A stimulating conversation about the fundamentals of personal taste, the insights of the industry, the future of menswear clothing and the development of personal style. This perfectly sums up the set-up of the get-together hosted by Esquire Style Director Teo van den Broeke, for Harrods as part of their Anatomy Of Style http://www.harrods.com/anatomyofstyle feature. Loyal servants of the ever-evolving men’s style, Nick Wooster, Olof Nithenius, Fredrik Risvik and I were brought together by the variety and diversity of our views on something which affects us all: how we express ourselves and present our identity through the way we dress. How does contemporary fashion influence our styling and the choices we make? Watch us in conversation in the film, discussing and dissecting all-things style. 

This led me to think; what is a person’s anatomy of style formed by, what influences and shapes our individual tastes? Style can emerge from flexibility, adaptation, change. For my off-duty look on the shoot I selected Givenchy trainers, opting for colour-blocking with dark greens, light browns and stark yellow and blue. I paired this with more shades of browns and beige with my Polo Ralph Lauren suede safari jacket and a Boglioli cashmere jumper . A gentleman’s take on downtime cool.

Through our discussion we all agreed the unifying element in all our looks and the essential piece for all men regardless of individual style, is the timeless, crisp white shirt. The ultimate outfit building block. Demonstrating the many ways it can be styled, each of us opted for totally different ways to wear it. I selected a white pique cocktail shirt shirt by TOM FORD which can be easily transformed from a pairing with a black tuxedo for formal events to the navy sophisticate suited outfit and even a more casual ensemble for off-duty moments. 

Personal style is all about knowing yourself, being aware of the changes in you and keeping flexible in order to grow. It’s about being comfortable with who you are and dressing for yourself.

Discover my feature as part of the Anatomy Of Style moment http://www.harrods.com/anatomyofstyle/matthew-zorpas