"Women are into fashion, men are into style, style is forever" – Domenico Dolce

Womenswear progresses in leaps and bounds, fueled by the readiness of women to wear what may at the time be perceived as the radical or outrageous. Not so menswear –menswear evolves, slowly. But from what? Behind nearly every item in the modern male wardrobe is a "first of its kind" – the definitive item, often designed by a single company or brand for specialist use, on which all subsequent versions have been based (and originals of which are now collector items in the booming vintage market).

Icons of Men's Style examines, garment by garment, the most important and famous of these products – their provenance and history, the stories of their design, the brand/company that started it all and how the item shaped the way men dress today.