With Sean Avery at the helm of Mensvogue.com this week, I started to think about athletes who have sartorial inclinations. Sure there are some guys that, thanks to endorsements and convenient relationships with the right fashion houses, don a good looking suit from time to time, but I was interested to research and find those sports heroes who actually have their own, real style. I'm sure by now you've seen enough pictures of Sean Avery -- with and without his clothes on -- so I went out looking for fresh blood. My findings? Soccer surely takes the cake for the most stylish men all around, probably because most players are European. And tennis players aren't bad either -- Roger Federer was on my best dressed list of 2007. But I was probably most surprised to see Tom Brady looking so smashing in his tux at the Met Ball this spring -- in my mind he gets his own credit for being stylish and a football player -- two things I definitely thought were mutually exclusive. Also, it doesn't hurt to have Gisele on your arm.

Thierry Henry, soccer player, Barcelona

Attending a charity event for cystic fibrosis, in Barcelona, 2008.

In Barcelona to be unveiled as a new player for the city's team, 2007.

Leaving Cipriani's in London, 2006.

While captain of Arsenal (an English soccer team), Thierry attends the opening of their new Emirates Stadium, London, 2006.

Tom Brady, football player, New England Patriots

Leaving the Met Ball with his girlfriend, supermodel Gisele Bündchen, NYC, 2008.

Spotted with Jay-Z, NYC, 2008.

In the West Village, NYC, 2008.

With Gisele Bündchen at the opening of the Ermenegildo Zegna store, Fifth Avenue, NYC, 2008.

David Beckham, soccer player, L.A. Galaxy

In San Francisco, 2008.

Arriving for his match against the Kansas City Wizards, Carson, CA, 2008.

With his wife, Victoria Beckham, at a Mel C concert at the Mint, Hollywood, 2007.

In Paris with his English teammates, 2008.

Arriving at the American Film Institute's opening night fest, Los Angeles, 2007.

(Photos: Getty)

While most girls making their way down Broadway in Soho are wearing some kind of vest these days, the compulsion to adhere to that trend has not caught on in the same way for men. Sure, I see vest-clad wanderers here and there (as evidenced below), but they're rarer and the result is more personal and discerning.

Spring Street, NYC, 2008.

Irish singer Gilbert O'Sullivan, circa 1970. (Photo: Getty)

British pop singer Leo Sayer under a pier, circa 1980. (Photo: Getty)

Johnny Depp at a Sweeney Todd press conference, Tokyo, Japan, 2008. (Photo: Getty)

Chevy Chase, 1979. (Photo: Getty)

There seems to be some experimentation going out there with things that go around a guy's neck. I first noticed when my friend Carlos came to pick me up for a party with an untied tie hanging around his neck. As the taxi approached our destination, I asked him if he had forgotten to tie his tie. "No," he replied, "I like it just like this." O.K. Then, I got sent a photo from a friend who saw a guy at a party wearing a handkerchief loosely tied around his neck. Hmm. Then I came across a stranger in Soho that had not one but two sweaters tied country-club-style around his neck. I'm not sure what it adds up to, and I can't say that I am entirely convinced, but I do know that I am always a fan of men who try new things.

Carlos Mota in my elevator, NYC, 2007.

Friends of a friend, Cincinnati, OH, 2008.

Howard Street, NYC, 2008.

And while we're on the topic of Prince Charles in the seventies, I can't help but notice that, in almost any picture I come across of him from that decade, he embodies the absolute best of traditional clothing and style. The longer and messier hair, the muted tone of the colors, the cool sunglasses, the desert boots mixed with the more expected collared shirts and tweed jackets, all contribute to a more laid-back version of what we consider "classic" today. See if you agree with me.

Prince Charles at age 22 visits Lake Rudolf, Kenya, 1971. (Photo: Getty)

Is Prince Charles wearing a "Happy Hermès" sweatshirt? Guards Polo Club, Windsor, U.K., 1977. (Photo: Getty)

Having a drink after competing in a polo match, Windsor, U.K., 1979. (Photo: Getty)

Taking a walk in Windsor Great Park with King Constantine of Greece, Windsor, U.K., 1974. (Photo: Getty)

Prince Charles and Sabrina Guinness watching a polo match at Cowdray Park Polo Club, Midhurst, U.K., 1979. (Photo: Getty)

Windsurfing at Cowes, U.K., 1979. (Photo: Getty)

At Cirencester Polo Club, Gloucestershire, U.K., 1978. (Photo: Getty)

Prince Charles completes his parachute training as Colonel-in-Chief of the Parachute Regiment, South Cerney, U.K., 1978 (Photo: Getty)

With his Jack Russell terrier at Smith's Lawn, Windsor, U.K., 1978. (Photo: Getty)

Where is the tie clip craze coming from? Is it Thom Browne? Or a vintage thing? These are not the only two men I've seen wearing them. They're all around. My association with tie clips is entirely uncool-like a car salesman (or maybe that is cool, depending on what you're going for) -- but the guys I've seen wearing them seem to know what they're doing. And you know I love anything to do with what Prince Charles wore in the seventies.

Madison Avenue, NYC, 2008.

Prince Charles and Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia at Smith's Lawn, Windsor, U.K., 1975. (Photo: Getty)

Bryant Park, NYC, 2008.

Bryant Park, NYC. 2008.

John and Victoria Asprey, Positano, Italy, 1979. (Photo: Getty)

Brooklyn, NYC, 2007.

As summer arrives, the issue of acceptable footwear for men inevitably comes up. While I know that there are men out there who will just never wear sandals no matter what, my own perspective is that there are many others who carry them off to great effect. Here's some inspiration...

James Taylor, 1969.

Prince William chopping wood, Tortel, Chile, 2000.

Dr. Benjamin Spock, British Virgin Islands, 1993.

Bleecker Street, NYC, 2007.

Oscar De La Hoya, 1997.

Bleecker Street, NYC, 2007.

Why can't every guy look this good on the weekend?

Mercer Street, NYC 2008.

Prince Street, NYC 2008.

Spring Street, NYC 2008.

As we enter the long-awaited summer, I thought I'd throw you some inspiration for vacation/beach clothes, which we all know can go horribly wrong. The bottom line: the simpler the better.

Gregory Peck on the beach, 1946. (Photo: Getty)

Poet and playwright, T.S. Eliot lounging at Love Beach while on honeymoon with his wife, Valerie, in the Bahamas, 1957. (Photo: Getty)

Hunter and Mary Goodrich at the Southampton Bathing Corp., Southampton, N.Y., late-1950s. (Photo: Getty)

British prime minister Harold Wilson relaxes on the island of Samson in the Scilly Isles, U.K., 1965. (Photo: Getty)

Sean Connery and Ursula Andress on the set of Dr. No, 1962. (Photo: Getty)

Palm Beach resident, and patent holder of the racing ticket "totalizator," Charles Munn, Palm Beach, F.L., 1962. (Photo: Getty)

As you may have noticed from previous blogs, I've been craving a new take on preppy for quite a while (see the William F. Buckley blog), and I'm just starting to see dribs and drabs of it around the city! In fact, I was so excited to discover Michael Bastian's fresh yet authentic line of prepster classics for men. Subtle changes, such as more fitted jacket, some funky glasses, or an unexpected haircut all transform old school preppy clothes into a better, more updated look.

Mercer Street, NYC, 2008.

Crosby Street, NYC, 2008.

It's one thing to see a look -- such as tapered suit trousers -- promoted in the magazines or on the runways, but I always find it most exciting to notice new sartorial developments as interpreted by the guys who wear them on the street. I wasn't so convinced of this particular cut of pants (I thought, "Oh, this is the men's version of 'skinny jeans.'") until I saw real men wearing them in a way that updated the proportion of a classic suit without making them seem trendy.

East 61st Street, NYC, 2008.

Mercer Street, NYC, 2008.

Prince Street, NYC, 2007.