Esquire’s Best-dressed man search in Edinburgh

Men’s fashion magazine Esquire and online clothing retailer My-Wardrobe continued their hunt for Britain’s best-dressed real man 2011 in Edinburgh on Thursday night.   Lulu’s Bar on George Street hosted the style event, which invited men of any age who deemed themselves to be well-dressed to attend the evening for a photo-shoot and to sample new clothing.

The event ‘kicked off’ at 6:30pm with just one man willing to be photographed, with very few actually attending throughout the night. Esquire and My-Wardrobe fashion teams hosted style workshops and free Peroni beer and light nibbles were on offer, but just 60 people had entered the bar with less than half an hour before the end of the night, with the majority not there to actually compete.

Despite this, Catherine Hayward, Fashion Director at Esquire magazine, said she was pleased with the overall response to the competition in comparison to last year. She said:-“Applications to last year’s contest were only submitted by people who sent us photos. We also scouted on the streets of Britain’s main cities, but these evening events are a chance for the guys to come to a relaxed environment and get their photo taken.”

“The main thing we have found throughout our search is a definite difference in male styling in each region. In the financial areas of each city the smart, stylish look is very much apparent and in Glasgow and Edinburgh we have seen many men with a ‘classic’ appearance, but are, for some reason, more self-conscious when been approached by us on the street.”

She continued: “A similarity among all men is that they do not want to ‘show off’ as such, but do focus on minute details when styling themselves, which is what we’re looking out for. It’s all about having the confidence to put a ‘look’ together and, by mixing things up, many men are creating their own unique style.”

With a prize worth £25,000, it was surprising that more men did not turn up, although the magazine had received numerous online submissions. The rather lame turnout could have highlighted the fact that many are self-conscious and don’t want to appear boastful when it comes to styling.

Tess Macleod-Smith, Group Publishing Director of Luxary Group, said: “The success of last year’s campaign proved that fashion isn’t just about celebrity, and British men do have an innate sense of style, an attention to detail and an attitude that sets us apart from other nationalities.”

The eventual winner of the search is to win a £20,000 spend at My-Wardrobe (the equivalent of a brand new outfit every fortnight for a year), a Longines watch, a Niven and Joshua hamper, a night London’s Mayfair Hotel and a coveted cover shoot for Esquire’s October issues. The runners up will each receive a Longines watch.

Hayward (pictured) continued: “Lulu’s Bar has been a great venue, with the low lighting sure to make men feel more comfortable when getting photographed. It’s the buzz of evening events like this one that continue to generate more interest in fashion, with Esquire preparing big plans during and after it’s 20th anniversary in Britain very soon.”