The best dressed men at the 89th Academy Awards

Benjamen Judd.

It seems the gents of Hollywood have learnt a thing or two when it comes to turning up the style barometer for the red carpet because, despite grey skies above, there were plenty of clear wins below at the 89th Academy Awards.

Trying to name best dressed bloke at an event like the Oscars can be as hard as trying to decide which star of Friends was the most annoying (it was Ross).

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But this year, either thanks to some rather inventive stylists or just a more creative calibre of actor, has been a pleasant surprise with some truly inspiring interpretations of a rather staid dress code.

Rules have been flouted, traditions ignored and a lot more fun has been had particularly in the accessories department led by the always on point Pharrell Williams. If there was ever a man who was true and genuine trendsetter, it's Williams.

Boys in blue

The biggest trend of the night was the ditching of old school black in favour for a hundred shades of blue ranging from the bright cobalt sported by Chris Evans to the richer navy worn by Riz Ahmed.

You could say this many men turning up in similar hues us just a huge coincidence. But then you realise that the official colour of the American Civil Liberties Union also happens to be the exact same shade and you get the feeling that the boys were getting a little political with their attire.

Monotonal

Another noticeable trend was the monotonal dressing, taking us straight back to your high school formal circa 2003 – black shirt, black tie, black suit. Moonlight's Mahershala Ali worked this particular style like a star, breaking it up with a rather unexpected polka dot pocketsquare.

Contrasting concepts

While not at the official event, James Corden repped the big boys with a loud, and rather bolshie, red shawl lapel. Initially somewhat jarring, it's hard not to admire the confidence to pull this look off.

Other actors who opted for this style kept it more subdued, such as David Oyelowo and Josh Dallas, sticking to traditional black and white or in Dallas's case a rich chocolate velvet and black lapel. Andrew Garfield went one further and did it with his shoes.

But some of the best looks came not from unusual colours but from a breaking the accessory mould. Historically, a lapel pin, bowtie and maybe a pocketsqaure would the most a man would wear with his tux. But not if you're name's Pharrell Williams.

Finer details

Wearing ropes of pearls that the women off Downton Abbey would be envious of, the singer proved yet again that men can actually have a little fun with their wardrobes.

Aldis Hodge, although not as over-the-top, kept it classy with an embellished brooch-cum-lapel pin and Josh Dallas lifted his with a silver rose pin.

As for Oscar-shoe in Ryan Gosling – the La La Land star embraced a '70s vibe with his frilled Gucci shirt. Even if he doesn't take the statue home, he can rest assured that he had a winning look.

Check out the gallery above to see the best dressed men at this year's Oscars.

Executive Style