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G. Bruce Boyer is a well-known American menswear writer, historian, and consultant. He is the author of many books including the three mentioned, True Style, Eminently Suitable, and Elegance. He has written for numerous publications, including Esquire, Harper’s Bazaar, Forbes, The New York Times, The New Yorker, Town & Country, and The Rake.
Boyer has written these three books over the years as general books about classic men’s style (not fashion). I have included the font jacket cover summary as well as the chapter list for each book with a comment section about each.
True Style: The History and Principles of Classic Menswear – 2015
Front Jacket Summary:
From choosing the right pair of eyeglasses to properly coordinating a shirt, tie, and pocket square, getting dressed is an art to be mastered. Yet, how many of us just throw on, well, whatever each morning? How many understand the subtleties of selecting the right pair of socks or the most compatible patterns of our various garments-much less the history, imperatives, and importance of our choices?
In True Style, acclaimed 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. In witty, stylish prose, Boyer breezes through classic items and traditions in menswear, detailing the evolution and best uses of fabrics like denim and linen, accoutrements like neckties and eyeglasses, and principles for combining patterns, colors, and textures. He enlightens readers about acceptable circumstances for donning a turtleneck, declaims the evils of wearing dress shoes without socks, and trumpets the virtues of sprezzatura, the artistry of concealing effort beneath a cloak of nonchalance.
With a gentle yet firm approach to the rules of dressing and an incredible working knowledge of the different items, styles, and principles of menswear, Boyer provides essential wardrobe guidance for the discriminating gentleman, explaining what true style looks like-and why.
Chapter List:
- Ascots
- Boots
- Bow Ties
- Business Attire
- Craftsmanship
- Denim
- Dressing Gowns
- The English Country House Look
- Evening Dress
- Eyewear
- Fragrances
- Grooming
- Italian Style
- Ivy Style
- Maintenance
- Maxims
- Mixing Patterns
- Pocket Squares
- Shirts
- The Shoe-Hosiery-Trouser Nexus
- Shorts
- Sprezzatura
- Suits
- Summer Fabrics
- Turtlenecks
- Weather Gear
Comments: This is the only book out of the three that is still in print, so from a practical standpoint, unless you want to spend +$50 on a used copy of the other two, this book fits the bill. The others really are more collectors items at the end of the day, but still worth it if you’re interested in style/clothing in general.
Stand Out Chapters: Business Attire, The English Country House Look, Italian Style, Ivy Style, Maxims, Mixing Patterns, Pocket Squares, Shirts, The Shoe-Hosiery-Trouser Nexus, Sprezzatura, and Suits.
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Eminently Suitable: The Elements of Style in Business Attire – 1990
Front Jacket Summary:
Like it or not, clothes do make a difference in how you come across to other people; and in the business world, where first impressions are often lasting impressions, you cannot afford to look anything less than your best.
Bruce Boyer, men’s fashion editor of Town & Country, has written a book that takes the guesswork and anxiety out of looking and feeling like a million dollars, His clear and engaging prose provides the reader with fascinating information on the history of the business suit, and on such important specifics as the differences between various suiting materials or the new range of options available in made-to-measure tailoring (a sensibly priced alternative between off-the-rack and custom-made). Men who are used to letting someone else-a salesman or a spouse-decide what they should wear can now make these decisions with confidence.
Much of the author’s advice is down to earth and practical. Boyer shows how a man of any build can dress to maximize assets and minimize flaws; he pinpoints the crucial details of proper fit and quality tailoring; and he conducts a no-holds-barred tour of the jungle of current designers and fashion trends, with the result that the reader is better equipped to choose for himself a look that gives flattering expression to his personality. At the end of the book is a glossary of terms and a geographical listing of the best sources for suits, shirts, shoes, and accessories.
Entertaining, authoritative, and illustrated with many elegant drawings, this is the perfect book for the main who would like to see something a bit different in the mirror, but doesn’t know quite where to begin.
Chapter List:
- Politics, Dress, and Image
- The Business Suit
- Drape, Zoot, Drape
- Suiting the Man
- Fitting Everyman
- The Art of Dressing
- Contemporary Design and Designers
- Finishing Touches: Grooming for Business
Comments: This is the shortest of the three books and his most historical also. This is much more of a book for someone who has a deeper interest in the history of clothing instead of “how to look good in a suit”, though Chapters 4 and 5 do cover that. There are also some very nice menswear drawings in each chapter to visualize some of Boyer’s important parts.
Stand Out Chapters: All but Finishing Touches if you are interested in the understanding the history of the subject of each chapter.
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Elegance: A Guide to Quality in Menswear – 1985
Front Jacket Summary:
What should you look for when you buy a suit? Where can you find the best boots in Texas, or the perfect English umbrella? Is a custom-made shirt really more expensive than one off the shelf? Would you look better in the shaped tailoring of European designers – or simply foolish? The answers to these and may other questions both practical and aesthetic are found in Bruce Boyer’s wonderfully readable book on menswear. The author draws on over a decade of experience as an international fashion commentator to examine the evolution of the male wardrobe garment by garment, uncloud the confusion, and help you decide what is right for you. In addition to the wealth of practical advice on styles, shopping, maintenance, and packing, the author brings a lively sense of history and personality to the writing of this book. The result is a book that is at once practical, delightful, and historical, a guide and source book, illustrated with over 60 drawings, to help you find your way through the expanding and often confusing world of menswear.
Chapter List:
- Accoutrement
- The Ascot
- Blazers
- Brooks Brothers
- Business Attire
- Buying a Suit
- Cashmere
- Cowboy Boots
- Custom-Made Shirts
- The Double-Breasted Suit
- Evening Wear
- Harris Tweed
- Hollywood
- Italian Fashion
- Khaki
- Loafers
- Madras
- Mail Order Clothes
- Maintenance
- Packing
- The Polo Coat
- Polyester
- Royal Dandies
- Savile Row
- Seersucker
- Sporting Clothes
- Summer Hats
- Tailors
- Top Hats
- The Trench Coat
- Umbrellas
- Vests
Comments: This is the most thorough of the three books and the longest. As you can see from the chapter list, each chapter is about a specific topic, and Boyer does a good job of summarizing each topic, whether it be fabric types, clothing types, or accessories. This book also contains some nice drawings to accompany each chapter.
Stand Out Chapters: Accoutrement, Blazers, Brooks Brothers, Business Attire, Buying a Suit, Cashmere, The Double-Breasted Suit, Harris Tweed, Italian Fashion, Khaki, Madras, Packing, The Polo Coat, Polyester, Savile Row, and Seersucker.
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