The picture above was taken by Scott Schuman when he was in Paris.
The first thing you notice is the denim combination or perhaps the way his scarf is tied, then the khaki jacket and the way its sleeves are rolled up in tandem with the denim shirt. Then your eye focuses on the patch on the shirt and the worn fabric. After these, perhaps his bracelet and his hair. No matter where you start, you are convinced that this entire outfit works for its wearer.
I don't know who started saying it, but men.style.com repeated the alleged fashion rule that denim does not go with denim, allowing only the exception for a denim top that has approximately the same tone as its counterpart denim bottom.
Not so with this outfit. Of course, one may say that it is his khaki jacket and olive messenger that provided the necessary counterbalance for all that denim - even allowing the fashion "rule" to be broken.
But look at this second man, featured in Copenhagen Street Style. No khaki or olive or any hue near the color complement orange, and still, his outfit works.
Is it because his denim jacket and black cardigan are both rolled up like in the first picture? Yes, this helps, but what is more pertinent is the layering of his jacket, cardigan, and undershirt.
Not only do these three pieces vary in length - with his electric blue band cap (Did I mention only just now the best item in his outift?) and black boots - they follow a color gradient (black, navy blue, denim, electric blue). Isn't that just brilliant? A progression in both color and cut.
Fashion rules are silly, that is true, but then again, consider this: would both outfits work if the men weren't blond or brown-haired? Another rule...