From actors to musicians to NBA players, 2023 was a year in which men got dressed up and experimented with textures and patterns. To be considered a stylish man in 2023, it takes having gumption and faith that you can pull things off from brands that may not be household names. To win our stamp of approval, whether on the front row of a runway show or a red carpet these individuals wore clothing that left us eager for their next look. They wore relevant brands and worked with their stylists to convey their willingness to stick out amongst their peers. Actor Yahya Adbul-Mateen II, rapper and everyone’s favorite cool dad A$AP Rocky, Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Usher, and Pharrell Williams are who we consider the most stylish men of 2023. Each of them has showcased the meaning of personal style while uplifting the art of getting dressed.
Yahya has been working with stylist Jan-Michael Quammie all year long, and she has polished each of his red carpet looks–she’s also made them interesting. From tailored suiting to playful and flamboyant silhouettes, the actor’s looks have been redefining masculinity in a sensual way. The way that Quammie plays with clean lines makes the actor look like an absolute dreamboat. Up next is Bottega Veneta’s latest campaign star A$AP Rocky. Known for his edgy-chic style, Rocky’s looks are always authentic to him. He’s constantly mixing streetwear and high fashion brands. He isn’t afraid of accessorizing with lots of jewelry, nail polish, or hair clips either.
Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s tunnel looks are always consistently hitting. The basketball player knows his proportions and loves an underground brand just as much as he loves a high fashion brand. He’s only 25 years old so he’s in the Gen Z pocket of this list, bringing youth to the conversation. Gen Zers like Shai are always pushing the boundaries when it comes to personal style, and he’s not one to shy away from attention, in fact, he’s garnered his following due to his sartorial choices.
Usher has been in the running for one of our Best Dressed Men of 2023 ever since he stepped foot on the Met Gala red carpet with designer Bianca Sauders at his side. He of all people championing a Black woman designer was our favorite thing to see this year. Additionally, his Fashion Month moments were a sight to see. Producer and creative director Pharrell Williams seems to make it in everyone’s best-dressed lists but it’s well-deserved. Williams is the ultimate cool guy, his Skateboard P era shaped the way Gen Z guys dress currently. The man may be known for his music but he’s also a style icon.
Other rappers like Skepta, 21 Savage, Gunna, and Offset have all had an amazing year when it came to tour looks, attending Fashion Month, and everything in between. Each man has a flare of his own when it comes to mixing high fashion and streetwear.
Dive into ESSENCE’s Best Dressed Men of 2023 below.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has been killing the red carpet style all of 2023. Thanks to his stylist Jan-Michael Quammie, he’s been seen in brands like Ferragamo and Givenchy. Mateen’s ability to just be consistently himself even in pieces that seem out of his element is what a Best Dressed Man would do. His off-the-carpet style when he’s just out and about or posting on Instagram seems to translate the same way.
A$AP Rocky
The coolest dad, rapper, and partner to the coolest mom ever Rihanna, A$AP Rocky is a fashion boy through and through. He’s never not seen in tailored oversized jeans, beautiful Bottega suits, or stacking accessories like jewelry or hair clips. Rocky is one of those guys who has never let gender deter him from self-expression, from painting his nails to wearing band-aids as an accessory or layering skirts over his jeans, he’s always been one to push a fashion boundary. It’s no wonder he was tapped by Puma to serve as creative director of its F1 sector and to be Bottega Veneta’s leading man in their latest paparazzi-inspired campaign.
21 Savage
21 Savage has had a great year when it came to his tour looks thanks to his stylist Fatima. Even his recent posts on Instagram wearing full Louis Vuitton in Paris and his moto-inspired look while visiting London have proven that this is his year fashion-wise. He’s been serving up high fashion meets ‘90s streetwear. From full monochromatic looks with attention to detail and brands like Mowalola and more Louis Vuitton being sported on stage, it’s a no-brainer the rapper had to be added to our Best Dressed Men of 2023 list.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
At just 25, the Oklahoma City Thunder player has made a name for himself in the fashion industry. Gilgeous-Alexander gets dressed knowing his proportions well–the way his trousers meet his shoes to the way a shirt falls right at his hip bone, he’s unafraid to serve up an early ’00s NBA-inspired ‘fit. All year his tunnel looks and Instagram outfits haven’t missed once. These looks are well-tailored coats and jackets, button-downs and jeans that fit correctly, and light accessorizing.
Usher
Usher officially has become one of our top Best Dressed Men of 2023. To be clear his Las Vegas residence has nothing to do with our decision. From the beginning of the year to its closing, he’s been impeccably dressed. For instance, when he wore a Chanel tweed jacket with layers and layers of pearl necklaces at Paris Fashion Week, it was a distinct moment. At, Paris Fashion Week Men’s where he sported orange hair in the front row of fashion shows like Wales Bonner with his eye-catching looks also signified a new style era for the beloved R&B singer (Jan-Michael Quammie is also responsible for breathing life into Usher’s wardrobe). His Marni red and black polka dot look next to Erykah Badu’s yellow plaid suit at Marni’s Fall/Winter 2023 runway was bold yet tasteful and set the precedent for our Best Dressed Men list.
Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams is undeniably a style icon. His many eras from Skateboard P to now are filled with moments that speak to his willingness to be eons ahead of the pack, his taste and inclinations make him a present-day influential style figure. During every Fashion Week, we see effortless looks from the Louis Vuitton Men’s creative director. The most recent Paris Fashion Week was a good one for Williams as well. When he turned up with his orange hair in an actual denim suit, yellow-tinted aviator frames, and purple boots there was no question that he was going to end up on this list. The multi-hyphenate has been doing fashion much longer than his appointment at Louis Vuitton. For years he’s had an incredibly keen eye for style and high quality that we can all appreciate.
Colman Domingo
Actor Colman Domingo is an unsung fashion star. Domingo’s style has to be one of the most experimental and chic in the full list. The suits he’s worn on the red carpet have immaculate detailing from the different fits in silhouette to down to the clean lines in the tailoring. Recently on the red carpet for his latest movie The Color Purple, he wore a burgundy suit by Louis Vuitton. This pivotal look was styled by the duo Wayman Deon and Micah McDonald. The pants had a balloon fit to them, giving him that editorial look we all love to see from him. He’s one to watch more closely when it comes to red carpet style.
Jalen Hurts
Our Men’s Issue cover star Jalen Hurts is a phenomenal football player and a very stylish individual. Hurts goes for more laid-back looks when he’s off the field like varsity-style jackets and a bright pair of pants or well-fitting jeans. When he’s dressing up he goes for more tonal looks with muscle-hugging shirts and straight-leg or wide-leg pants. He leans towards a streetwear aesthetic yet ties it in perfectly with more classic pieces. So far this football season he’s been spotted in staples by Gallery Department, Union Los Angeles, Louis Vuitton, and more.
Skepta
The U.K.-based rapper-turned-designer Skepta has been a style icon since his career’s inception. One poignant look he donned this year was a custom Burberry suit which he wore to the Met Gala. He tends to wear pieces that are classic like button-downs or crisp T-shirts with large but not gaudy chains. He also made his mark during London Fashion Week in daring pieces like an all-white Casablanca look with an open vest and nothing under with matching pants. Skepta is also dipping his toes into the global fashion industry by debuting his brand MAINS.
Offset
Offset has had our attention for the entirety of 2023 not just due to the rollout of his solo album: Set It Off. His style has elevated in memorable ways this year too. His collaborative efforts with his stylist and creative director Shaleeta Pendleton have been difficult to ignore. With Pendleton, he’s been able to showcase his comfortability with remixing streetwear pieces. He often elevates classic items or goes all out with eccentric outfits topped off with a mask. This year’s look he’s pulled off consists of pieces by Denim Tears to wearing cardigans and ties with jeans and boots. His rap prowess and dressing capabilities have been expansive this year.
Pusha T
Rapper Pusha T has been sporting brands from Martine Rose to Louis Vuitton on his day-to-day. His simple yet elevated style has kept our eyes on him this year. His stage looks and campaign looks for brands like Adidas have shown us his sense of style has evolved in just this past year. Pusha T being selected to model in Pharrell’s debut Louis Vuitton presentation speaks to his influence not just in the music space–but also in the fashion industry.
Lewis Hamilton
Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton has been championing Black designers since he’s been growing in popularity. Hamilton went to The Met Gala in 2021 and made sure his entire table was filled with emerging Black designers like Edvin Thompson of Theophilio, Kenneth Nicholson, and Jason Rembert of Aliétte. You’ll often see the driver in the front row at Fashion Week wearing bold and colorful outfits by brands like Off-White and Valentino. His Grand Prix entrances are our favorite part of the racing sport. Hamilton has created a space for fashion in F1 by expressing himself through his style.
Gunna
Gunna has been having an adventurous and experimental year when it comes to his fashion choices. His performance looks alone are noteworthy–they’ve consisted of sheer tops and stacked fabric pants. Amongst his peers, we’ve noticed he’s taking risks rather than taking heed to how a rapper from the South typically dresses. These new looks prove that clothing surpasses the rules of gender and transcends into self-expression.