The Suit: A Machiavellian Approach to Men's Style

"I found this book to be very enjoyable. If you're really looking for something to help the average guy figure out how to find a reasonably nice suit, this probably isn't the book. The author assumes you're probably willing to fly across the country (or Atlantic Ocean) to visit a nice tailor, have your shoes custom made, and select silk swatches for your ties.

The tone of the book is elitist. Some people might find it very annoying; I found it to be pretty funny. One of the things I really liked about the book was the constant reference to notable people and their smart use of style. If you're looking for points on style, you'll find some here. However, the book may be more useful for its entertainment value."
~ Written on 2008-10-07

"Nicholas Antongiavanni's THE SUIT is one of the most informative, interesting, and entertaining, volumes pertaining to the art of male dressing that I have ever read. Written cleverly in the style of Machiavelli's classic tome THE PRINCE, Antongiovanni discusses body types and how they affect fit, suit detailing and construction, as well as fabric quality, coloration, cut and tailoring of garments, and level of formality as it pertains to solid and patterned suits. He thoroughly evaluates "ready-made," "designer," "made to measure, and "custom tailored" suits and their relative attributes. Beyond his marvelous critique of suits themselves, Antongiovanni pays additional and welcome attention to shoe styles, profiles and construction, as well as to dress shirts.
While I am no sartorial novice, I learned a great deal from reading (and re-reading!) this compact, informative, and entertaining book. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to look his best in business and the professions. "
~ Written on 2008-04-28

"IF your world is about C level persons: C level execs, clients not customers, colleagues not co-workers or continental (global) not county executives - and you wear suits 3-4 days every week - this is a must have book.

It can give you an edge in boardroom presentations and when meeting "serious suits" for the first time (job interviews).....IF you apply the first 70 pages to your next suit purchase. I own many heavy and expensive "how to dress" books - used to sell suits and still learned much from this tiny book.

The chapters on shirts, shoes and ties are equally great - will help you get a better table at a fancy restaurant and are less expensive to apply if you're not ready to buy "made to measure" suits.

Overall, it's the best combination of minimal time/money you can spend to improve your chances at dressing as well as a "serious suit" - making a great first impression and winning more when presenting/negotiating with them.


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~ Written on 2007-11-25

" The Suit by Nicholas Antongiavanni is a parody of Machiavelli's The Prince. It not the type of parody which ridicules, but rather it is the type that uses the tone and design of a previous work as inspiration to create a new work of art. I've read this little book twice now, and I think it might take a college level course to unearth all the literary devices used by the author to imitate The Prince. I keep discovering more clever references each time I read The Suit, and it is amusing and astonishing to note the level of craftsmanship involved.

However, that is really not the principal reason to own this book. The Suit can save you money, time and face! Most men I know do not enjoy shopping for clothing, especially professional clothes, because the whole process is usually fraught with anxiety, and often results in time that feels wasted, wallets that feel much lighter, and closets full of mistakes that no one will ever wear.

Arm thyself with knowledge! This book can help guys wishing to update their wardrobe. It can help people preparing for important occasions, and I think it could also help women who wish to make presents of garments to men.

The Suit is thoroughly researched and seems to derive its sartorial sensibilities from 1930's Apparel Arts Magazines (which I am fortunate enough to have seen) and the current but timeless work of Savile Row and Neapolitan tailors. Many people might feel those influences are way too old fashioned, hidebound or impractical. Not so,says Antongiavanni. I must agree. Once a person knows the "rules" of good dress, it is remarkable how valid they are. Just look at pictures of the world's most successful modern men. Those men send out subtle visual cues with their clothes. The initiated will consciously notice, but the rest of the world's mortals at least sense something is special.

Read The Suit and you will also increase your enjoyment of old classic movies from the 1930's and 1940's. I only recently noticed how consistent the modes of dress are in those movies. Men wear suits in town, and they wear odd jackets in the country with brown shoes. They wear dinner jackets in the evening, at dinner, of course! By having appropriate clothes for every occasion, the classic movie stars looked great for all time, and who doesn't want to look great?

I am especially amused by the author's criticism of black suits for business and formal daytime occasions. In fact, there is a notorious internet thread which I believe involves this author strongly making points against any black lounge suit. This guy is right! I am a musician, and I perform at many wedding services. Black suits and Tuxedos (in the book you'll learn much more about that term) really do look pretty bad in the daylight out in the garden. In fact, although most of the male guests I see at wedding services are fairly comfortable financially, I've seen maybe only two all summer who adhered to the values explained in The Suit. Those men stood out head and shoulders above the rest. I don't know how those "well dressed" gentlemen acquired their ability to dress well, but now that skill is available to others who might read and understand The Suit.

This book reveals the secrets of "proper dressing" to those that are willing to study the concepts and learn the vocabulary. I might also recommend that readers not familiar with the jargon of men's clothes check out Style and the Man by Alan Flusser. That book, with all its photographs, can be a starting point for those wishing to understand The Suit.

Finally, I really wish The Suit was required reading for people in the men's clothing industry--especially retail clothing salesmen and people that call themselves tailors. I am amazed how much ignorant advice is out there. I bet many clothing salesmen might actually enjoy knowing the history and traditions of their business, rather than just feeling compelled to make something up in order to close a sale.

Read this book and you will be able to select your own ties! A person that makes use of the information in The Suit is far more likely to come up with winning combinations of clothes. Give yourself some time to take it all in and reap the rewards."
~ Written on 2007-09-02

"If you want to learn specifically about men's formal clothing (suits, ties, shoes, etc), this book pack plenty of good info. Unfortunately, there are no pictures, so it is often hard to imagine what the author is describing. Therefore, this should not be your first or only book about men's style. Alan Flusser's books are better introductions to this field.

Given that I already knew quite a bit about this topic, I was impressed how much new and interesting things I discovered in this book. For example, one interesting "advanced reading" chapter was "On the Difference Between Formality and Dandification"

The main problems that prevent the book from getting a higher rating are: lack of illustrations, difficult-to-read Machiavelli-style language, expectation of prior knowledge, and somewhat poor organization (e.g. it could have been faster and easier to get to the point on many occasions). Note that the author is an active participant in online forums devoted to men's style (London Lounge, Ask Andy, Style Forum), so many of the glowing positive reviews are from other members of these forums.

Overall: recommended reading."
~ Written on 2007-08-12