Every man should know James Dean. There isn't a single style icon that could come close to the level of this man, not even Elvis or Ralph Lauren himself. He is the biggest influence on menswear that there has been in recent history. Why? Because he made blue-collar cool.
Okay, he may have had some help from Marlon Brando in 'A Streetcar Named Desire', but Dean was definitely the major player in making a white t-shirt and jeans acceptable for men all-over. The main cause of this was 'Rebel Without a Cause', with Dean pictured below in a red windbreaker, white t-shirt and jeans. He became a legend and a style icon straight from the opening credits.
