Customer Reviews

Clothes and the Man: The Principles of Fine Men's Dress

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If I say that this book changed my life, I should immediately qualify that by noting that I first read it about the time I graduated from college and was really setting out on my own for the first time. It really defined my sense of classic men's style, and gave me an appreciation, previously lacking, for -- and an ability to recognize -- a truly well-dressed man.

Alan Flusser, a dandy to the core, makes a great case for his argument that men's style (as distinct from "men's fashion" -- yuck) changes little over the decades. The "look" that worked for Fred Astaire or Cary Grant still works today. Tab collars, rounded collars, suspenders, monk straps, French cuffs, handkerchiefs (aka "pocket squares") no tassel loafers with suits! ... the man who absorbs "the principles of fine men's dress" presented here will be well armed to do battle with a world where "dressing down" has become the sad and sorry norm.

If, as Oscar Wilde said, "A well-tied tie is the first serious step in life," Alan Flusser will help you take a great many paces down that road. Take that step now! It may even change your life too.

It is claimed above that this book ships within 4-6 weeks, but it is actually out of print -- I tried to order it several months ago and was unable to. I eventually bought a copy from an auction site.

If you manage to buy this book elsewhere, you'll find it a pleasure to read. It has been adequately summarized in other reviews, so I'll simply relate two features that I especially liked: first, a fold-out section with pictures describing various shirt fabrics; and second, Flusser's tips on quickly discriminating between quality and standard merchandise.

If you are interested in reading about fine men's clothing, I recommend Bernhard Roetzel's _Gentlemen: A Timeless Fashion_. It offers much the same information as Flusser's book and features color photographs on every page (Flusser's does not).

This is probably one of my two favorite books on Men's style, the other being Gentlemen Style by Bernhard Roetzel. This book has very useful information for male fashion basics and is well illustrated. It is devoted to true male classic style so don't look to it if you want trendy or the lastest. I would say it is a sigificanlty better book than Style and the Man by Flusser, though, the text of the two books is fairly dupliciative - this one is better illustrated and goes into more detail.

While some of the criticism of Flusser on this site is well placed, overall, this book should be the Bible for anyone wanting a sound, basic introduction to men's style. It is especially useful if you're interested in how men's dress evolved in this country. While some of the book is dated, it gives a good overview of almost anything a man could want to know about style. As someone else has pointed out, this book is not about fashion, it's about style. As such, it's a starting point for someone interested in developing their own, not the be all end all of men's dress.

I have read this book several times with pleasure and refer to it often. (I even reached for it on my wedding day for advice on pocket squares.) Flusser combines detailed information about fabrics, tailoring, and color with his own wonderful sense of style, based on 1930s and '40s models that have remained classic. A beautiful book and well worth the price.

This is a quick, one-day read, but a lifetime keeper for reference.

Mr. Flusser covers all the essentials in detail: suit coats; suit trousers; sport coats; blazers; dress shirts; neckties; handkerchiefs; hose (socks); shoes; hats; and jewelery.

He covers sportswear such as cable-knit pullover sweaters and cardigans very briefly.

Mr. Flusser asserts the lines, look, and feel of all fine mens wear can be traced to the timespan of the 1930s - 1950s. This was the Golden Age of Hollywood when men dressed well (Cary Grant; Fred Astaire; Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.; Adolph Menjou; and England's Edward, Prince of Wales). Mr. Flusser's point is that if you want a suit that will not be out of date in five or ten years, ensure it is grounded in 1930s - 1950s style, with emphasis on the 1930s.

The only thing I disagreed with in the entire book was his reverence for the four-in-hand necktie knot in all settings. This knot is asymmetrical and does not belong in the boardroom or office. It is a knot that is to be worn casually to a club or in some other social setting. The Windsor or Half Windsor should be worn to the office.

This is somewhat a digression, but there is more to fine dressing than just the fabric against your body, or the leather upon your feet. Care must be taken to groom the hair inside your nose, so that it does not protrude outward. The hair on and in the ear must be cut. Nothing looks worse than looking at a man in fine clothes and seeing he has a thick patch of hair growing out of each ear cavity. Andy Rooney eyebrows are also verboten. Hair, beards, moustaches, eyebrows, ears, nose, teeth...all of these must be groomed/maintained properly to accentuate the look of fine clothes. Without these grooming basics in place, no suit is going to make you look good. Mr. Flusser elected not to cover grooming as essential to the "total package," yet he devoted many areas of the book to items that were not strictly related to clothing. I feel it was a mistake to neglect grooming.

Clothes and the Man is now 21 years old. It is as relevant now as when it was written. This book is a timeless masterpiece, fully deserving five stars.

I happened to watch a re-run of Shell's Wonderful World of Golf this morning featuring a match at a country club in Belgium during the 1950's. Former King Leopold was among the thirty well-dressed people observing the play, and most of the men could have walked up Park Avenue this year and been in style.

More useful than Flusser's later book, Clothes and the Man reminds us that, ignoring the excesses of the 1970's and the general absence of style in Silicon Valley in the 90's, the well dressed man evolves slowly. We may wear driving moccasins and eschew opera pumps in the new century, but the well turned out 1920's man is recognizeable today. That's important because it's the long lives of Anderson & Sheppard suits and Cleverly shoes that makes them attainable by people of less than extraordinary means. And, at least for me, the pleasure of proper fit and great fabrics is the reason to pay attention.

Flusser's Clothes and the Man is a must have for any person serious about menswear, and any man who cares about dressing well. But be warned: if you're looking for a book on fashion, look elsewhere, because this book concerns style, and the two are not the same. Once you read this book, shopping trips will never be the same.

I purchased this book several years ago and still find myself reading it. The reason is that the clothes and principals spoken about in this book never go out of style and are enduring. For everything from picking out a suit to buying ties and socks and folding linen and satin Mr. Flusser has written the first testament. He followed with a New Testament with Style and The Man. For any man who wishes to improve his looks as well as his wardrobe this book is the place to start. Men should learn how to dress themselves and this book will teach them how.

Everything you need to know about the right attire, and how to wear it is there.

After you read this book and you go to buy a suit you'll be able to request a proper fit of it and not whatever the tailor thinks it should be. After all you'll be the one wearing it.

Indispensible soruce for the person who wants to look its best with a suit.