A new book demonstrates why Mr Steve McQueen’s style and legacy has never been more relevant.

The late Mr Steve McQueen was a sartorial chameleon. He's an inspiration to men who wear suits and aspire to drive a Rolls-Royce, thanks to The Thomas Crown Affair; he's an inspiration to men who wear battered leather jackets and work boots, and aspire to ride vintage motorbikes, thanks to his affection for racing dirt bikes; and he's an inspiration to men who adopt a very modern smart-casual look, thanks to his clothes in the film Bullitt. He was also a very modern consumer, and has come to be defined by his famous taste for Belstaff jackets, Persol sunglasses, Rolex watches, Triumph motorbikes and Jaguar cars.

The late actor's ability to wear casual and formal clothes equally well reflects how we live today.

Pictures from the filming of Bullitt form the backbone of Unseen McQueen, a new book featuring a collection of shots by the American photographer Mr Barry Feinstein, whose illustrious career also included shooting the cover of Mr Bob Dylan's third album, The Times They Are a-Changin'. Mr Feinstein and Mr McQueen were friends, united by an interest in fast cars and motorbikes - the photographer rode an Indian 101 Scout, Steve McQueen rode a modified Triumph Bonneville. However, alongside the shots from the filming of Bullitt in San Francisco, there's also a wealth of images that capture Mr McQueen in his own time, at the race circuit, with his family, and even playing Frisbee. It's this mix that makes the late actor such a contemporary figure, because his ability to wear casual and formal clothes equally well reflects how we live today.

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