True Style
Books | Self-Help / Fashion & Style
G. Bruce Boyer
From a leading menswear expert, the essential guide to gentlemanly style “Erudite and charming.”—San Francisco Chronicle 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?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 both the evolution and best uses of popular fabrics, patterns, colors, and accoutrements. 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, Boyer provides essential wardrobe guidance for the discriminating gentleman, explaining what true style looks like—and why.
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Author
G. Bruce Boyer
Pages
272
Publisher
Basic Books
Published Date
2015-09-08
ISBN
0465061591 9780465061594
Community ReviewsSee all
"Full review and highlights at <a href="https://books.max-nova.com/true-style">https://books.max-nova.com/true-style</a><br/><br/>I've always been a slob when it comes to clothing. I straight up wore sweatpants for all of sophomore year in college (note: this is not the "Ivy Style" that Boyer refers to in the book). The difference between a suit, a tuxedo, and a blazer? Hell if I knew. In "True Style", Boyer politely lets me know that he has had enough of my indifference. With a refined conviviality, he propounds his philosophy of style, offering such advice as "if a man is dressed effectively, confidently, and comfortably, he’ll be judged on other criteria — talent, productivity, merit, skill, loyalty — which is the way it should be." I must admit that I was swept up in his enthusiasm for understanding the historical evolution of clothing styles and I began to appreciate Boyer's sartorial analyses. But he really won me over with the subtly outrageous asides that he peppered throughout his book. My hat is off to you good Sir Boyer - you took a subject that I always considered the purview of stuffy, self-important lightweights and turned it into a fun and fascinating read. My view now aligns more closely with that of Lord Chesterfield:<blockquote>dress is a foolish thing, and yet it’s a more foolish thing not to pay attention to it</blockquote>There was also an unexpected connection to one of the best books I've read this year - "Endurance":<blockquote>The polar explorers Robert Falcon Scott, Ernest Shackleton, and Roald Amundsen all wore windproof and waterproof suits designed and made by Burberry. Even the tents Amundsen took with him were made by the firm.</blockquote>And here's a little taste of what you're getting into with this book - some of my favorite little quips:<blockquote>Advertisers have always argued that one of their main functions is to inform and educate; they say this without even smiling, the wolves.</blockquote>Or his little wink to the literary class:<blockquote>Sometimes I carry a few old books — hardcover of course, without dust jackets — around with me, anything faintly grubby and esoteric looking, to reinforce the impression that I’m studying something of mind-bending importance.</blockquote>And my favorite bit of fashionable trollery:<blockquote>“Haven’t bought clothes in years” is an almost unbeatable ploy, since any reply would seem rather arriviste and petty at the same time.</blockquote>"
Max Nova