HISTORY OF MEN'S FASHION: What the Well Dressed Man is Wearing [Hardcover]

Nicholas Storey (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1844680371 | ISBN-13: 978-1844680375 | Publication Date: August 2009

Everything you ever wanted to know about men's clothing - and so much more - from the exact hour Nelson lost his right eye to the type of palm needed for a Panama hat, what Cary Grant's tailor had to do to his shoulders - and those all-important questions of what to where, when and why, including when to wear a bow tie (surely 'never' is the only answer?). A quirky book full of facts that you never realised you needed to know, including the exact thickness of animal hair used to create must-have fashion items, including suits. Provocative, and controversial at times - but always very well dressed.

REVIEWS

"Nicholas Storey charts a quirky way through male fashion in an amusing and witty investigation." -Practical Family History

"His depth of knowledge in his subject is a delight. It's all here. Hats off." -Country Life

"Ever since the French Revolution, the well dressed man has striven to emulate the ideal of the well dressed English gentleman...when you get the authentic English perspective written by an Englishman, it is cause for celebration." -www.cutterandtailor.com

"Leaders of fashion all share one thing in common: a discerning penchant for the English sartorial standard. This book covers all the main areas rather well, just how Beau Brummell would have specified." -Maxim

"...it is excellent....unlike any author in the last twenty years, NJS nails down the essence of British style in a very entertaining way. He also defends our cultural treasure...in a bold and manly manner that is worth the price of the book itself...It is a style that is likely going to make the many good lessons contained in the 'History of Men's Fashion' palatable and accessible for readers." -Michael Alden, founder of www.thelondonlounge.net

"Now and again, well-dressed men do well to apply the brakes to the runaway train of fashion. Anyone aiming for timeless elegance, rather than temporary chic, will benefit from Storey's authoritative, but readable book. Not only does he go through the origins and correct form of classic clothing, he also has useful lists of stockists and invaluable maintenance advice." -Esquire magazine

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Remember When (August 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1844680371
• ISBN-13: 978-1844680375
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #464,038 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Nicholas Storey is a Cornishman and a law graduate of University College London. He had a career in the law in London; both in the Government Legal Service and in private practice before he moved to Brazil in 2006 to live and write. Besides technical works, he is the author of the well-received 'History of Men's Fashion - What the Well Dressed Man is Wearing' (Pen & Sword Books Ltd, available through all the usual UK outlets, including: amazon.co.uk; Waterstones; W H Smiths; Tesco; play.com; Zawi and, for sales overseas, it is available on all the amazon sites, listed at the end of www.amazon.com). For the publisher's site - see "Links to my books" above. The best current deal, with worldwide free shipping, appears to be at www.bookdepository.com. Nicholas Storey is also currently publishing (again through Pen & Sword Books) a complementary miscellany on men's grooming, accessories and pleasures ('History of Men's Accessories - A Short Guide For Men About Town'), to be followed by a third book in the series, this time on the sporting life (a short guide to some sports, pleasures, pastimes and pursuits for the man of the world).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, but not properly titled, October 30, 2009

By 

D. Madsen (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: HISTORY OF MEN'S FASHION: What the Well Dressed Man is Wearing (Hardcover)

First off, what fun! A handbook of all the well-dressed gentleman must know...how to wear it, how to buy it and the even where to buy it!

The title, though, is misleading: "History of Men's Fashion." It should be called, "The Guide to the Modern Gentleman's Essentials." I should have read the SUBTITLE--"What the Well-Dressed Man is Wearing." This is indeed a contradiction. Fashion guide for the modern man OR a history of fashion?

I took this to be a *history* of men's fashion. What the main label says is not is what is in the tin. I expected a history of modern menswear dating from, say, the 1500s to the modern day. Not so. This is a how-to book on modern men's traditional garb: the suit, the waistcoat, trousers, etc. This book discusses modern clothing with snippets of history contributing to modern menswear.

That said, it is a marvelous compendium of the minutiae of the essential items of the well-dressed man--no item escapes discussion, even down to the pocket handkerchief.

There are sprinklings of history along the way. But--tsk, tsk--to write a book on the history of men's fashion and fail to mention the Count D'Orsay, an influential fashion trend-setter of the first third of the 19th century, is tragic. (One might have expected a discussion of the Count's signature turn-back cuffs next to the picture of the cocktail cuff.) On the other hand, there is much discussion of the earlier George "Beau" Brummell, who is the patron saint of the modern three-piece suit.

A very nice, amusing and well-organized guide for the modern man and I give it 5 stars as a rating--with a caveat. This is NOT a history of men's clothing but mainly a style guide.