Reddit mentions of Gentleman: A Timeless Guide to Fashion

Dear Yarcofin,

Whilst I admire your desire to demonstrate yourself as a gentleman, despite the fact that no plebeians, such as yourself, shall ever be true gentlemen--as plebeian blood is many shades from blue--I shall endeavor to guide thee nearest, by way of the written word, to the state of the cavalier.

I shall hope you will find much erudition, form, and poise betwixt pages and pages of the following ledgers:

How to Be a Gentleman

The Affected Provincial's Companion

How to Be a Man

Gentleman: A Timeless Guide to Fashion

Dressing the Man

The Art of Manliness

Regards,

Curtains

For young people, certain things just look like you’re trying too damn hard: bowties, pocket squares, French cuffs, white collars on a colored shirt, suspenders, wide-spread collars, vested suit (sometimes), etc.

It’s easy to blame other people, but your clothes are prompting their reaction. I don’t know you and I don’t know the way you dress. But perhaps you should think about trying to be more subtle: buying nice clothes that aren’t at all ostentatious. Don’t wear bowties if, when you wear one, people make comments.

In my opinion, the majority of advice on MFA will make a high school or college students look good for other high school or college students. If I wore my pants below my natural waste or if I wore wingtips or a bow tie, the men at my work would think I was an immature, insecure, hipster douche bag. There is nothing wrong with those things, but dress to your audience. Being stylish, being able to express your own, personal style, within the bounds of what’s acceptable to your peers is a true and worthy challenge. An artist is limited by the artistic media he chooses to work with. So to, you are limited by your lifestyle, income, peer group, profession, region, etc. Strive to be stylish and express yourself within you lifestyle’s bounds. Then you will look good without looking like you’re wearing a costume to try to look good.

If following the advice on this forum is getting criticism, I’d like to suggest some alternative sources for advice:

http://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Man-Mastering-Permanent-Fashion/dp/0060191449/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344004043&sr=8-1&keywords=allan+flusser

http://www.amazon.com/Clothes-Man-Principles-Fine-Dress/dp/0394546237/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1344004043&sr=8-2&keywords=allan+flusser

http://www.amazon.com/GENTLEMAN-TIMELESS-GUIDE-FASHION-Ullmann/dp/3833152702/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b

http://www.amazon.com/The-Suit-Machiavellian-Approach-Style/dp/0060891866/ref=pd_sim_b_7 (especially the chapter for “young” persons)

http://www.amazon.com/Elegance-Menswear-G-Bruce-Boyer/dp/0393304388/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1344004086&sr=1-1&keywords=bruce+boyer

http://www.amazon.com/Eminently-Suitable-G-Bruce-Boyer/dp/0393028771/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1344004086&sr=1-3&keywords=bruce+boyer

Your library should have these, as they are menswear “classics.” The books are well-written and, though older than something like “Esquire The Handbook of Style,” the advice is better. How to dress well is a timeless art.

1. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/159240328X/ref=oh_o04_s01_i00_details
   
2. http://www.amazon.com/GENTLEMAN-TIMELESS-GUIDE-FASHION-Ullmann/dp/3833152702/ref=wl_it_dp_o_npd?ie=UTF8&coliid=I3TPPWDLACPI4Z&colid=FLC5W5OOSQLF
   
3. http://www.amazon.com/Esquire-The-Handbook-Style-Looking/dp/1588167461/ref=wl_it_dp_o_npd?ie=UTF8&coliid=I3HOO0657RWPLF&colid=FLC5W5OOSQLF
   
4. http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength-3rd-Mark-Rippetoe/dp/0982522738/ref=wl_it_dp_o_npd?ie=UTF8&coliid=I32MMPCIUV1D2I&colid=FLC5W5OOSQLF

Gentleman: A Timeless Guide To Fashion by Bernhard Roetzel.