Lifestyle Fashion

Men’s Style by Russell Smith – Book Review

Sartorial-style writers tend to have a charming prose style. This is certainly the case for Russell Smith, author of Men’s Style: The Thinking Man’s Guide to Dress. His book is full of interesting and entertaining anecdotes, paragraphs and sentences, but he never seems to try too hard. He is able to explain the technicalities of fine attire while writing in plain English, easier said than done.

The only problem with any style guide is that, at its core, style is a matter of personal taste and the rules become more subjective as you gain experience. Russell does not deny it, but he is also firm in his convictions. Personally, I’d rather read a book like this, even if I don’t agree with most of the author’s prescriptions and proscriptions, than a book full of vapid relativism (“Leisure suits aren’t my thing, but wear it if you don’t want to.” ). I want.” How useful would that be?).

The style rules are meant to make dressing less confusing, as “it helps to know the rules, especially if you’re new to this whole game and don’t trust your own taste.” Fred Astaire may be able to pull off an outfit that would leave you or me looking like an ape in disguise, not because he’s handsome (he’s not), but because he’s a professional. He can break the rules because he knows them and he knows the loopholes.

The book is a good introduction to men’s style, especially the traditional and somewhat formal style. It shows you how clothing can make you feel sexy and cool. It shows you how to dress for different occasions. It’s also a fun read. But if you’re looking for advice on, say, how to choose the best colored shirt for your skin tone or how to dress for your body type, you may want something more practical and technical.

The book has wide margins, which allow for citations, illustrations, and sidebars to frame the page. The illustrations, by the excellently named Edwin Fotheringham, are a nice addition and help illustrate the author’s point: a chapter on casual dress features a man dressed in a casual cashmere suit with a gold chain. The caption: “Casual dress is probably the weakest point of contemporary man.” Point made.

This is a great gift for a man interested in style, or at least sleeping with women. (If he’s interested in sleeping with men, he’ll still find it entertaining.) If you have a spouse, sibling, or friend who makes abysmal fashion decisions, consider giving this book as an introduction to style. I’ve conflated this book with an old picture book by Fred Astaire or Carey Grant, just to point out how important good style can be.

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