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Dressing the Man: Mastering the Art of Permanent Fashion

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.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins; First Edition (October 1, 2002)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0060191449
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0060191443
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.2 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.06 x 0.98 x 11.69 inches

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Price: $55.00 - $27.46
(as of Jul 17, 2024 22:48:57 UTC – Details)



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Customers say

Customers find the book an excellent resource that explains the historical basis behind the rules of men’s fashion. They appreciate the great photos and drawings. Readers also say the book is well-written and easy to read, with concrete style directions.

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Based on 9 reviews

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  1. Uberfiend –

    Classic book on timeless men’s fashion: perfect graduation gift for young men
    This is a great book about achieving a timeless look and acquiring quality apparel. Like most men, I was never taught anything at all about color coordination or how to match patterns, let alone judge the quality of clothing. I just assumed that it was a talent that some people are simply born with. While it might be true that some people are gifted in that regard, it is also a skill that can be both taught and learned.This book is one of several that I credit for teaching me the basics of dressing well and it has been absolutely indispensable in my professional career. I only wish someone had given it to me as a graduation gift.My only gripe about this book is that Flusser skimps on some details which are made obvious only by their absence. Flusser specifically writes about the importance of color and finding one’s personal colors based on the strength of your natural color (skin tone and hair). Flusser goes on to explain how, in ye olden days, men’s magazines often had articles discussing and applying color theory to dress and explanations about how one can match clothing colors to personal color to create a pleasing appearance. And that’s it. Although he certainly is aware of different theories of how to do these things, they are conspicuously absent from the book.That’s a major failing that I hope will be corrected in later editions or by other works. That said, this book is a good gateway into the world of men’s fashion that will give the reader a solid foundation for assembling a timeless and functional wardrobe with plenty of practical tips for doing so.

    Uberfiend –

  2. Craig L. Howe –

    True to the Twin Pivots: Proportion and Color
    As a web developer, I have recently had a run of men’s custom tailoring customers. I found myself looking for an encyclopedic source of styling details and fashion fundamentals.In my mind the name Alan Flusser is synonymous with taste and style. This book gave me everything I needed to build websites designed to appeal to the male buyer of custom suits and shirts. Unlike the fashion buyer, Flusser believes permanent fashion starts with being accountable to a personal set of physical characteristics.The custom buyer’s face’s shape, neck’s height, shoulder’s width, arm’s length and torso’s structure, and the foot’s size remain relatively constant. Once he relates the permanent fashion’s fundamentals to his physique and complexion, he is on his way to building a stylish, cost-effective wardrobe that will withstand fashion’s seasonable vagaries.This book contains a large collection of photographs of stylish men. These vintage photographs illustrate the range and diversity of authentic men’s fashion. Along the way, magnitude of options will equip the reader with both the vocabulary and options required to build a custom wardrobe. There is even a glossary at the end of the book to help with the journey.My needs were unique, I admit. This book equipped me with the knowledge, detail and options required to build a website that appeals to buyers and the purveyors of custom men’s clothing.

    Craig L. Howe –

  3. Ottawa Wolf –

    A Great and Wonderful Education!
    I absolutely fell in love with this book and use it as a regular reference guide. This is a book worth buying and putting on the shelf. The most recent question I answered for myself is “What is ancient madder?” You can give yourself an absolutely wonderful education with this book and learn to “see” men’s clothing in truly eye-opening ways. Learn about color, proportion, texture, patterns, the history, and, most importantly, learn the traditions and then play with them yourself. Also – most importantly – learn to shop with confidence! Why does this tie cost so much more than that one? Is it French tipped or self-tipped? Learn to appreciate the little details. Learn about all the different components to a sports coat so that you can see and appreciate all the details for yourself. A quality sales person is always to be appreciated, but you will know more than most after reading this book. Have fun!

    Ottawa Wolf –

  4. Duane Gran –

    Worth reading and referencing
    There aren’t many books that give classic and trustworthy clothing advice for men, but I wish there were more. The book has made me a better dresser and it has helped me to avoid making bad purchases, but I do have a few issues to raise:* The author writes fluent prose, but sometimes it feels as though the author enjoys his quill a bit much* As others point out, the color photos are rife with error and it is inexcusable* While bespoke fashion is ideal (I own a little), most readers would be better served by some advice on how to properly fit a garment from the rack. The author gives only brief mention of this purchasing option and I got the feeling that he considers any suit not made on Saville Row to be rubbish.* I found his mention of cuff links to be cursory. Flusser admonishes that a real cuff link is jeweled on both sides, but when is the last time you ever saw this? He could have at least given some tips on selecting quality single sided cuff links, because they vary greatly in quality.I do indeed like the book, but in addition to learning about fashion I wanted to learn about how to make due without breaking the bank. In a future revision I hope the author includes some mention of practical, yet dignified, clothing choices.

    Duane Gran –

  5. Mickey –

    Bought this for my son. He loves it!

    Mickey –

  6. Alexandre Rocha –

    Alan Flusser ensina o homem a se vestir, mostra combinações possíveis, traz um dicionário extenso. Infelizmente, se perde com tipos de roupas que ninguém usa, como smokings e casacas.

    Alexandre Rocha –

  7. Amazon Customer –

    A must 4all fashionist

    Amazon Customer –

  8. Anna Sidorenko –

    This book is fabulous gift and fund of knowledge for those who would like to know about class and elegance in man clothes. Truly the rare book!

    Anna Sidorenko –

  9. Ivanjan Chattoraj –

    This book contains very valuable information that is presented in quite detail in easy storytelling format. One has to take the time and patience to go through this book, understand the various tricks and nuances of men’s style.I’m happy with the way the package was neatly delivered without causing any damage to the book.

    Ivanjan Chattoraj –

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