Men of Style

WE KNOW STYLE WHEN WE SEE IT.

True style has become rare and a more deliberate pursuit. The modern man of taste is no longer defined by logos or novelty, but by discernment and by an understanding of heritage, craftsmanship, narrative, and restraint. At the center of this recalibration are a handful of men who don’t merely dress well, but shape how others think about style itself. Matt Hranek, Aaron Sigmond, Craig DeLongy, Christian Zeron and Ken Aretsky stand apart not as influencers, but as stewards of a more thoughtful, enduring masculine identity.

Here are Va Bene Style's Men Of Style.

Matt Hranek: Living the Life He Documents

Matt Hranek of WM Brown doesn’t sell style. He lives it. His world is one of patinated leather chairs, worn-in tweed, vintage watches, slow mornings, and well-earned pleasures. Hranek’s genius lies in his ability to frame aspiration without artifice. WM Brown is not about perfection; it’s about earned character. His imagery, writing, and editorial voice champion a life where elegance comes from time, use, and intention and not trend cycles. Whether profiling a perfectly aged Barbour jacket or a Tuscan villa table set for lunch, Hranek reminds men that style is inseparable from how you live. Clothing is merely the outer layer of a richer philosophy: quality over quantity, experience over display and Hranek infuses everything he does with those ingredients. Hranek has the inconvenient habit of being the best-dressed man in the room while also being the reason the room is worth being in.

Aaron Sigmond: The Scholar of Masculine Ritual

If Hranek documents the life, Aaron Sigmond explains the why. “Sig” to those who know him, is a prolific author and cultural historian of men’s style, beautiful cars, exceptional watches and his favorite topic, cigars,  Sigmond approaches tailoring, dress, and etiquette with intellectual rigor and reverence. His work elevates clothing beyond aesthetics into anthropology, revealing how rituals of the clip and lighting of a Toro help shape identity, confidence, and conduct for men of style. He writes for men who appreciate a well-cut jacket, a aroma of a fine puro or the touch of a mechanical watch. Sigmond makes a compelling case that real style is not learned on Instagram, but slowly earned, deliberately and preferably with a cigar burning evenly.

Craig DeLongy: The Clothier as Craftsman

Craig DeLongy represents the clothier in its purest form. He is hands-on, personal, deeply knowledgeable and yearns to help style everyone from a customer to a gentleman sitting next to him at a fine steakhouse. To DeLongy, clothing is not transactional; it’s relational. A proper garment, he believes, must reflect not only body and taste, but life and intention. He values fabric provenance, balance, proportion, and longevity. His clients don’t chase trends, they build wardrobes. In everything he does, DeLongy quietly preserves the soul of the trade: service, precision, and trust. His collection of pocket squares quietly outnumbers most men’s entire wardrobes.

Christian Zeron: Modern Stewardship at Theo & Harris

Christian Zeron of Theo & Harris brings the conversation into the modern era without sacrificing integrity. As a leading voice in the vintage watch world, Zeron has built a platform rooted in transparency, education, and reverence for mechanical history. He doesn’t just sell watches—he contextualizes them and looks great doing it. While Zeron understands that watches are emotional objects: heirlooms, milestones, quiet declarations of taste, he combines that knowledge with vintage looks of Stubbs, Irish fisherman sweaters and denim barn coats. His success lies in bridging old-world craftsmanship with contemporary storytelling, proving that heritage can thrive in the digital age when guided by sincerity rather than speculation.

Ken Aretsky: The Restaurateur as Tastemaker

Ken Aretsky of Aretsky’s Patroon embodies a vital, often overlooked dimension of masculine style: hospitality as culture. A legendary figure in New York dining, Aretsky understands that true elegance extends well beyond the wardrobe and into how one hosts, dines, and curates an atmosphere where civility still matters. Patroon is not merely a restaurant; it is a refuge for New York’s establishment class. Aretsky’s personal style mirrors his dining room: quiet, assured, and deeply rooted in tradition, yet immune to obsolescence. He favors Ralph Lauren Purple Label, subtly customized—cuffed sleeves, handmade buttonholes, and precisely lapeled dress coats—details discernible only to the trained eye. There are no overt statements, only signals of connoisseurship. Side Note: Order the Ceasar and the 36-day dry aged sirloin.

EDITOR'S NOTE: ALL these fine gentlemen smoke cigars. ‘nuff said.