Made to measure: Living la vida leather with a menswear trend for 2014

When it comes to amped-up masculine staples, nothing beats clothing constructed from leather. Just eye these notable looks from four of the entertainment world’s sleek masters.

Israel Broussard. Tommaso Boddi / WireImage
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When it comes to amped-up masculine staples, nothing beats clothing constructed from leather. Since Marlon Brando donned a leather jacket in the 1953 outlaw biker flick The Wild One – and made it a potent symbol of youthful rebellion – the material has been appropriated by subcultures and mainstream figures. Designers have continued to modernise and reinvent leather – just eye these notable looks from four of the entertainment world’s sleek masters.

A good sense of style is not just about knowing the rules – sometimes it’s also about breaking them. Young Hollywood’s Israel Broussard’s recent red-carpet outing did just that: instead of the usual suit, he wore an ultra-dapper, tailored Ferragamo jacket with a contemporary silhouette. This is exactly what 2014 men’s style is all about: impeccable, understated craftsmanship.

• Get the look: Wool jacket with leather detailing, Cos, Dh905

Trust the hip-hop world to ignite clothing trends. At the recent MTV Europe Music Awards, the English musician Dizzee Rascal wore a quilted leather sweatshirt – three words we never thought would go together. Perplexing at first, but look closer and the piece says casual-cool as well as any. (A week after the EMAs, quilted shirts appeared on Topman’s racks.)

• Get the look: Faux quilted leather sweatshirt, Topman, Dh195

The best items on Justin Theroux’s all-black “don’t mess with me” wardrobe are his leather biker jackets, which he consistently pairs with grey shirts, basic dark denims, sunglasses and roughed-up boots (and, often, an all-black motorcycle). It’s a look that’s mysterious, minimal and always fitted to perfection – another proof that simplicity trumps trends.

• Get the look: Quilted leather biker jacket, McQ by Alexander McQueen, Dh4,915

“Rappers are the new rock stars,” declared GQ magazine in their year-end style report. And no other rapper dresses to impress like Kanye West. While the Givenchy leather kilt he sported throughout his Watch the Throne tour was a bit too forward for our tastes, he always pulls off leather trousers and sweatpants – especially when he pairs them with classics such as a plaid shirt or a denim jacket. Remember, you don’t have to be a rock star to pull it off.

• Get the look: Faux leather trousers, Zara, Dh295