The Best in Menswear, From Ralph Lauren Purple Label to Louis Vuitton Trunks

Shirts: Brioni

Brioni is a Best of the Best regular for good reason. In the hands of design director Norbert Stumpfl, the brand has become synonymous with understated elegance via its meticulously crafted tailoring. The shirts are similarly impressive, from expertly cut classic business and dress shirts to modern and unexpectedly casual styles. The Vagabond Overshirt is a standout—and perhaps the perfect expression of that contemporary genre. Generously proportioned with a soft spread collar and pleated chest pockets, it’s practical but smart at the same time. Stumpfl and his team render the style in Brioni’s signature “splittable” wool-and-cashmere blend, in which the faces (i.e., outer surfaces) of two separate fabrics are invisibly woven together to create an overshirt that’s as refined on the inside as it is on the outside.

Relaunch: Dunhill

Dunhill is a 131-year-old British menswear gem that, until recently, felt fusty and unloved. So when parent company Richemont announced that Simon Holloway had taken up the mantle of creative director, Robb Report was intrigued. Dunhill’s February presentation of Holloway’s debut collection (fall ’24) in London’s National Portrait Gallery didn’t disappoint. Statuesque models draped in sharply cut, softly textured, and intricately layered tailoring, as well as in imposing full-length motoring coats in cashmere or leather—a longtime Dunhill signature—paraded through a salon. Eveningwear was both inventive and indulgent, with coordinating coats, suits, and dress shirts out in force. Holloway’s collection, oozing glamour and sophistication, has put the once-sleeping English giant back on the scene.

Eveningwear: Ralph Lauren Purple Label

Ralph Lauren Purple Label’s fall ’24 eveningwear is exceptional, even by the brand’s own elevated standards. In a collection that experiments with the conventions of men’s tailoring, it stands out for its luxurious playfulness. A double-breasted tuxedo is rendered in Black Watch tartan with brass crested buttons, while silk evening waistcoats complement louche, pleated tuxedo trousers and shawl-collar smoking jackets. Velvet jackets also make way for full suits of the fabric, available in emerald green or rich royal blue. If you’re looking to make a statement at parties this fall, Purple Label has you in mind.

Craftsmanship: Davide Taub of Gieves & Hawkes

Davide Taub, head cutter at London’s Gieves & Hawkes, is an unsung hero in luxury menswear. A quiet and thoughtful character, Taub and his 17-strong team, working in the basement of Gieves’s palatial flagship store at No. 1 Savile Row, turn out some of the most precise and creative bespoke tailoring in the world. In his decade-long tenure, Taub has become synonymous with hand-crafted tailoring that innovates—as he puts it, “with a small ‘i’ ”—in terms of functionality, lightness, and comfort. From entirely unstructured and unlined suits to quilted driving jackets and clever double-breasted blazers with hand-warmer pockets to wear like peacoats, his designs are inventively attuned to modern lifestyles. Aficionados take note: Taub and his team visit New York and L.A. three times a year.

Ties: E. Marinella

It’s easy to think of ties as two-dimensional objects—they’re essentially flat lengths of folded silk, after all. But not all ties are folded equally. The best handmade ones have a subtle and pleasing roundness, a fullness of shape that helps them sit comfortably on the neck and form the neatest of knots day after day. E. Marinella, established in 1914, combines Italian silks hand-printed in England, then cut and sewn in Naples, with traditional seven-fold and even nine-fold tie constructions. Draping several feet of fabric on itself nine times, then gently pressing it and stitching it into shape (with one single thread along the tie’s length that’s tacked in place at both ends) is no easy feat, so every tie is made by hand in the brand’s Neapolitan atelier.

The Archivio Collection—easy-wearing, three-fold ties made from characterful silks reissued from E. Marinella’s fabric archives—is worth a look, too. Each piece features the year when the print was first designed sewn onto the back of the blade.

Leather Goods: Hermès Haut à Courroies Hac En Selle

Since its inception as a generously proportioned equestrian bag in the 1920s, the Hermès Haut à Courroies (HAC for short) has remained iconic. A “high belt bag” in English, the HAC was created with a belted closure to secure all the paraphernalia a rider might need to carry, including a helmet, saddle—even bridle and reins. Despite (or perhaps because of ) its specialized design, the HAC quickly became the weekender of choice for the social elite and, six decades later, the archetype for the smaller Birkin handbag. In recent years, it has made a return to vogue for men in search of a stylish carryall with impressive pedigree, and this version in tan—finished with different reliefs inspired by the shape of a saddle—nods to the HAC’s rarefied origins.

Tailoring: Cesare Attolini

Neapolitan tailoring brands can veer toward the theatrical on occasion.. This year’s winner for Best Tailoring, though, is anything but. Cesare Attolini’s suits and separates are the height of classicism, elegantly executed in some of the most exceptional (and understated) textiles around. Fabric is a big thing for the Attolini family. In a departure from most houses’ M.O., clothing here is pressed and left to rest between key stages of the making process, allowing the material to “settle” into shape after it has been worked by one of Attolini’s 130 tailors, each of whom sews garments entirely and painstakingly by hand, using traditional techniques. No wonder a single suit takes an average of 25 to 30 hours to complete.

Outerwear: Brunello Cucinelli

Signor Brunello, as he’s affectionately known, has unveiled his sporty side. In addition to his tailored brisk-weather staples—expect imposing greatcoats and sleek peacoats—this coming fall will offer plenty to choose from in terms of handsome tan and chocolate-brown leathers with intricate shearling details. Whether bombers, knee-length car coats, or asymmetric-fronted jackets that nod to classic biker styles, the house’s outerwear has a freshly rugged sensibility. Layer over one of Cucinelli’s impeccable flannel blazers or a chunky roll-neck.

Knitwear: Stefano Ricci Alpha Yarn Cashmere

There’s cashmere, there’s superlative cashmere, and then there’s Stefano Ricci cashmere woven from the Florentine brand’s new Alpha Yarn. One of the finest fabrics on Earth, Alpha Yarn is sourced from Alashan, a remote region of Inner Mongolia. The fiber itself measures just 13.5 microns in diameter (a human hair can measure anywhere within the range of 50 to 120 microns) and is collected by hand-combing the extra-fine undercoats (a.k.a. belly hairs) of juvenile Hircus goats. Dyed, spun, and knitted into a pullover, Alpha Yarn is extraordinarily soft, lightweight, and strong—knitwear to invest in.

Collaboration: Palace x Gap

Since its founding in 2009, Palace has grown from a niche British skater brand into a global style phenomenon—partially through ingenious collaborations with the likes of Mercedes-AMG, Polo Ralph Lauren, and Juventus. Palace’s latest tie-in, with Gap, landed in March, and its heady mix of prep, quirk, and nostalgia is spot-on. Exploring Gap’s 1990s archives and its enduring connection to skaters and athletes, Palace has reissued retro hits including vivid, color-blocked rugby shirts, varsity jackets, oversize oxford shirts with dropped shoulders, and boldly striped windbreakers. Perhaps most recognizable: a fresh take on the decade’s jersey hoodie, with its graphic chest-emblazoned Gap logo replaced by “Pal,” in Palace’s honor.

Custom Program: Louis Vuitton Hard-Sided Trunks

It’s tough to keep a 170-year-old product feeling relevant, let alone fresh, yet when Louis Vuitton’s Crafting Dreams exhibit landed in New York in April, its multiform assortment of one- of-a-kind hard-sided trunks could not have felt more of the moment. The current vogue for all things “old money aesthetic” surely helps—a particularly apropos boost for a category of luggage whose heyday is inextricably linked with the golden age of steamship travel—but the sheer variety on display throughout seven stories of a Park Avenue penthouse was commission-worthy inspiration all its own. From a transportable mini casino to a towering humidor, sneaker locker, watch vault, and more, the invitation-only presentation was a movable feast of design and engineering, and a reminder that the joy of exploration has long involved joining the unknown with the familiar. Plus, there may be no better canvas (literally) for Damoflage, Pharrell Williams’s contemporary take on LV’s signature Damier pattern.

Retail: Thom Sweeney

Readers who spend time shopping in London or New York will doubtless be familiar with Thom Sweeney’s two emporiums. Both are beautifully designed stores with space to kick back with a coffee or cocktail in hand, as well as to spend. The idea is to create an environment like a members’ club, where you can visit your tailor, indulge in retail therapy, and then while away
a pleasant afternoon playing pool with the Thom Sweeney gang. In March, the brand opened its third store, a speakeasy-like loft space on Melrose Place in Los Angeles, which is designed to continue the theme. Featuring polished-mahogany walls, a state-of-the-art sound system, and a custom-built bar, it’s worthy of Thom Sweeney muse Steve McQueen himself. Another is set to follow in Miami in the fall. This U.S. expansion is welcome news, bringing with it one of the most quietly sophisticated experiences in menswear.

Eyewear: E. B. Meyrowitz

Robb Report has previously explored the intricate processes that go into creating a pair of E. B. Meyrowitz’s custom-made spectacles and sunglasses, but the London-based brand’s ready-to-wear collection—crafted to the same exacting standards and using the same exceptional materials—has grown substantially in recent years. The attention paid to the design and delicate proportions of each frame, from the intellectual-looking, rounded Bloomsbury to the robust and angular Wyndham, is as impressive as the consideration put into the brand’s bespoke offerings. And, with Meyrowitz hosting trunk shows in no fewer than 11 U.S. cities, there’s no excuse not to try a pair (or two).

Styling by: Alex Badia
Model: Zhang Wenhui
Grooming: Anneliese Tieck
Casting and Market: Luis Campuzano
Photo assistant: Andres Cevallos