2 Men, 2 Bow Ties: Bradley Cooper & Ben Affleck Suit Up For A Smackdown

Normally, when it comes to men in suits, there are two ways to go: You either get it right or you just look weird. In this scenario, we have esteemed thespians Bradley Cooper and Ben Affleck, two inherently handsome hot guys. But do their respective styles do their sultriness justice? Bow ties+piercing gazes=Stud Muffin Showdown 2013. Not only will this duel deal either a crucial blow or giant win for bearded folks the world over, it will also bring us one step closer to deciding, once and for all, whether navy blue suits can work on the red carpet. Check out the close-ups on the next page, complete with a detailed analysis of each look, then head to the comments section and cast your vote. May the best man win.

In one corner, we've got Ben, a newly-minted silver fox. For too long, we've thought of him as no more than a young gun with a few great movies under his belt, a lot more flops, and a history with J.Lo. But if looks are any indication, he done grown up: check out the mature glint in his eyes. That ample beard. You know you love him. But we digress.

He also gets extra points for the fine details. The monochromatic, textured piping on his lapels subtly takes this suit from getting the standard once-over to being worthy of a second look. It also fits like a dream while his naturally tousled hair keeps him from drifting into Lounge-Lizard-meets-Peewee-Herman land. The one downside is the material of the bowtie — maybe it's just the camera flash, but it doesn't have the same rich hue of the suit itself. We get that he (or rather, his stylist) was trying to match the piping, but it's just a tad off. That may or may not be a reality off-camera, so we won't dock him too much. Of course, there is the age-old question: When it comes to the red carpet, can the average man pull off anything outside the strict boundaries of a traditional tuxedo? Sure, you can change up your cuff links, maybe try out a flashy tie. But going navy blue? Unless you're The Sartorialist, it might be safer to steer clear. We personally think Ben's pulling it off with aplomb, but maybe we're just dazzled by that subtle smile. It's a tough call, so far...see if Bradley can take the cake on the next page.

Mr. Cooper here is undoubtedly a looker, but while the facial hair is working for Ben, it's not the right accessory for this contender. The suit just doesn't look polished enough to balance out his five — or rather, ten — o'clock shadow. Furthermore, we're typically fans of his slicked-back hair, but, like the rest of the ensemble, it's off. Finally, if you're wondering why his shirt is blue, we wondered the same thing, and determined that it is, in fact, not blue. It's just the lighting. Not your fault, Coop, but you still lose. Maybe we're being too harsh. Or maybe we're just thrown off by Ben's sudden morph into stone-silver-fox territory. Now dear readers, you be the judges.