Fred Astaire Style

This book has a very limited scope. It's main essay aside from photos in only 17 pages long. It focuses upon Fred from the point of view of men's fashion. If you read the book with this in mind, you can gain an additional dimension upon this legendary star. It's a dimension that was important to Astaire, and says a lot about this man, who so influenced our modern sense of style, taste, and aesthetics. Fred is highly associated with the upper crust of style...and clearly with top hat, white tie, and tails outfit....he fits the bill. But, if this is all you take away from Fred, you will leave a limited understanding, and won't understand the man at all. Fred's real life and cinema style was as revolutionary as it was original...and as influential on men's fashion, as his career was upon dance and film. Fred was an eclectic...and mixed formal elements of dress with the emerging informal style of American culture.....American cool if you will. Early on, Fred was in contrast to the formal dress (and personas) of the European male ideal....in life and in film. First, Fred was not at all classically handsome, and second, he purposefully, and sometimes pointedly, chose to express the more democratic American ideal of the "classless aristocrat". This is the central thesis of this little book. This is a very short book, and high on photography, but don't be fooled, it possesses a strong sense of Astaire's cultural contribution, from the limited point of view of fashion. Don't read it to expect a full narration of his career, his personal life, his dancing partners, or his contribution to cinema and dance. This is not the reading you would choose for these subjects. But, even under this limited and focused scrutiny, it, in a way, adds even more about this man's contribution to American culture. This little book is an excellent essay that further enriches the understanding of a most extraordinary human being.

Last night I had the chance to see the magnificent Andrea Marcovicci in her "Andrea Sings Astaire" show (she complimented my "haberdashery" *sigh*). It was a great reminder, if such were necessary, of the profound influence Fred Astaire had on American popular music. Similarly, "Fred Astaire Style" is an excellent reminder of the man's influence on the evolution of a distinctly American approach to male dress. In an age when it's a tough decision which is worse -- contemporary music or contemporary haberdashery -- G. Bruce Boyer has given us a handy guide to what it means for a man to be well put-together. "Fred Astaire Style" begins with a brief essay tracing the subject's biography and career, with an emphasis, as you'd expect, on his distinctive approach to style. Boyer also places Astaire's dress sense within a larger historical context of America's rejection of European style cues, the influence of the Depression, and the rise of a casual approach to men's style ("the small-shouldered, soft-chested, international sartorial look that's worn today"). After this comes many pages of great photos of Astaire young and old, in a wide assortment of dress, sporting, and casual clothes. I would have preferred that the captions accompanied each photo, instead of being banished to a few pages at the back of the book, but that's not a major complaint. More than that, I wished this book was longer. While Boyer has done an excellent job assembling photos and providing a general overview, I'd point the reader to, for example, several books by Alan Flusser that break down Fred Astaire's style in more detail. Nevertheless, this book is both a respectful look back and a useful guide today. Fred Astaire still has a lot to offer as a modern icon. Here's to more people paying attention.

Fred Astaire has a stlye of his own and the book covered his style very well. Enjoy the book.

Mr. Boyer is a classic gentleman and in this one he writes about another. If you have never read Mr. Boyer's works then you've missed out. Mr. Boyer's understanding of and love for classic menswear is evident and well researched. The prose is elegant and flows elegantly and as usual it is the stuff you'd expect from the man generally accepted as 'the man' in the realm of sartorial grace. Mr Boyer has a unique way of sharing his love for the sartorial arts that makes you feel it - a rare literary ability. I look forward to completing my collection of his work by getting this one signed along with his others. Whether you are a recent entrant to the business world or a gentleman who has appreciated the finer points of classic menswear and style for years this and all of Boyer's work is an absolute must read. In every field there exists "The Authority". In the realm of classic men's style G. Bruce Boyer is that man. If you don't pick this up then may you spend eternity in polyester. Well done Bruce, Thanks for shining a light on this timeless icon of style & grace as only you could!