When I started to talk to my friends about preparing a masculine response to Kat’s assessment of television’s most stylish moments, Don Draper was the first name on everyone’s lips, closely followed by the dandyish Chuck Bass.

But when we started to cast our minds further into the past, things started to get interesting; would we be rewarding dapperness, or how influential their style was? How far back could we go? More importantly, thought I, who would be most likely to polarise TheVine readers? So, in no particular order, here’s my nominations for TV’s most stylish men.

Don Draper - Mad Men 

It may be inconceivable to most of you to think of Don Draper as “not sexy enough”, but this is precisely what the television executives at AMC initially thought when Jon Hamm was being considered for the role. Indeed, Matthew Weiner, the show’s creator, told the story while in Australia recently that it wasn’t until two of them (a woman and a gay guy) went for drinks with him that they were able to see his charm. Perhaps this has been the motivation for keeping a neat scotch permanently affixed to the character’s hand.

This man doesn’t have style, he is style. So pervasive is his influence in my life that there have been many occasions where I’ve muttered “WWDDD” (what would Don Draper do?) under my breath. Usually, the answer is to put on a clean shirt, pour a drink and light up a Lucky.

Chuck Bass - Gossip Girl

Chuck Bass may occasionally look a little like a mini-me version of perennially cravatted Matt Preston, but unlike his gourmand counterpart, Bass always manages to salvage things by the end of each episode. Ed Westwick, who plays Bass to arrogant perfection, may make my GF swoon with his breathy voice and subtle lip curl, but it is his J. Press patchwork silk scarf, which features in much of season 1 and 2, that makes me weak at the knees. The current season has Bass in perfectly fitting suits as he embarks on adulthood and legitimacy in the world of business, however, it’s the swagger that accompanies them that really make this man stylish as hell.

Howard Moon - The Mighty Boosh

“What’s that?”, I hear you ask, “Not Vince Noir?!?!”. No. Not Vince. And here’s why; Vince is a slave to fashion. He might think himself a trendsetter following his 15-minute stint on the cover of Cheekbone magazine, but that’s fashion, not style.

Howard’s a man who knows where he’s going and what he’s about. His capacity to transition easily from the camouflage of forest casual to the utilitarianism of a safari suit that zips off at the upper thigh demonstrates his versatility. Howard doesn’t so much wear his clothes, as shame them into submission.

Chris Stevens

That hair. That long, wavy hair. His way with words. I had a man-crush on John Corbett well before his appearance as love interest to SJP on Sex and the City. I’ve always had a fascination with workwear, and Chris In The Morning probably kick-started this for me. He’s rugged and handsome and always had a way with the ladies. This, ladies and gentlemen, is Yukon style at its peak.

Jonathon Ames - Bored to Death

Jason Schwartzman is most likely already well known to you all from his appearance in many Wes Anderson films, wherein he plays, well, Jason Schwartzman. It’s no different in this wonderful new series, written by Jonathan Ames about an early thirties writer named Jonathan Ames, who decides to market himself on Craigslist as an unlicensed private detective after being dumped by his girlfriend. If the plot doesn’t instantly grab you, the meticulously preppy outfits by über-trendy brand Band of Outsiders certainly will. The youth are reclaiming corduroy and tweed, and it begins here.

Joey Jeremiah - Degrassi Junior High/Degrassi High

Forget his current appearances on the updated Degrassi formula, it was the young and brash Canadian teen that really left his mark on our collective memory. Joey’s penchant for waistcoats, Hawaiian shirts and his ever present Trilby has inspired a generation.

Omar Little - The Wire
 
Any man who can wander to the shops, buy a box of cheerios and conduct an inadvertent drug rip, all in a blue silk nightgown, must have something going for him. And he’ll definitely wear a tie for you, if you ask nicely.

John Steed - The Avengers

Dashing and deadly, with a bowler hat and an umbrella always in hand. Played by Patrick Macnee, Steed was always be-suited and ready for action. If there was ever a man that resisted the whole swinging London thing that was going on in the ‘60s, and yet so completely typifies it too.

Honourable Mentions (or those that I couldn’t find enough pictures for).

•    Brother Mouzone (The Wire)
•    Simon Adebisi (OZ)
•    Al Swearengen (Deadwood)
•    Dan Conner (Roseanne)
•    Al Borland (Home Improvement)
•    Steve Urkel (Family Matters)
•    Maxwell Smart (Get Smart)
•    Ricky Ricardo (I Love Lucy)