Customer Reviews

Off the Cuff: The Essential Style Guide for Men--And the Women Who Love Them

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I enjoy watching and learning from Carson Kressley and the other members of the Fab 5 on QEFTSG and the group's book was very well done. So, at first I wondered if I should buy this book because I was wondering if the same information from the Fab 5 book will be the same on "Off the Cuff".

I found "Off the Cuff" to be a very enjoyable read with a lot of humor and also learning more about fashion than I have received from other men's fashion books. Kressley does a great job of explaining why and why not with articles of clothing and things I really didn't know about until I read this book. I was really impressed! From the shoes and the explanations of certain shoes and clothing was very much appreciated!

I am stoked that he also spoke out against toe socks that to my chagrin CARGO magazine said was "in"....NOT!

Anyway, I'm a straight man who appreciates the advice that Carson gives. One thing he makes sure that this book is not to dress like him, but for you to take the tools mentioned in his book and integrate what you learn for your personal life.

"Off the Cuff" is an enjoyable read and currently ranks in my top 3 of books that deal with style for men. You won't be disappointed!

I don't know what more you can say about a fashion book that would actually enthrall my 13 year-old son -- the one who hates to comb his hair, would wear the same soccer T-shirts indefinitely if not for parental intervention, and summarily disdains anything vaguely resembling "dress clothes" -- than that it is straw spun to pure gold. Who knew fashion could be funny?

With lively wit, loving admonitions, and plain good sense, Carson entertains and educates at once. All instructors should be so successful. Off the Cuff has become a family routine. We've resorted to reading passages aloud to one another across the living room. Family values!

And make no mistake, my son is not only willing to dress better himself, he's even reminding his dad to ditch the pleats.

I've reviewed Alan Flusser. Alan Flusser is a daily part of how I think about what I wear. And Carson Kressley, you're not quite Alan Flusser.

Which isn't to say this is a bad book as far as it goes. The author has a lot of very good insights into what works and what doesn't in men's wear. While I don't imagine many of the men who could most use this book are at all anxious to be seen reading it, I hope at least the women in their lives will take the subtitle to heart, read this book themselves, and exercise their subtle influence on their men. There are a lot of very good insights in here, and things nearly all men -- and most especially younger men -- can learn with profit.

That said, I'm not sure Carson Kressley put enough stress on the essential point, the key understanding, the very nub so to speak of men's style, which is that the phrase "men's fashion" is an oxymoron. I was reading the other day about Lapo Elkann, grandson of Gianni Agnelli and a marketing chief at Fiat. He inherited a couple dozen of his grandfather's suits, some made a half-century or more ago, wears them daily, and looks great and entirely in-style in them. For men, the subtleties of dressing well lie in fit, construction, and timeless style. The author rightly gives us his Number One rule, "Disregard trends." Things that fade in and out with fashion -- like the abomination of "truckers' caps," which Kressley rightly abhors (except on truck drivers and Ashton Kutcher) -- should be avoided like, well, like Ashton Kutcher. But I wish he'd put more emphasis on that. More Cary Grant, in other words, and less, um, Ashton Kutcher.

And finally, I know it's part of his shtick, but I could have done with a little less of the "hey, did you know I'm gay (giggle, giggle)?" asides. The book is light and entertaining reading, and what the author does on his own time is none of my business, but that particular element of his authorly voice got a bit tiring for me.

For men who are really serious about knowing the timeless principles of dressing well, I still recommend Clothes and the Man: The Principles of Fine Men's Dress and Dressing the Man: Mastering the Art of Permanent Fashion, both by the aforementioned Mr. Flusser. But for younger guys, neophytes, and/or "the women who love them," this book is still a pretty good place to start.

I purchased this book as a gift for my husband, but he hasn't had a chance to see it yet. I started reading it when it arrived at my house and haven't put it down.

While the book is worth reading to get a dose of Carson hilarity, it also serves to provide meaningful style advice. What surprised me is that Carson does not advise all men to dress like he does. He wants them to be themselves - just a better dressed, more stylish version of themselves. Despite being part of a society where trends rule, Carson provides sound guidance for men to use in developing a wardrobe of classic, timeless pieces.

Written with a very personal touch, this book is a great guide for those men who have a less than stellar sense of style.

Only one problem... now I want him to write one for women!

First of all, I did NOT want to give this book 5 stars... but it does deserve more than 4 stars in my book. In a scale of 1-100, I'd rate this book 85 to 90... probably closer to (or slightly above) 90.

I didn't want to give the book a full 100 (or a full 5 stars -- though those are the only choices Amazon.com gives me) because there are some aspects of the book that I didn't like... no... let me rephrase that... there are some aspects of the book that I think could be improved:

PICTURES, or lack thereof. The only pictures are those that are at the start of SOME chapters. Don't get me wrong: there are LOTS of illustrations/drawings--in color, too. But it would still be nice to see pictures of THE REAL THING(s), not just mere illustrations.

IRREVERENT. Actually, one big PLUS of this book is Carson's irreverence, but there was _a little bit_ too much. Yes, it's funny, but I think it's a bit overdone. It's kinda like I have the feeling that Carson put the book away for a while to get away from it, then came back en force to do the editing with a fresh "mind". But in the process, I think he went to almost every paragraph to inject some of that irreverence, that, for me as a reader, started to sound TIRED. There were even moments when the author would try to inject something that's funny to make the author sound smart and witty, which I'm sure Carson is. But on the whole, a bit overdone.

Not to mention that there was, indeed, too much of use of the word "people". It's not 1979, people. Are you listening, people? Not appealing, people.

But, after starting this review with some minor quibbles, let me say that THIS IS A GREAT BOOK. Carson wants you to find, nay, CREATE _your own_ style. "Do as Carson says, not as he does." But of course! If you "do as Carson does" then you might as well come out of the closet and parade yourself on Gay Street. Carson is gay, and dresses the part. But he tells you what would look good on you. And that's the important part.

He does have some "rules" where he says "Always... do this" or "Never... do that" or so-and-so is "always the wrong answer." Well, you don't ALWAYS have to follow his advice, especially when you have found your own style, but following his advice 90% of the time wouldn't be a bad idea at all.

While I have said that a little too much irreverence was a little minus (but that's just me), his casual style of writing assures the reader that the tone, even if it is instructional, doesn't sound pedantic. It does, indeed, sound like he's an old friend--an old queer friend--who is sincerely helping you out. You even feel like he's an old friend who genuinely LOVES you and cares for you, and has your best interest at heart. As you read, you feel like he's by your side (I'm not sure that's a very good idea, but what the hey) and guiding you step-by-step, patiently telling you what makes good fashion sense.

Reading the book really does make you feel like Carson is in your closet--even if he's been out of the closet for a long time.

As for the dressing advice? Go watch The Fab Five's show and tell me who he hasn't improved (or for that matter, whose room Thom Filicia didn't work a miracle in, but I digress). I won't get into any details... you'll have to buy the book (besides, it's ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT). Hey, for a measly sixteen bucks, give or take, it's less than some bargain item clothing, and it's a much more useful investment.

My wife and friends have noticed a slight change in the way I dress and use clothing... and they think it's very cool (well, if you were a slob, then there really was no way but up anyway). And this was BEFORE I GOT THE BOOK (I only gleamed bits and pieces from QEFTSG show). Now that I have the book, the instructions... no... GUIDELINES are much more structured, and easier to follow.

Hmph. I changed my mind. This book does get FIVE STARS after all.

Take what you like about the show and multiply it ten fold, and you'll have an idea of how much you'll enjoy this book - not to mention finding the ideas make sense and work. Chock full of know-how, charm, and laugh out loud moments, this is one book I made sure was on my husband's nightstand... it can literally take the place of his asking you, "Will this look okay?" Highly recommend.

Others have written about this book's wit and charm and it is true. I picked up some hip things those kids are into nowadays. While pleated pants have been written about in these reviews let me say once again how much I hate them. I soberly told my nephew "you should never wear pleated pant", I have done my part in the cause to end pleated pants.

The underlying message of this book is that men should be risk adverse when putting together a wardrobe. But Carson's stance is never didactic and this is where the wit comes in. I am one of only a few men or the only one to review this book, I'am not sure why.

I take away a star out of five for the reason that I think this book is lacking something. I was expecting a book where I can come away with what MBAs call a set of 'best practices'. While they are there and is comprehensive, it is not complete. Furthermore the pedagogy is lacking something, an example is there is a mention of cufflinks but it is never fully describe what these things are or how to use them.

Toward the end Carson advises men that they should model their wardrobe based of some one like Cary Grant, Marlon Brando, or the cast of Ocean's Eleven. This is what people in Neuro-Linguistic Programming call modelling. Overall an excelent book that is printed in hardcover, will last long on a book shelf.

I enjoy the 'Queer Eye' show and bought this out of curiousity. Carson's book is informative but I was expecting 'Metrosexual Guide for Dummies." For sure, I would never dress like Carson but he does say that he isn't trying to fit you in the 'box' and make fashion work for you. It is funny but for that price I personally would have liked a LOT MORE PICTURES of sample outfits. I also wish he would elaborate on basics like sweaters and the layered look. Overall good, its not as stuffy as some of the others where they push $2000 Prada suits.

What a great combination of a straight-forward (no pun intended) guide to the basics of dressing your guy and Carson's unique brand of humor. This book is a great shopping guide and gives a basic canvas of style-building when selecting clothes. The section on grooming is also an added plus. Carson to clothes is like Emeril to food ("It's not rocket science.") Excellent book for both men and women. Being a straight girl, I've even started to overhaul my closet. Better yet, Carson, a book of fashion for the straight girl??

I'll admit it, I was not a terribly dressed man, but I knew I could do alot better and realized the impact it had on my life.I don't usually write reviews, but I had to for this one, I'll admit it, I'm a fan of carson and queer eye as a whole but I was never out to dress like carson, I just thought he had good taste on every man he helped dress, as he says, don't dress like him, the whole book is about developing your own style based on what works for YOU. But this book has completely changed the way I look at clothing, and my understanding of how things look good and why things look good and how we can use simple and fun ways to get there. Whether you spend 200 dollars per month or per year on clothing, this is the book that will give you the basis you need to fit every man's needs and trust me, he'll cover everything, even things that people who wrote bad reviews said it lacked, I don't understand why, I quickly found it, I'm done with the book after two days, I could not put it down. I love my fairy godstylist.