Dressing the Man

By Alan Flusser, 275 pages (2002).

This is the second Flusser book I've read and it was much better.  The detail and follow-up that were missing from Style and the Man were taken care of here.  The book is physically large and full of full-page, color photos that I like to use for inspiration.  Most of Flusser's focus on personal characteristics to determine the optimal application of clothing are still here, but the focus is more on the history of articles of clothing.  For this reason, I found the book interesting, but not highly useful in application today.

My favorite book on style is still Gentleman, but this book is very similar.  It covers many great articles of clothing and a variety of applications for them.  Everything from crepe soled shoes to cashmere ties.  Unfortunately, Flusser is not as judgmental as I would like him to be--poor application of style is never criticized, just its absence.

This book is another example of a good first style book, but not one that will add to your repitoir as your third or, in my case, fourth.  This is because it contains interesting history and basic information about the purpose and application of each garment but nothing novel or unique.  If you're looking for a quick reference, use the otherwise inferior Style and the Man.  If you want to start with the expert, go here.

Rating: