Dressing the Man

"A beautiful book well thought out and illustrated. If you buy the book for it's pictures alone you'll not be disappointed. I would agree with a previous reviewer that it's not 100% on the money for the English reader, a bit too American in focus. Other than that a first rate book and very interesting even if ,like me, you're a bit of a slob!"
~ Written on 2007-12-14

"The author knows his stuff. It's a good book and very detailed.
However, I found it heavy going, very much like reading a Haines car manual! Not a great deal of pictures, of which a majority are very old black & white shots of years gone by. I also found the wordage difficult to get along with.
It is very American and aimed at the US market. I found myself wondering if what I was reading relevant to me as a man in the UK. The 'how you should dress for work' section was so very 'American man goes to work'. Smart suits aside, nobody in England would dress for work in the ways described. It goes on about Ivy League cues etc. In essence it was classic style as we know it today came out of the US.
In summary I would compare it to 'Gentlemen - A timeless fashion', which I also have. Dressing the man has more historical detail, is hard going and aimed at the US reader/dresser. Gentlemen - A timeless fashion is better for how do I dress myself in a classic English way and why, with tons more pictures which help with a shopping list in your mind, it is also serves a handy easy reference. In my opinion Dressing the man does not offer good value for money compared to the other titles on the market; However that said the author knows his stuff but gets bogged down with history and nitty gritty and never really gets around to the hear and now."
~ Written on 2006-05-14

"Alan Flusser's beautiful book is essential if you have an interest in how to dress elegantly and timelessly. The book covers both business and, to some extent, casual attire. The knowledgeable text is accompanied by a marvellous collection of photographs and illustrations. If you are the type of man that watches Cary Grant and admires his suits as much as his acting, this book will delight you."
~ Written on 2005-08-20

"Flusser's magnum opus exceeds Bernhard Roetzel's superb work "Gentleman: A Timeless Classic" as the simply the most comprehensive and authoritatve text on classic male dress. The chapters on proportion, colour and pattern deal with really important issues that Roetzel just misses out completely. The chapter on smart casual addresses an area that is very important to the modern office, but sorely neglected by other authors. The only other work I know of that addressed these fundamentals to anywhere near this level of detail is Spensor's "Style Directions for Men," but her work is hampered by an overly-compartmentalised approach and very poor samples of clothing (the photos have been extracted from a cheap mail order catalogue). I would strongly recommend this book along with "Style and the Man" (then you'll know what and how to wear things AND where to find them). Roetzel's book is definitely worth having as well, but it has been overtaken. A smaller, but highly informative work is Karlen and Sulavik's "Indispensible Guide," but that just doesn't have the kind of colour photos, intricate detail and historical background that "Dressing the Man" does. I recommend this book to any gent who wants to know more about classic style and dress."
~ Written on 2003-02-14