Synopses & Reviews
From choosing the right pair of eyeglasses to properly coordinating a tie, shirt, and pocket square, getting dressed is an art to be mastered. Yet how many of us just throw on, well, whatever in the morning? How many understand the subtleties of selecting the right pair of shoelaces or the most compatible patternsand#151;much less the history, imperatives, and importance of our choices?
In True Style, fashion expert G. Bruce Boyer provides a crisp, indispensable primer for this daily ritual, cataloguing the essential elements of the male wardrobe and showing how best to employ them. Detailing the evolution of the most classic items and traditions in menswearand#151;from fabrics like denim and linen, to staples like blazers and button-down shirts, to the rules for combining them alland#151;Boyer reveals what true style looks like, and why.
Review
and#147;Bruce Boyer is the Robert Caro of the cufflink, the Boswell of the bow tie. Any man wondering why he wears what he doesand#151;or how to wear it betterand#151;should avail himself of this indispensable volume.and#8221;
and#151;Jay Fielden, editor in chief, Town and Country
and#147;Bruce Boyer is the Raymond Chandler of menswear journalism, a weight to carry. Writer and man of style Boyer walks the and#145;mean streetsand#8217; of fashion with little armor save his pen and inimitable wit. Pushers of bad taste beware; heand#8217;s out to get you.and#8221;
and#151;Michael Drake, designer and founder of Drakeand#8217;s London
and#147;True Style charts a unique path to understanding menand#8217;s style using a combination of pithy commentary, practical instruction, and historical insightand#151;a heady mixture only Bruce Boyer could provide. It will be a reference on menswear for decades to come.and#8221;
and#151;Mark Cho, The Armoury
and#147;A great read for anyone who is interested in gentlemanly style, by the worldand#8217;s best writer on the subject.and#8221;
and#151;Francesco Barberis Canonico, creative director, Vitale Barberis Canonico
and#147;True Style combines historical insight, an elegant turn of phrase and sartorial authority, all enhanced with timeless illustrations. It is the perfect complement to the connoisseurand#8217;s wardrobe and book shelf.and#8221;
and#151;Christopher Breward, University of Edinburgh
and#147;The Ivy Style exhibition at The Museum of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, for which Mr. G. Bruce Boyer was a consulting curator, is still being talked about among fashion leaders in Japan. We respect Mr. Boyer, whose appraisal of Ivy Style always influences new fashion trends worldwide.and#8221;
and#151;Minoru Onozato, editor in chief, Free and Easy magazine
and#147;True Style is magic. G. Bruce Boyerand#8217;s delightful writing gives us a chance to contemplate the beauty and function of menand#8217;s wardrobe essentials, transporting us to a world where old-world glamour and modern elegance rule. With rich erudition, Boyer brings together dress history, fashion pedagogy, smart anecdotes, and examples of timeless style icons to show how the art and pleasure of male dressing can be mastered.and#8221;
and#151;Masafumi Monden, author of Japanese Fashion Cultures: Dress and Gender in Contemporary Japan
About the Author
G. Bruce Boyer is a renowned expert on menswear and menand#8217;s fashion. Currently a contributing fashion editor at Town and Country magazine and a consulting curator at The Museum at The Fashion Institute of Technology, he lives in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Table of Contents
1. Ascots
2. Boots
3. Bow Ties
4.. Business Attire
5. Craftsmanship
6. Denim
7. Dressing Gowns
8. The English Country House Look
9. Evening Dress
10. Eyewear
11. Fragrances
12. Grooming
13. Italian Style
14. Ivy Style
15. Maintenance
16. Maxims
17. Mixing Patterns
18. Pocket Squares
19.Shirts
20. The Shoe-Hosiery-Trouser Nexus
21. Shorts
22. Sprezzatura
23. Suits
24. Summer Fabrics
25. Turtlenecks
26. Weather Gear
Appendix: The Best Fashion Books for Men