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Title: Dressing the Man : Mastering the Art of Permanent Fashion by Alan Flusser ISBN: 0-06-019144-9 Publisher: HarperCollins Pub. Date: 01 October, 2002 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $49.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.89 (19 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: A great reference for the man who truly cares
Comment: Alan Flusser is a national treasure, and "Dressing the Man," along with his earlier book "Clothes and the Man," is a valuable guide for the man who is interested in discovering the principles of classic male style and applying them in his life. Through a wealth of photos and informed commentary, Flusser explains those principles, lays out the "How" and -- more importantly -- the "Why," and even assembles about as comprehensive a glossary as any man not a top-of-the-line tailor is ever likely to need. Some of the ideas, such as how to pair multiple patterns, aren't for beginners. But any man who studies this book and takes the ideas in it to heart will do himself credit, and be a definite improvement to the overall menswear landscape.
That's not to say this book is perfect. First, there's the semantic problem in the subtitle, "Mastering the Art of Permanent Fashion." "Permanent fashion," is, of course, an oxymoron. And as I believe he noted in "Clothes and the Man," the principles and approaches he outlines here are rooted in timeless *style,* not changing fashion.
More important is the issue of the manipulated photos on pages 26-31. Even before I had told her about the reviews on this page mentioning the obvious doctoring of these images, my wife noted that there was something fishy going on. Her theory had to do with the processing techniques, not the lighting, but the point is the same: there's some publishing trickery going on in an attempt to emphasize the arguments Flusser is making about the effects of various styles of dress. I'm reluctant to hold Flusser himself responsible for this, but it is disappointing that someone resorted to such an obvious trick in order to make the author's point.
Still, however, those are only six pages out of more than 300, and don't mar the overall quality and usefulness of the work. If Amazon.com allowed partial stars in its ratings, I'd give this book four and a half, or even four and three-quarters. The copy I studied was a borrowed one, and now it's on my Wish List so I can have a copy of my own. I'm sure it will be a standard reference for years to come.
Rating: 2
Summary: DRESSING THE MAN
Comment: Mr. Flusser (Author of Dressing the Man), Mr. Lauren (Ralph), Mr. Wolfe (Tom) and Mr. Cooper, Editor in Chief of Gentlemen's Quarterly all seem to have a remarkable, keen and talented eye for men's fashions. And yet that keen eye is nowhere to be found even in Harper Collins Publishing talents of this book.
The book makes a lot of interesting and true claims that can be argued to hold water, until when it comes to the blatant use of trick photography to make Mr. Flusser's point. If the viewer would, go ahead and cover all of the clothing for Tom on page 31. You will note a remarkable difference, a before and after effect. On the right side you see a far more refreshing and happy a face than on the left and you see the same on page 30 as well with Alex. In fact, the color on the right hand side has been significantly manipulated to convey the point Mr. Flusser likes to make. And again, all of the above reviewers seem to have no problem with this doctoring of photographs. If the viewer now would turn back a page to page 29 he or she will note an almost ridiculous level of color doctoring where the same man has green eyes in one photograph and bright blue in another. The point Mr. Flusser tries to make is that wearing more rich blue shirt and a light blue coat will remarkably change the man. "Edwin's blue eyes suddenly spring to life" Mr. Flusser stares. Yes. So much so that they are green on the left hand side with your hands completely covering all clothes. The reader is encouraged to take a look at this amazing doctoring of photographs.
The book is a good contribution to men's attire and yet one looks at all of these home-run names in the back and front of this book, pitching the virtues of the content therein, and wonders why a publisher, an author, a designer, an editor would not note repeated use of trick photography to make a point. What has been highlighted here continues throughout the book. Take Trevor for instance on page 26. Again, cover the entire outfit with your hand and note the remarkable difference of skin color here; it is absolutely amazing. There is not just one or two 'little' mistakes in this book; there are a plenty and again, one has to look at all these people and ask some questions here. The most clear evidence of doctoring pictures to convey a point, perhaps comes with Fumihiko on page 27. Note the picture on the left and the two birth marks on the left eye and the one on the right; they are gone one the right hand side and the color is a more healthy orange/red glow. One mistake in this book would be fine. Two? Sure. Three?? Well. I'm not sure if the people who say they read and approved of this book actually read and paid any attention to the book. I certainly did not put the pages in this book under a magnifying glass and have yet to page through the entire book. Neither am I a seasoned pro in men's attire nor even editing or publishing - but all of these men mentioned above - are. The issues herein are so remarkably obvious that some questions have been raised and hopefully will not be censored.
Rating: 5
Summary: A guide to classic style
Comment: This book is aimed at building a classic wardrobe. There is a short chapter in the back which addresses "business casual" dress, but the primary focus is on more formal business clothing such as suits, dress shirts, ties, oxford shoes, etc. For anyone who has occasion to wear a suit and tie, this book is very useful. If you don't own a suit and only wear a tie once or twice a year, then this book is likely a waste of time.
Some of the most useful sections of this book are on selecting colors and clothing shapes which match your coloring and body type. This is a concept that has been around a long time, but Mr. Flusser addresses it simply and usefully without the cute and artificially complex winter-summer-spring-fall gimicks that other authors have utilized.
The book focuses on quality tailoring and achieving a balanced, timeless look through high quality clothing that fits and harmonizes. This book, and Bernhard Roetzel's book, Gentleman, are probably the two best books on the subject of classic style. It is a good investment for a man who wishes to raise his style up a notch or two.
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Title: Style and the Man : How and Where to Buy the Best Mens' Clothes by Alan Flusser ISBN: 006270155X Publisher: HarperCollins Pub. Date: 09 October, 1996 List Price(USD): $27.50 |
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Title: The Indispensable Guide to Classic Men's Clothing by Josh Karlen, Amy Libra, Christopher C. Sulavik, Josh Taylor ISBN: 0966184718 Publisher: Tatra Pr Pub. Date: April, 1999 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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Title: Men's Wardrobe (Chic Simple) by Chic Simple Partners ISBN: 0679445765 Publisher: Knopf Pub. Date: 03 June, 1998 List Price(USD): $30.00 |
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Title: Esquire's Things a Man Should Know About Style by Scott Omelianuk, Ted Allen ISBN: 1573227633 Publisher: Riverhead Books Pub. Date: October, 1999 List Price(USD): $10.95 |
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Title: The Modern Gentleman: A Guide to Essential Manners, Savvy & Vice by Phineas Mollod, Jason Tesauro ISBN: 1580084303 Publisher: Ten Speed Press Pub. Date: October, 2002 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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