The September issue of Esquire magazine features a Hono-lulu physician who recently relocated from Boston as one of the five finalists in The Best Dressed Real Men in America.

Jay McBride, 32, of Waikiki, a pediatrician in the intensive care unit at Kaiser Moanalua hospital, was selected from among 3,000 contestants in 10 cities across the United States.

He "stopped in to Macy's on the spur of the moment and entered the competition with no thoughts that there was any chance that I would win," McBride said. He was living in Boston, completing an ICU fellowship, at the time.

He is among five finalists who will be selected by viewer votes on a September segment of NBC's "Today Show," airing in Honolulu on KHNL.

We asked McBride about his winning style.

Q. Who inspired your style?

A. "Both of my grandfathers. (For the contest) I was wearing one of my grandfather's blazers from the '40s and my other grandfather's blue and white saddle shoes from the '30s. They both had a mellow fashion sense. I love that the stuff I wear is older than I am."

"Interestingly, neither of his style mentors was in the fashion world. "They both read Esquire and always paid attention to detail," he said. "They were never over the top but they liked to dress well. ... One grandfather was a detective in the police force in Detroit, and the other was a dentist on an Indian reservation in northern Michigan and lived in a log cabin."

Q. How will your style change now that you live in Hawai'i? Out with the argyle?

A. "It's totally changed already. Here you'll find me in slippers, board shorts and a T-shirt. At work, of course, I'm always in scrubs and clogs — my favorites are silver Calzuro clogs."

Q. What do you wear to the beach?

A. "O'Neill or Surf 'n Sea board shorts and Locals Only slippers."

Q. A dinner date?

A. "Khaki pants with white stripes to give them a little style, brown low-cut boots I had made in Montreal and a short-sleeved collared surf shirt such as my favorite from Billabong."

Q. A movie?

A. "My favorite pair of Lucky brand jeans that are all ripped up, Adidas sneakers and a T-shirt."

Q. How do you feel about all the media attention?

A. "I'm flattered that they think that I have something to offer in the style arena; it's an homage to my grandfathers' sense of style."

Q. Do you have any fashion advice for local men?

A. "I wouldn't dare give advice to anyone local. I'm looking at how they dress so I can get clues from them to see what I can learn about how to dress appropriately here."

Is he single? Well, no. He is in a committed relationship with longtime girlfriend, Michelle Hagan, who gave up her graphic design job in Boston to join him in Honolulu.

To see more about the contest and McBride, visit www.Esquire.com. And watch for him on the "Today" show.

Reach Paula Rath at prath@honoluluadvertiser.com.