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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.