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Dressing the Man: Mastering the Art of Permanent Fashion?
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> Any idea the price range on Alan flusser?
I have no clue however he is an authority on how to choose clothing based on your individual characteristics. This book of his explains what he means:
https://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Man-Mastering-Permanent-Fashion/dp/0060191449
> Also, any thoughts on balani custom clothiers?
I am not familiar with them.
Dressing the Man actually has a good section on how colors complement or hide your complexion. For some (myself, for example), bold and contrasting colors work out really well. Like you, I prefer blue suits (though I have several suits).
Depending on the OP's complexion, charcoal might be a better look but it's really just a preference thing, as you alluded to.
A book I just got for my birthday talks about how to dress very well. Even though the author uses formal attire for explaining how to dress, he also talks about how shirt shape, color and pattern create a favorable or unfavorable look for someone. The same goes for pants and even hats. So I would say that you should study your body type and skin tone before you go out buying expensive clothing.
Also, if you know someone with an eye for good fashion and is supportive, get them to come out to the stores with you and give their honest opinions.
Get a copy of this and don't force your manners, just pay mind to the things your parents taught you - open doors, stand when a lady stands (unless it is inappropriately douchey, which it can be); and remember kegbol's Golden Rule: Trousers may be optional, but the Gentleman is naked without a pocket square.
Alright some great brand recommendations on here, so I’ll jump in on the other questions (eg. color and style).
First of all check out Dressing the Man by Alan Flusser. It’s an absolute bible of men’s fashion, and it has fascinating and helpful advice for just about every aspect of style you’ve never thought of, with a focus on suits and formal/professional wear. Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Man-Mastering-Permanent-Fashion/dp/0060191449
You mentioned 2-3 suits and that’s a perfect number to have for an all-purpose wardrobe. Navy, grey, black (edit: black is not as necessary as the others and could be swapped). Your choice whether “grey” means charcoal or light grey, they’re both great and versatile (if you feel like ever getting suit #4, get the one you didn’t get in this round). I personally recommend no pinstripes or other patterns until you’ve fully established your baseline wardrobe. If nothing else, patterns are more memorable so you can’t wear the same suit as frequently. Ditto with more interesting colors. Start with the core 3-4 colors above, then branch out.
Shirts can and should have more variety, and are obviously cheaper to buy in numerous options. While some brands have reliably higher quality shirts (ie. Brooks Bros), there’s nothing wrong with stocking up on cheap and interesting ones as well. Hell, half of my shirts were stumbled upon in thrift stores and sample sales for cheap and I get compliments all the time. Construction quality matters, but not nearly as much as for suits.
As for colors, get a set of standard single-colored shirts (white, black, blue, etc), because these will be easy to match with a wide variety of ties. Solid color shirt, solid color suit, flashy patterned tie is probably my go-to set up, and it’s very easy to rotate. As you get more comfortable with the basics, or find an item that strikes your fancy, you can play around with more complex combos. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with breaking the basic mold, and some of the best outfits happen that way, but it’s more difficult to know what works well at first, so that’s why I recommend starting with a more straightforward approach. Dressing the Man has multiple chapters on colors, patterns, and the mixing and matching thereof.
One fascinating point I remember from Dressing the Man is the idea of matching the clothes to your facial features. Not every color/pattern looks equally good/bad on different people. For example, notice the contrast of your features. If you have high contrast features (ex dark hair, light skin), you will probably look awesome with high contrast clothing (ex black suit, white shirt, striking pattern tie), and less so with low contrast clothing. However, the opposite holds true for low contrast faces (light hair, light skin, and/or light eyes). A low-contrast outfit (ex navy/grey/tan suit, blue shirt, yellow tie) will match your face well, but a high contrast outfit will make your face look washed out and bland in comparison. And in case anyone is wondering, people with dark skin fall under the “high contrast” category for these purposes, even if their skin and hair are similarly dark.
Shoes are another key element. Black pair, medium or dark brown pair, with a sleek, simple design (rather than lots of ornaments/flash) so that you can use them with all of your suits. From there feel free to experiment with some more awesome, flamboyant options that may or may not be as versatile (ex double monks or walnut Strands from Allen Edmonds). Dress boots are an interesting option too. I would much rather invest in high quality shoes and meh suit than the other way around. One, you’ll be walking on them all day so comfort matters. Two, they take a beating so durability equals money. Three, people are much more likely to notice how good/bad shoes you are than clothes in many cases, especially sartorially-minded folks. Four, the total cost of top quality shoes isn’t as high as it is for suits.
I’m sure there’s more and I may edit later, but that’s my brain dump off the top of my head! Cheers to you, snazzy future lawyer!
Get a copy of 'Dressing the Man' by Alan Flusser. It has been in print for almost two decades and is becoming a classic. ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060191449 )
Dressing the man leans towards classic styles, but it also has some really good tips, including what colors go best with what skintones and how to match things. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0060191449/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_N2Q59S2M9KKQ20182ZD8
I had a job where I had to wear suits every day for a few years. I can't recommend Dressing the Man by Alan Flusser highly enough. I didn't have the traditional family unit and I credit this book for teaching me how to navigate formal and business dress.
https://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Man-Mastering-Permanent-Fashion/dp/0060191449
I would recommend a grey suit and a navy, find your color palate and patterns you like, and buy items that fit within that. For me, I like white dress shirts with cool color, small scale checks which are usually blue. Medium to large scale striped or patterned ties, and a tan belt and shoes.
Stick with the same colors and cuts forever, those are dictated by your body type, but then experiment with patterns, pattern scale, and textures. Wool and knit ties are nice in the fall and winter, for instance.
If they are indeed beginners, best to start with all 3 in one book.
There's a book called Dressing the Man by Alan Flusser. Considered to be the go-to book for anyone wanting to start out learning out timeless mens style --> https://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Man-Mastering-Permanent-Fashion/dp/0060191449/ref=zg_bs_6511973011_1/134-5842965-6846507?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=JSCEE8P2S4T6E0RZBW9B
Here are the links to the other books you asked about
Robert Kiyosaki - https://www.amazon.com/Robert-T.-Kiyosaki/e/B001H6GV90
Gary Chapman - https://www.amazon.com/Gary-Chapman/e/B01IAEQ73Q
The 4 Hour Body - https://www.amazon.com/4-Hour-Body-Uncommon-Incredible-Superhuman/dp/0307704610
Hope this helps. Cheers!
Using bedsheet as a backdrop. This guys is a keeper. Go get him girls.
If you're serious about this, I would pick up Dressing the Man from Alan Flusser.
I also recommend Bernhard Roetzel's Gentleman: A Timeless Guide to Fashion.
I went into selling suiting with the perception and preference with everything slim. But most of my clients are middle-aged and just want something that's flattering, but not too bold. Part of me wants more Dandy clients who want to dress more daringly, but that'll never happen.
From my previous experiences, you'll want to make friends with the older sales associates. I tried to learn a lot of theory on my own, in practice it's a novel idea. But having a reliable and experienced tailor will help you learn faster and make limited mistakes.
I worked with a sales associate at my department store who worked at Hickey Freeman for 40 years before retiring. He was/still is very knowledgeable about suiting and would constantly drill me about principles.
We had one engineer who for decades wore a white shirt, dark blue pants, and blue tie every day. Obviously never married. One year the entire company dressed the same as him. He lives on in memory forever.... but you don’t want to be him.
Proper fit is far more important that brand. Knowing a simple matching is more important than brand. Clothes appearance are not for you; it’s for others who can see such things.
Find a trusted person who dresses well & you respect; subtly ask who chooses their clothes. Find someone similar to help you. Do NOT shop alone or let the clerk chose for you.
Head to a large department store & find the one, brand name, no iron, shirt that your stylish (not fashionable) female/gay friend says fits you well. Buy many. Then pants too. Then belt, socks, shoes. Buy that friend a very good meal. Repeat every 3 years; your size will have changed.
By asking this we all know you do not understand clothes or fashion. Next, buy & read this book... https://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Man-Mastering-Permanent-Fashion/dp/0060191449/.
Personally, I’d be similarly hosed without my wife.
You bought a book from a third-party seller. You make it sound like you did some research on it but it suddenly jumped $20.00. I'm not sure why you would compare prices and select an item because "shipping costs were only $3.99" but then jump straight into the 1-click buy and not confirm after placing the order that everything was still on track, especially for an international order from the US website.
The third-party seller shipping rates are clearly posted on Amazon.
I agree that the final price should be shown at the time of order but it sounds to me like you're just trying to cause trouble. For all I know, the book you mentioned was showing the $3.99 shipped from Amazon, then you went and selected a third-party instead.
you are mistaken about that. I reccommend this as required reading. I have suspender buttons sewn into all of my suit pants and dress trousers.
http://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Man-Mastering-Permanent-Fashion/dp/0060191449
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