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Dress like a Swell! - (Suggested Gentleman's reading list)

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PADDY

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Here's PADDY's reading list on HOW to go from being a 'fella' to becoming a 'Rockefeller!' when it comes to looking like a million bucks and putting on the RITZ!!, Classic Style! HUSH-HUSH...on the Q-T..!;)

Have Fun...and Bon Voyage on your satorial journey!!


(This list will be updated periodically).


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The Suit: A Machiavellian Approach to Men's Style (Hardcover)
by Nicholas Antongiavanni (Author)

"Clothes make the man."
Mark Twain never worked in today's fast-paced workplace, but his observation has never been keener: clothes do make the man. With The Suit, Nicholas Antongiavanni provides a masterly manual on what it takes to succeed: advice on how to dress with style, flair, and an eye toward gaining power. That's because "business casual" has proved itself a one-way ticket to a lifetime in the corporate dungeon. But if you apply the sartorial advice proffered in The Suit to your clothes, you will project elegance, bravado, and success.
Drawing inspiration from Machiavelli's The Prince, Antongiavanni has crafted an essential handbook for the ambitious man who recognizes that smart and stylish appearance is a lever to power. From neckties to footwear, belts to suspenders, lapels to handkerchiefs, The Suit leaves no garment or accessory untouched and will inject a dose of good taste into your closet. The debates over double-breasted vs. single, two-buttons vs. three, English vs. Italian, and many others are settled with wit by Antongiavanni's wealth of knowledge in the art of dress.
The Suit is much more than a simple how-to manual -- Antongiavanni packs these pages with insightful and sometimes stinging commentary on celebrities and the clothes they wear. Leading public figures from David Letterman to Donald Rumsfeld are picked apart at the seams. Antongiavanni uses powerful men in the public eye as entertaining examples of how to dress properly and what garish mistakes to avoid. Whether you are already a corporate Prince -- or if you are a Joe Cubicle aspiring to be something greater -- The Suit will teach you how to make your clothes work for you. No matter what your physical build or your status in the workplace, let Nicholas Antongiavanni be your fashion consultant.


Dressing the Man: Mastering the Art of Permanent Fashion (Hardcover)
by Alan Flusser

During the past 25 years, men have spent more money on clothing for themselves than in any other period of modern history, says Alan Flusser (Style and the Man). The time has "never been more propitious for the emergence of a standing army of well-heeled swells," he believes, and in Dressing the Man: Mastering the Art of Permanent Fashion, he takes readers on a tour of men's clothing that he attests will never go out of style. Flusser carefully explains how to mix patterns, what to look for when trying on clothes in the fitting room, what kind of jacket to wear with a straight-point collar, the history of the monk-strap shoe, the correct position for a bow tie and what "business casual" really means. Heavily illustrated with photographs of dapper dans from Humphrey Bogart to the Duke of Windsor and drawings depicting neckwear, suit jackets, coat sleeves and trouser creases, this is a superb reference for any man.

Book Description
Dressing the Man is the definitive guide to what men need to know in order to dress well and look stylish without becoming fashion victims.
Alan Flusser's name is synonymous with taste and style. With his new book, he combines his encyclopedic knowledge of men's clothes with his signature wit and elegance to address the fundamental paradox of modern men's fashion: Why, after men today have spent more money on clothes than in any other period of history, are there fewer well-dressed men than at any time ever before?
According to Flusser, dressing well is not all that difficult, the real challenge lies in being able to acquire the right personalized instruction. Dressing well pivots on two pillars -- proportion and color. Flusser believes that "Permanent Fashionability," both his promise and goal for the reader, starts by being accountable to a personal set of physical trademarks and not to any kind of random, seasonally served-up collection of fashion flashes.
Unlike fashion, which is obliged to change each season, the face's shape, the neck's height, the shoulder's width, the arm's length, the torso's structure, and the foot's size remain fairly constant over time. Once a man learns how to adapt the fundamentals of permanent fashion to his physique and complexion, he's halfway home.
Taking the reader through each major clothing classification step-by-step, this user-friendly guide helps you apply your own specifics to a series of dressing options, from business casual and formalwear to pattern-on-pattern coordination, or how to choose the most flattering clothing silhouette for your body type and shirt collar for your face.
A man's physical traits represent his individual road map, and the quickest route toward forging an enduring style of dress is through exposure to the legendary practitioners of this rare masculine art. Flusser has assembled the largest andmost diverse collection of stylishly mantled men ever found in one book. Many never-before-seen vintage photographs from the era of Cary Grant, Tyrone Power, and Fred Astaire are employed to help illustrate the range and diversity of authentic men's fashion. Dressing the Man's sheer magnitude of options will enable the reader to expand both the grammar and verbiage of his permanent-fashion vocabulary.
For those men hoping to find sartorial fulfillment somewhere down the road, tethering their journey to the mind-set of permanent fashion will deliver them earlier rather than later in life.


Cary Grant: A Celebration of Style (Hardcover)
by Richard Torregrossa

One of the most charismatic movie stars of all time, Cary Grant left an indelible mark on the film industry and on the culture at large. His sense of style--so integral to who he was both onscreen and off--has been admired, copied, emulated, and lauded, but never fully examined, until now. With rare and never-before-published photographs and exclusive interviews with film and fashion luminaries, this groundbreaking book reveals the style secrets that helped make Grant a fashion icon and a perennial inspiration to fans and fashion designers alike. On the 20th anniversary of Grant's death, fashion and style writer Richard Torregrossa makes a powerful case for why Cary Grant matters today more than ever.

This is definitely not your typical cut and paste job - it is a classy, well-written, interesting photo/guide/memoir to probably the greatest film star of all time. Is there anyone even CLOSE to Cary Grant working as an actor in Hollywood today (and please don't say "George Clooney")? Grant's remarkable, disciplined, yet seemingly casual, attention to his appearance went deeper than just mere vanity. He was about class, about being a gentleman, about portraying to the world the kind of grace and style this more sordid world today clearly needs. The author has written a lively, interesting account of his life, the development of that style, and tips for the public, that cut deeper than most books of this type. Grant's upbringing was far different than the man he later became - and he literally "created" himself in lasting, memorable film roles, and, later, as the epitome of class, grace, and style. The photos are candid, the writing is sharp and probing, and the tips are timeless. It's a book worth owning, while the man himself, Cary Grant, is worth emulating. It's amazing - and somewhat sad - to think that American cinema once had the likes of Grant, Hepburn, and Astaire gracing our screens. How much we miss not only their style, but their talent and grace. This book reminds us of what he had - and how we might attempt to achieve it for ourselves.

Fred Astaire Style (Memoire) (Hardcover)
by G. Bruce Boyer


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.



A Well-Dressed Gentleman's Pocket Guide [ILLUSTRATED] (Hardcover)
by Oscar Lenius

"For men whose sensibilities lead them toward classic dress, but whose knowledge is less than complete because of youth or inexperience, there is A Well-Dressed Gentleman’s Pocket Guide. Warnings of classic faux pas alone are worth the cover price." —From the foreword
While fashion is subject to seasonal change, the wardrobe of the man who dresses in classic style is marked by a distinctive continuity. A Well-Dressed Gentleman’s Pocket Guide is both an etiquette and a history of impeccable dressing and classic styling. It illustrates the fine distinctions of the gentleman’s dress code, arming the reader with the requisite information to dress for any occasion. It covers the entire wardrobe—from suits, coats, shirts, and shoes to umbrellas and underclothing—their history, manufacture, tailoring, materials, patterns, and colors. History, materials, are well described but I feel somewhat disappointed as I found no photos, and few counselling about how to match the different items, and when...except for the excellent formal wear chapters.
But after all, this is a pocket book!
There are also summary style charts and warnings of classic faux pas. Any gentleman should consider himself incomplete without this elegant and authoritative pocket accessory.



A Gentleman Gets Dressed Up: What to Wear, When to Wear it, How to Wear it (Gentlemanners Book.) (Hardcover)
by Bryan Curtis


A Gentleman Gets Dressed Up is not a book about style-it is a book about the rules-rules that will allow any man to feel more comfortable in the choices he makes about what he wears. It answers such questions as: What does "black tie optional" mean? What do I wear to a wedding at 7:00 on a Saturday evening? What do I wear to a job interview? What do I wear to a second interview, even if they observe a casual dress code? What do I wear to the Academy Awards? What do I wear to a funeral? And what button do I leave open on my suit coat?
This GentleManners book is divided into sections about specific items of clothing and specific accessories. It also delves into the different types of events to which a gentleman may find himself invited. The book concludes with sections on extreme etiquette, such as what to wear to meet the pope, and a section on fashion emergencies, such as what to do when your pants split.
 A gentleman knows that dressing up may require going to great pains; but it does not require that he feel any pain at all.
 A gentleman knows that a formal shirt does not have a button-down collar.
There is nothing over the top or self-indulgent in these pages, just light-hearted advice for those of us who need a little help avoiding a fashion emergency. Understanding my vulnerability means keeping this little book at arm's reach on my reference shelf.

The authors understand that a gentleman is loathe to call attention to himself. Good style is a way of allowing one's more important virtues to shine through without the distraction of bad taste.
The world could use a little more of that.


Style and the Man: How and Where to Buy Fine Mens' Clothes (Hardcover)
by Alan Flusser

Alan Flusser writes about menswear with authority, intelligence, and a healthy dose of his unique personal style that has made him the wardrober of choice for a distinguished cadre of gentlemen worldwide. Style and the Man's historical references, engaging prose, and anecdotal asides make it a great read as well.
While it's true that Flusser's book contains a guide to some of the most expensive menswear in the world, it's silly to downgrade the book for that reason. By telling you about suit construction, Flusser makes it possible to buy good cloths inexpensively by showing you what to look for. Admittedly the second part of this book is a guide to "the best" available, but it's still interesting to read and instructional even if I'll never buy a suit in Milan




The Indispensable Guide to Classic Men's Clothing (Paperback)
by Josh Karlen

Few "indispensable" guides are ever just that, but this title comes close to hitting the mark, even though much of the information provided can be found in similar guides, such as Paul Keers's A Gentleman's Wardrobe (1988). Karlen, an attorney and editor, and Sulavik, a journalist, use a question-and-answer format (e.g., "Should a dress shirt have a pocket?") that works well, and the candid remarks provided by dozens of clothing experts are an interesting feature. Helpful line drawings are interspersed throughout the text, although photographs might have provided clearer illustrations in some instances.

The great thing about this book is that it covers the history, origin and derivation of classic men's style, allowing the reader to not only understand the grand traditions, but to approach modern style with a new awareness (read: power) and appreciation.

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.

The book answers so many questions, which we are often embarrassed to ask, so as not to show ignorance (and instead write to the Style Guide at GQ).



Gentleman's guide to grooming and style
by Bernhard Roetzel

This book is widely regarded as something of a classic - and for good reason. Of all books on the subject it is the most encyclopaedic in thoroughly covering everything from shaving, to suits, to sportswear, knitwear, dressing gowns and much more. The whole book is crammed with succinctly presented information from start to finish that it becomes a perfect reference book to keep on the shelf.

For many people the question will be whether to choose this or Allan Flusser's 'Dressing the Man'. The answer is really that they serve different purposes. If you quickly want to know how to look your best for a job interview in a suit then go for Flusser, as his book best explains suits in greater details and better still, tells you how to coordinate it with the shirt and tie. Roetzel tends to be more segmented and tells you less about how to coordinate the different items.

However, Roetzel great strength is that he has countless little tips jam-packed into his book that Flusser never touches on. One point at which Roetzel thoroughly surpasses Flusser is in his section on shoes, which is by far and away superior. The plethora of full colour photographs of different shoe types and on what occassion they should be worn has superior clarity to the brief and poorly illustrated overview dealt the topic by Flusser. Other places that Roetzel surpasses Flusser is his discussion on items such as sport coats, overcoats, socks, as well as extremely useful tips such as how to fold a suit jacket when travelling, and even the best way to iron a shirt.

One point worth mentioning is that the book is orientated towards an English ideal of what a 'gentleman' is. However, the book was originally written in German and also so gives a good continental perspective on how the French, German and Italians have adopted English fashion. Of course the likes of Ralph Lauren and Alan Flusser still strive to recreate the classical English look to the point that these Americans strive for an ideal more English than the English themselves. What you will read here is therefore perfectly adaptable to New England in the United States and unless you are a Southerner in your seersucker or linen suit there will be precious little that fails to translate into an American setting. Also Ivy League looks do get a bit of mention and are not completely neglected.

This book will tell you where to find the best in suits, shirts and shoes and will save you years of experimentation which will eventually lead you to the same conclusions as the author. Even if you are not interested in paying $3500 for your next suit or $3000 for a pair of hand made shoes from John Lobb's of London this book is worth every cent you pay for it. It is well prepared and holds a wealth of interesting information


Hope you find this helps gents!!

-ENDS
 
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