Indispensible Guide to Classic Mens Clothing

This book sticks pretty close to its avowed topic -classic men's clothing. You won't find discussions of jeans and tee shirts in here, for instance. But you will find tons of great information on picking out quality "classic" clothing. That doesn't mean you wouldn't be able to find business casual clothes if you read this book, but it definitely leans more towards the dressy side of things.

The only real problem with the book is the lack of photos. They do a better job than some other books (I finally figured out the difference between herringbone and houndstooth!) but they don't have quite enough to help explain all of the many things they talk about. Just a few more photos could have pushed this book into the five star territory.

Have to jump in here. I loved this book, precisely because it doesn't just tell men what to wear. Style isn't about being told exactly what to wear. Style is understanding what clothes say about a man and how to look good! Any book that tells you exactly what to wear is going to be stale in one year. This is the book that lays out the whys!

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After reading other reviews of this book, I requested it for the 2006 holidays and received it. I have read it cover to cover and am highly pleased overall. I offer the following plusses and minuses:

+ This book's advice is direct and concise without losing completeness. In a short paperback, the authors give advice on suits, sport coats, shirts, socks, shoes, outerwear, accessories, business casual, and personal style.

+ Closely related, the authors offer salient historical details without lapsing into narration of major style arcs through the evolution of menswear. The rest of their writing offers advice and rules. Lest you be frightened by rules, know that the authors presents rules that you should follow first, understand second, and break creatively third.

+ The authors present opinions of many fine men's clothiers, including Burberry, J. Press, and more.

There are precious few photographs in this volume, and most photos are of poor reproduction quality. The next best are the drawings and sketches that, while competent to good, do not substitute for photography of men's style icons.

The other indispensable title for a menswear library is "Dressing the Man" by Flusser. It solves the minus above and is the perfect companion to this title.

For the small price of this paperback, you cannot go wrong in adding it to your cart.

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Great book and a must have for any man that has even the slightest interest in what he is wearing (whether an expert or not). The book is written in question and answer form with the topics ranging from neckwear / collars to shoes. An excellent place to start if a man is interested on dressing better (or if one is already experienced with menswear)

The book goes into depth on all aspects of men's clothing and is a great resource. It leans towards traditional wear (one won't find a discussion on premium denim / hip hop styles / mixing denim jeans with sport coats) but this book still covers the basics. And, if one doesn't know the basics of style, one can't be advanced, no matter what style of clothing one wears.

There are no pics, just drawings (which worked fine for me). All of the drawings accurately described the topic being discussed.

However, if one wants a truely beautiful book with illustrations and a very deep, rich history of men's clothing, Flusser's "Dressing the Man" is the way to go.

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this isnt what it seems while there is a bunch of stuff on the types of clothes in the world, it doesn't tell you what to wear to work. my husband liked maximum style much more.

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