How David Beckham Changed The Game With His Bold ’90s Style

How do you begin to unpack a fashion tour de force like David Beckham? In the annals of all-time classic style, it’s safe to say the former England captain will be remembered in the gold standard echelon alongside names like Fred Astaire, Steve McQueen, Miles Davis, and, erm, Joe Exotic. If getting dressed was a game of football, Becks would have taken home the Man of the Match award on, like, one billion different occasions by now. Fearless, original, daring—there are no end of superlatives to describe his sartorial performances. Don’t even get us started on the haircuts. Beckham’s influence on modern menswear is immeasurable. These days, a guy can pull on a blouse and most people wouldn’t bat an eyelid, but things weren’t always like that. In a sport traditionally governed by machismo — where anything that could be considered even loosely effeminate was met with derision — the idea of a heavyweight player stepping out wearing a sarong was pretty much unthinkable. But that’s what he did in 1998, single-handedly remolding straight-guy culture while killing the stereotype that anyone who enjoyed the game must be a beer-swilling edge lord. Without him, contemporary icons like Hector Bellerin and Serge Gnabry would have undoubtedly found some of their more outre looks come under closer scrutiny. Perhaps we all would. Read more at Highsnobiety.