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What are the three greatest men's style cities in the world?

YoungAmerican

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As part of our preparations for season two of Put This On, we’re looking for the three greatest men’s style cities in the world. Our three choices will determine the content of our second season: this is serious business.

What are the greatest men’s style cities in the world? Paris? Naples? London? Atlanta? Hong Kong? Chicago? Dubai? Rome? Berlin? Harris & Lewis? San Francisco? New York? Mexico City? Shanghai? Kalamazoo?

What cities have the most amazing makers? The most remarkable shops? The most vital style cultures?

In the month of August, we’ll have a showdown to determine the winners, but before we get to that, we need nominees.

So, what do you think are the three greatest men’s style cities in the world?

On Tuesday, we’ll tabulate the responses and set up our brackets.

Ready… steady… go!
 

NewYorkIslander

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I'll have to say New York and London are a lock. As far as the rest go, they all seem to be just a notch below and difficult to differentiate. Milan and Paris seem to be similar, maybe with Milan getting the nod as I view Paris as more female fashion centric. Napoli has some wonderful artisans, but the general population couldn't give two ***** for the most part. Maybe Rome? Remember when Rusty and Clark got suited up in European Vacation? LOL.
 

YoungAmerican

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I have to admit I'm most excited about Paris, London and Hong Kong... though that might just be because that's where I most want to go and shoot :).
 

RogerC

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I would take London and Hong Kong as my interchangeable top two. London for obvious reasons, it is the one city I cannot leave without buying something, but it is also where the essentials of style and quality are recognized at lower price points. I like Hong Kong because it's the one city in the world where those on lower budgets (like self) can still afford high-quality bespoke tailoring.

As a third, I might go out on a limb and nominate Antwerp. Bikkembergs and Van Noten, amongst others.
 

bourbonbasted

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I don't want to sound overly biased to one region of the world, so I'll go: NYC, London, Tokyo.

Good mix this way as London is more about traditional style, Tokyo is more about cutting edge style and NYC is a nice mix of the two with some American flavor intertwined. Italy should be in there somewhere, but all things considered I think that's the A Team.
 

Gus

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This is very hard to answer because your range of criteria is so broad. Makers are very different than shops or style cultures. Kind of apples and oranges. So I will answer it on the basis of overall style and fashion culture and expression.

New York has the best and most diverse examples in the US.

I would take Paris over London. London is good but fairly segmented and uniform in those segments. Paris has more self-expression and diversity, which makes it an all-around winner in my book. I would also take NYC over London for the same reason.

Then you must include Asia, but I do not have the first-hand experience to select Hong Kong verses Tokyo for certain. But my guess is that HK is becoming the one.

So, New York, Paris, Hong Kong.

Much to my displeasure, San Francisco doesn't rank a mention :(
 

Gdot

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I'm going to cheat:

1). New York and London as if it's a single city - They are so connected stylistically that from a world view they are nearly the same. (Yes I know there are vast differences to us Americans and Brits and many Europeans - but again to the rest of the world - nearly identical). Still the center and the 'denominator' of good taste around the world - the most emulated style.

2). Tokyo - For representing the most creative and rigorous exploration of fashion in the last decades. And a really interesting collection of stylish people on the streets and out in public.

3). Milan - For being the center of a fashion industry whose influence has been on the rise for decades (Italy) and is currently riding a huge wave of popularity in Asia and the Middle East. (I know Napoli is where it's really at in terms of current tailors/style centers - but the rest of the world doesn't know that yet and Napoli is not exactly crawling with style as a place overall.)

I thought hard about Paris - but ultimately decided that the Paris aesthetic, while quite something in and of itself, is actually not very influential in the world of menswear at this point in time.

Wondering how much longer before MOSCOW is high on this list. Last time I was there things were looking more sophisticated than ever.
 

NewYorkIslander

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I thought long and hard about Hong Kong for the reasons mentioned above, however, when it comes down to it Hong Kong is just a place where European styles are copied with quality workmanship. There is no defacto Hong Kong style like there is in all the other cities listed. So my nod for Asia would have to be Tokyo, where they seem to interpret men's fashion in their own way.
 

Guero

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What cities have the most amazing makers? The most remarkable shops? The most vital style cultures?


While I realize this reflects a heavy SF bias, based on the fact that you use the term "makers" and not manufacturers, "style" and not fashion, and "style culture" instead of universally stylishly dressed populace, I would think you'd have to include Naples. That's certainly consistent with my own visit and shopping experience there. I don't think you can measure that based on Naples' global impact, but on a subjective basis I think you have to throw it in the mix.
 

Gdot

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I thought long and hard about Hong Kong for the reasons mentioned above, however, when it comes down to it Hong Kong is just a place where European styles are copied with quality workmanship. There is no defacto Hong Kong style like there is in all the other cities listed. So my nod for Asia would have to be Tokyo, where they seem to interpret men's fashion in their own way.


+1 - My thoughts exactly!
 

Saturdays

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This is fairly easy to point out in my opinion:

Milan/Florence, NYC, London

I have to say Hong Kong, Seoul, Monaco, Paris and maybe Tokyo, are all pretty stylish as well. I think the top 3 for the time being will stay around for some time.
 

E TF

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I would take Paris over London. London is good but fairly segmented and uniform in those segments. Paris has more self-expression and diversity, which makes it an all-around winner in my book. I would also take NYC over London for the same reason.(


I think PSG is right about London, though that isn't necessarily a drawback - it has always been a city of distinct "urban villages" (apologies for the horrible jargon), one which grew organically over centuries, engulfing what were once actual villages, compared to Paris, which was largely rebuilt to a plan in the 1850s. That said there seem to be more places in London where I feel out of place in a suit than in Paris. I'm not so familiar with Italian cities, but at least one of them must be a contender.

But if you do come to London don't just look at Savile Row/Jermyn St. Consider the City, and the East End, traditional home of the rag trade since the arrival of Huguenot silk weavers from France in the eighteenth century - there remain a number of cloth wholesalers, tailors and so on thereabouts (including a certain Michael Drake), as well as a lot of more trendy modern arrivals. I recommend you have a look at the excellent blog Spitalfields Life for a flavour of the area.

Fan of season one by the way!
 

Unregistered

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I'm from Hong Kong and I really don't think Hong Kong is top 3...
 

jeromestyle

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This is fairly easy to point out in my opinion:

Milan/Florence, NYC, London

I have to say Hong Kong, Seoul, Monaco, Paris and maybe Tokyo, are all pretty stylish as well. I think the top 3 for the time being will stay around for some time.


Tokyo is way more stylish than Seoul... Most of the stylish people you see in HK are there on transit!
 
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