At their best, men’s clothes transcend the age of the wearer. That’s why we continue to admire shots of menswear icons of yesteryear – guys like Mr Pablo Picasso or Mr Gianni Agnelli, who were at least as stylish in their later years as they were in their youth. As we mature, many of us become less concerned about the image we convey to the people around us – and this mellowness is best deployed as a nonchalance about how you put outfits together and which elements you mix.

The mark of a truly beautiful thing is that it will be more appealing with age than it was when it was new – just think of a well-used leather wallet, a vintage car or even a much-loved watch. The best clothes for grown-ups also fall into this category and become part of their owner’s biography, bearing the marks of a life well-lived and gaining character and memory as they age graciously. These are clothes that will be as relevant in a decade as they are today and will look better for being regularly worn: tweed jackets mould to the shape of their owner with more frequent wear, selvedge denim fades beautifully, and workwear nicely softens up. These are clothes for the long haul and clothes that will accumulate memories as they literally become part of the fabric of your life. As such, they speak eloquently to guys whose sartorial range is beyond the first horizon. Read on to find out the items that any man, whatever his age, should have in his wardrobe.