borderlineinsanity:

gq: the 50 most stylish men

steve mcqueen

in 1974, frank sinatra, sammy davis jr., and liza minnelli asked steve mcqueen to attend a fund-raiser for an actor named james stacy, who had lost an arm and a leg in a motorcycle accident. it was a black-tie affair, and all of the biggest names in show business—clint eastwood, burt reynolds, john lennon—were in attendance. mcqueen showed up in a plaid benetton lumberjack shirt, blue jeans, boots, and a long beard. it was vintage mcqueen. the star of the great escape and bullitt achieved icon status because of the girls, the cars, and the tough-guy persona. but writer james wolcott’s description of mcqueen as a “surf bum–hippie” is most fitting. mcqueen was at his best when he looked like he’d just washed up on the beach. his rugged, dressed-down style—dungarees, v-neck t-shirts, wrinkled oxford shirts—perfectly complemented his dusty blond hair, china blue eyes, and hard, almost weathered features.