his “Greed
Is Good” speech in a double-breasted suit, no man in America would dare wear such a thing with sneakers—or without a tie. We can’t wait to see how the DB looks in 2047.
23. A Swankier Duffel Bag (2016)
If you don’t want to be another one of those sad guys in the airport pulling a battered rolly bag, may we suggest a high-end duffel?
24. Geezer Sneakers (2012)
If you don’t know what geezer sneakers are, ask your dad what he wore when he was your age. Then go find the latest designer riff on those. Trust us, someone out there is still making them.
25. The Shearling Coat (1977)
It’s warm. So warm. It’s also a flex of epic proportions, because a real shearling is expensive. Then again, so are most things you’ll keep for 30 years.
26. Masculine Necklaces (2003)
The next time you and your girlfriend pass a jewelry store, pop in and look for the both of you.
27. A Sleek Black Racing Watch (2005)
Nothing is less badass than whipping out your giant smartphone just to check the time. Wear a real watch. Preferably one made in stealthy black.
28. The Henley Shirt (1981)
We like them with at least one button undone, the better to show your manly-ass necklaces (or chest hairs?) you’ve got hiding underneath.
29. An Oversize Logo Belt (1970)
These things will draw attention to a very particular part of your body. So wear them with corresponding swagger.
30. The Autumnal Toggle Coat (1980)
Sometimes known as a duffel coat, it’s the official torso warmer of football season.
31. A Statement Scarf (1988)
By “statement” we do sometimes mean “scarves with writing on them.” But a statement scarf can just as easily be one that makes a statement through its size (usually big) or color (usually bold).
32. The Preppy Button-Down Collar (1990)
For extra prep points, refer to yours as an OCBD. That stands for Oxford Cloth Button Down, and it’s the kind of shirt that’s de rigueur at country clubs and frat houses.
33. Aviators (1974)
To stand the test of time, your glasses should look less like Tom Cruise’s in Top Gun and more like Michael Caine’s in...everything.
34. The Three-Piece Suit (1978)
Three-piece suits are some of the best values in menswear, because while they look polished and professional as a set, you can also pull the pieces apart and wear ’em as separates.
35. One-Color Dressing (1994)
This trick works with almost any color, but it works best with darks. The closer you get to wearing all orange, the more you’ll look like walking citrus.
36. A Softer-Sided Briefcase (1997)
Your briefcase should match your work persona: It should be tough and dignified, but also able to stretch and flex as needed.
37. Don Draper’s Fedora (1964)
We’re not sure whether Mad Men kick-started the menswear revolution or was just along for the ride. But during the show’s run, from 2007 to 2015, a generation of guys learned to care about clothes again—and menswear suddenly began outpacing womenswear in sales.
38. The Turtleneck Sweater (1972)
All due respect to Steve Jobs, but we’re not into mock turtlenecks—we like the full-on kind that keep you warm all the way up to your chin.
39. A Big Plaid Coat (1960)
We always say that a coat is the first thing people notice when they see you coming. So make yours count.
40. The Military Cap (1993)
Piece of advice: Keep the military reference in spirit, but maybe don’t go walking around in some old soldier’s hat that you found at the Army Navy Surplus store.
41. A Fur-Collared Jacket (1963)
Rebellion never goes out of style, especially if you conjure up your inner Marlon Brando with a leather jacket like this one.
42. Rock ’n’ Roll Rings (1959)
To paraphrase The Social Network: You know what’s cool? A ring. You know what’s cooler? A billion rings.
43. A Minimalist Belt (1991)
Fashion nerds (like us!) refer to this style of belt as a D-ring. Feel free to refer to yours as “the kind without the prong.”
44. The Checkered Sports Jacket (1966)
If we really had to, we could find 365 different ways to wear this jacket and simply never take it off.
45. Albino Trousers (2004)
White jeans have become a staple. Cosmopolitan and dandyish white trousers are the next level up on the swerve-o-meter.
46. A Badass Biker (2001)
You do not need to know how to ride a motorcycle to pull one of these off. Though it does always help.
47. The Jean Jacket (1999)
In these casual times, a good jean jacket is as crucial a piece as anything you own—because you can wear it with, over, or under pretty much everything else in your closet.
48. Sweatpants for the Streets (2013)
Did you know there was once a time when sweatpants were considered weekend cozywear that should never leave the house? That time seems very long ago.
49. The Cleanest White Sneaker (2007)
White sneakers should be a part of your footwear arsenal right alongside loafers, brogues, and boots. If you’ve got those four, you’re pretty much set.
50. The Floppy Bow Tie (1975)
Decade after decade, it never fails: If you want an instant attention grabber and compliment getter, all you gotta do is wrap your neck in a bow.
51. The Retro Knit Tie (1992)
As ties feel less and less necessary, the ones we want to wear are the ones with a little something extra: not kooky patterns, but interesting textures.
52. The Old-School Tie Bar (2008)
It does more than hold your tie in place. It holds your look together.
53. The Foulard Dress Shirt (1957)—It’s pronounced foo-lard, and it’s what you wear once you’ve already conquered conventional stripes and dots.
54. Arms of Steel (1982)
A stainless steel watch is a little less precious (literally and figuratively) than gold, with a tough veneer that suggests it’ll keep ticking even longer than you will.
55. A Plaid, Plaid, Plaid Suit (1969)
Fear not the plaid suit. It’s an attention-grabber if you want it to be. But you can also ask for a “shadow plaid,” something like black on gray, which is subtler and easier to pull off.
56. A Year-Round Beanie (2011)
When guys started wearing knit caps outside the dead of winter, that’s when the beanie really became a style piece.
57. The Puffer Vest (2014)
We like it because you can wear it on the slopes…and then keep right on wearing it into town.
58. The Beatnik Sweater (1961)
What’s a beatnik sweater? If you could imagine wearing it to a smoky Greenwich Village café while grooving on some folk music—and, also, it has a funky pattern all over it—it’s a beatnik sweater.
59. Faded Blue Jeans (1989)
Most denim fits and washes go in and out of style. This particular blue, though, is as timeless as fashion ever gets.
60. Alpine Boots (1984)
Even if you don’t wear these to go hiking through Switzerland, you can always tell yourself you’re just not doing that yet.
