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Style reference materials

cuffthis

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I highly recommend the Armani book as an example of how one designer has influenced more than one generation of dressing.

If you replace the word "influenced" with "misguided", I'll agree with that statement.

Your original statement is correct as you wrote it if you change Armani to Ralph Lauren.
 
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Cuffthis, thanks for the long list. Could you elaborate by indicating which of the titles you find yourself returning to frequently? Which titles you find indispensible? Thanks.
 

cuffthis

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Cuffthis, thanks for the long list. Could you elaborate by indicating which of the titles you find yourself returning to frequently? Which titles you find indispensible? Thanks.
For text, I refer to Flusser's Clothes and the Man and Dressing the Man the most. For pictures, Apparel Arts and old Esquires. For the best visuals, I put a Cary Grant or Fred Astaire movie in the dvd player, open a good bottle of wine, and sit back and watch. These movies are truly pieces of sartorial history.
 

bryce330

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Manton

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I've ordered several times from both of these stores - IBS is quicker, but Libroco will give you 30% off if you register at their site.
Thanks. That's a lot of kablingy for a book I won't even be able to read. I don't suppose they're planning an English edition ...?
 

bryce330

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(bryce330 @ Feb. 22 2005,16:30) I've ordered several times from both of these stores - IBS is quicker, but Libroco will give you 30% off if you register at their site.
Thanks. Â That's a lot of kablingy for a book I won't even be able to read. Â I don't suppose they're planning an English edition ...?
As a matter of fact....: http://www.libroco.it/cgi-bin....=146945
 

Manton

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Damn you. Now I have to buy it.
wink.gif
Thanks.
 

Material Boy

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There is a magazine called "Menswear" published twice a year by Fairchild Publication (DNR). The magazine is freely obtainable at some of the high-end department stores (I got mine from Neiman Marcus in Newport Beach).

The magazine showcases some of the best fashion from each season (pick by the editors of the magazine) and it also has a lot of informative and interesting articles. The one from Fall 04 contains information on bespoke suit, black tie etc.

You can also order a copy from Fairchild by paying $10 + shipping.

PS: Please stop reading these advertisment/marketing infested magazines (i.e GQ, Esquire), and start reading the real thing: DNR:The bible of the menswear industry.

MB
 

LA Guy

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DNR:The bible of the menswear industry

Targetted towards the middle of the market - that's what pays the bills after all. IMO, there is a lot of good info there if you want to sell/are interested in the selling of, lots of clothes, not if you are interested in learning about good clothing.
 

Manton

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Yeah, I subscribed to DNR for a while, but I let it lapse. Not enough in it that interested me on a consistent basis.
 

Bradford

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OK - I have a few books to mention

My favorite is titled "What Every Young Man Should Know: An Unconventional Guide for the Perceptive Young Man by the Editors of Esquire Magazine" Originally published in 1933, I have the 1962 edition which is set in the pre-hippy, pre-sexual revolution world. It's got great clothing, style, etiquette and dating advice. You want to talk American Trad, this is like the bible of American Trad.

My second favorite would have to be The Official Preppy Handbook from 1980 which is still really the source material for much of the preppy revival for the past 25 years. Yes, it was meant as parody, but it still has good writing.

You also have to love P.J. O'Rourke's 1989 book, Modern Manners, in which he devotes a whole section to dressing rich and includes advice such as the following about Sport Coats,

"The rich are the only people in the world who actually wear sport coats to play sports in. So don't wear a tweed jacket to wrok unless you expect to flush a covey of quail from behind the Xerox machine. The only exception is the blue blazer, which is a rich man's way of saying, 'I'm going straight from the office to my boat and won't have time to change.'"

I also have the 1987 book, Color for Men which was an outgrowth of the whole color seasons thing that was so popular for a while and a late 80's copy of the Esquire Guide to Style which shows a lot of really dated power suit and tie looks and is kind of useless anymore.

So that's it - other than that I just use this forum now.

Bradford
 

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