Best fashion history books according to redditors
We found 380 Reddit comments discussing the best fashion history books. We ranked the 197 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 380 Reddit comments discussing the best fashion history books. We ranked the 197 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
I searched for "coffee table art books" on Amazon and they're pretty much all under $100. This one's Louis Vuitton, the related items include Tom Ford, Gucci, Chanel, etc https://www.amazon.com/Louis-Vuitton-Modern-Luxury-Updated/dp/1419705563/
No. Here's the details of what the police found in his home. I looked up the books which supposedly had "child porn", and as I expected they are sold on Amazon. Link and link. They are just artsy books that no doubt contain some nudity as artsy books often do, and I'm sure they were just a couple of the thousands of books found in Michael's house. The sheriff's own description of the books say they did not meet the legal requirements for child porn.
As far as I can tell, the whole story about Michael was completely overblown by the media. As if some "journalist" was having a slow news week, so they dug up the old sheriff's records, put a spin on everything listed, and blamo.. a bullshit story was born.
No problem mate, glad you're enjoying it.
Books I could recommend: Esquire released a great book called The Handbook of Style that I think offers some really solid advice. Alan Flusser's "Dressing the Man" is a great resource if you're interested in suits/dressing with a more refined, classier style.
Otherwise, fashion forms and blogs are a great resource as well. Lookbook.nu is good for street and casual fashion, The Sartorialist is great for inspiration on suiting. I also really like Street Etiquette as well.
Excellent, let me nerd out for a second about suits. Also, that documentary is a GREAT starting point. Personally, it makes me want to become a tailor, and it makes me sad that tailoring is becoming a dying breed of old people who have no younger people to take up their mantle.
---
So, before you get into the process of suit making and all of that, and the art that is tailoring. I encourage you to read up on what makes a suit, a suit. But, I'll cut it down real simply for you and leave some links so that you can read up on in depth if it suits you (hodor).
Let's start with the most basic question. What is the foundation of the suit? Strangely, the foundation of the suit, is the shoulder. The drape of your suit and the cut of your suit starts from the shoulder and moves downward. So like we always say, if it doesn't fit on the shoulder, put it back on the rack. There are tons of different types of cuts for shoulders, and how it's padding, and how the sleeve is attached to the shoulder that is all unique to each cut, although it is becoming more homogenized (Personally, I'm an italian cut kinda guy, Neapolitan in specific). How do you like your shoulders? Straight across? Narrower? No padding at all? Extreme sloping? These are the questions you should consider when bespoking your suit, or purchasing your suit in general. How do you like your shoulder to sing?
Next, lets move onto the beauty that is the lapel roll, the flower of the suit, the thing that blooms, the detail that gives your suit depth. A detail that simply resonates with the rest of your suit, don't be flat (jos. a bank), the lapel roll is a piece of art of itself, and a good dry cleaner will not press the life out of the lapel. Of course, you could just do it yourself.
So now that we have touched the outside of the suit. Let's dig a little deeper, how about the inside of the suit? Perhaps as important as the shoulder, is your canvassing. Why is it important? Because canvas is what gives your suit a shape, it's the thing that slowly molds to your body, a quality suit will slowly mold to your body and drape better and better with each wear. A suit with the proper insides need's no hanger to give it shape (put it on a hanger). It almost wears itself (ignore the fact that they are trying to sell something).
Here is some more reading on canvassing
In closing, how about some master tailors talking about their art?
Rudolph Popradi
Martin Greenfield
Multiple tailors from naples discuss their life of tailoring
And now, some books.
A menswear book, a little more for the older gents and those more intersted in history. But very much a classic book that is highly praised for being all encompassing.
How about a book that teaches you to make your own garments?
And a machiavallian approach to the suit. Maybe not as highly praised, but more reading can't hurt that much.
Let's ask some people about their thoughts on the suit and it's changes through the years.
1, 2, 3, 4.
And let's touch on the tuxedo for a bit, probably a little pretentious (especially that esquire guy), but for some reason I like watching people dress up while giving their thoughts..
And finally, a series of videos on a class about suit construction (mainly for women).
Probably doesn't entirely answer your questions, but hey, suits are awesome. If I had enough money to wear a suit everyday for every situation (james bond) I would. If you have the opportunity to apprentice under a tailor, I highly suggest it, maybe you won't become a master tailor, and you most likely will not get paid, but it would be an awesome experience to be under a master craftsman.
It's fun not giving sources when you make stupid ass comments.
From /u/zlex:
No, it is expensive. Most high quality coffee table books cost about $100.00
Louis Vuitton: Art, Fashion and Architecture (https://www.amazon.ca/Louis-Vuitton-Modern-Luxury-Updated/dp/1419705563) ~ $80.00 CAD
Chanel: Collections And Creations (https://www.amazon.ca/Chanel-Collections-Creations-Daniele-Bott/dp/0500513600/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=CZCPW99HJRV9QE40PMJ7) ~ 45.00 CAD
GUCCI: The Making Of (https://www.amazon.ca/GUCCI-Making-Katie-Grand/dp/0847836797/ref=pd_sim_14_10?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=T705DG6XV6G513FBXBZZ) ~ $75.00 CAD
People keep linking to books that cost several hundred dollars and saying "Look see there are more expensive books," but they are all limited edition and rare.
This is a mass market book. It's very expensive. I don't care if people buy it but it's seriously ridiculous listening to people say it's priced normally. It isn't.
Most of these are more Image than Text.
Hedi Slimane: Anthology of a Decade
Rick Owens
Ann Demeulemeester
Dries Van Noten
Pharrell: Places and Spaces I've Been
Supreme
Raf Simons
KAWS
Hedi Slimane: Rock Diary
Undercover
Alexander McQueen: Savage Diary
Yves Saint Laurent
Vanity Fair 100 Years: From the Jazz Age to Our Age
Louis Vuitton: Art, Fashion, and Architecture
Chanel: The Vocabulary of Style
Dior Couture
Tom Ford
Unlabel: Selling You Without Selling Out by Marc Ecko
Sneaker Tokyo vol.2 'Hiroshi Fujiwara'
Bape
Hiroshi Fujiwara: Fragment
Quoting myself here:
> They only found one book found that featured 'nude children' at Neverland- here it is for sale on Amazon. It's an artbook.
***
> Okay, very good, and the fact that a 13 year old Jordie Chandler gave a detailed description of Michael's penis and testicles to the DA. How exactly did that come about?
The Jordan Chandler who described Michael's penis as circumscribed when it wasn't? That Jordan Chandler? You are grossly misinformed.
PSA: you can get better information about color, proportionality and exceptions to rules like this in Alan Flusser's Dressing The Man. The content of this article is nearly identical, but adds the "contrast scale" as a number concept, but the book adds a lot of detail the article lacks. I read this recently and enjoyed it.
Emphasizing the face, color contrast, and shirts and suits to compliment body size and shape are better covered there. Link if you're interested: http://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Man-Mastering-Permanent-Fashion/dp/0060191449
No, it is expensive. Most high quality coffee table books cost about $100.00
Louis Vuitton: Art, Fashion and Architecture (https://www.amazon.ca/Louis-Vuitton-Modern-Luxury-Updated/dp/1419705563) ~ $80.00 CAD
Chanel: Collections And Creations (https://www.amazon.ca/Chanel-Collections-Creations-Daniele-Bott/dp/0500513600/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=CZCPW99HJRV9QE40PMJ7) ~ 45.00 CAD
GUCCI: The Making Of (https://www.amazon.ca/GUCCI-Making-Katie-Grand/dp/0847836797/ref=pd_sim_14_10?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=T705DG6XV6G513FBXBZZ) ~ $75.00 CAD
People keep linking to books that cost several hundred dollars and saying "Look see there are more expensive books," but they are all limited edition and rare.
This is a mass market book. It's very expensive. I don't care if people buy it but it's seriously ridiculous listening to people say it's priced normally. It isn't.
Okay. Here's my outside shot: The new album is called Sunflower.
It works as an album title; colorful, evocative, and bright. It matches thematically with the transformation between Reputation and the present - "I once was poison ivy, but now I'm your daisy." They grow very tall and they're blonde on top, just like Taylor. My first thought along those lines was that it might be somebody's nickname for her, so I started running with it.
The dress she wears for the first part of the video has a large sunflower (or sunflower-esque bloom) at the center of the skirt. There's a vase of them on the table in her apartment's entryway, a great easter egg. (There's also a vase of non-sunflower yellow blooms on the table near the window, underneath a painting of a cat with yellow flowers.) Later in the video, Brendon's suit is spangled with a liberal helping of them - or, if not sunflowers, then sunflower-esque yellow blooms.
As she sings "one of these things is not like the others," Taylor comes center-frame wearing a yellow suit. Apart from a couple of pocket squares and ties, the color yellow is reserved only for Taylor and Brendon throughout the video.
If this were true, it'd need more supporting evidence than just the video, and I think that exists as well. Taylor's first reveal for this new era was the Elle cover, where she was dressed in an explosively-bright yellow gown - the background of which makes the folds of the dress look like a yellow bloom. The infamous five-hole fence picture has a yellow tint and was marked with a yellow heart emoji. Even the picture she took in Australia on November 10th has her looking to the left at what might be yellow blossoms. (I'm not above going full Charlie board on this.)
I think that it becomes a perfect overall symbol of rebirth and growth. What better antidote is there to dark times than the sun?
Edit: Almost forgot one. The top book on her table under the cool chicks pictures is Cartier in the 20th Century, but I thought it was more interesting for the catchy color. She sings all about the colors of the rainbow in ME!, and these books are red, pink, and orange, in that order. The next color in the spectrum would be yellow.
Edit 2: Okay, I think I'm really onto something here. The video even starts with the butterfly trying to get through the window to Taylor, and she's been wearing them all over the place ever since the teasers started.
Edit 3: Pretty sure the flowers Brendon tries to give to Taylor are pink sunflowers.
Actually, according to the rules of men's fashion as propounded by Alan Flusser, mixing stripes of different directions is fine if the widths of the stripes are significantly different, which is the case here.
Still, I think he could use a splash of color.
Just to have a real comment in here, Lapham's is often borderline academic in their research policies and you would do well to read this article. You can only learn so much from reading Reddit.
Also, its author literally wrote the book on the penetration of Ivy League Style into Japanese culture.
My several month old list: Fashion Podcasts and Interviews
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I've been collecting a few podcasts to listen to in my spare time and came across an enormous amount when searching both on /r/malefashionadvice, /r/malefashion and /r/femalefashionadvice.
I thought it'd be nice to share a few I've found which were interesting and which other people can enjoy.
I know my fashion interests can definitely skew to the boring, so if you have any more suggestions please comment below!
Podcasts & Youtube:
Others:
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Sources and thanks to:
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/u/setfiretoflames booklist Well Regarded Fashion Books: A Community List
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Hey, want to get a nice coffee table book? Let’s make a list of some of our favorites.
Note: I don’t own all of these, some are off friends’ recommendations, and some are for books that haven’t even come out yet. They are mostly in Amazon links for ease of use, but none of the links are affiliate ones (and any that are found in the thread will be removed).
Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty
Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style
Ann Demeulemeester
Blue Blooded
BEAMS: Beyond Tokyo
The Carhartt WIP Archives
Dries Van Noten 1-100
Hiroshi Fujiwara: Fragment
Maison Martin Margiela
Margiela: The Hermès Years
Martin Margiela: The Women’s Collections 1989-2009
Rei Kawakubo
Rick Owens
Rick Owens: Furniture
Take Ivy
Undercover
Vintage Menswear
Yamamoto & Yohji
Yohji Yamamoto
Amazon for you prime boys: https://www.amazon.com/Supreme-James-Jebbia/dp/0847833119/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478738623&sr=8-1&keywords=rizzoli+supreme
>You cannot purchase this on Amazon.
Oh
>The hard cover book is titled Cronos, by author Pere Formigeura
https://www.amazon.com/Cronos-Pere-Formiguera/dp/8495273349
>The book was titled, The Fourth Sex: Adolescent Extreme
https://www.amazon.com/Fourth-Sex-Jake-Chapman/dp/8881584042/
>Book: ‘In Search of Young Beauty,’
https://www.amazon.com/Search-Young-Beauty-Charles-Hodges/dp/B0000CMIU1/
> Book: ‘The Boy, a Photographic Essay,’
https://www.amazon.com/photographic-Ronald-Nelson-Editors-Georges/dp/B000ID41XQ
I mean, it's so easy to dispute your retarded bullshit so I don't even know why you think your complete lack of research and knowledge will convince anyone. They're not selling child porn on Amazon for fuck's sake, don't be stupid.
And, again: None of these books are sexual. The fact that you think that naked boys are somehow sexual says a lot more about you than anyone else.
I saw Women in Clothes recommended in this sub, so I checked it out from my local library. I loved it so much I bought it! It's really fun to hear very different perspectives on how other women think about and wear clothes, and the format is super fun--short essays, photo galleries, interviews, even a few poems.
Cars
Photography
Comic Books 1, 2
Apple
LEGO's
American Football
PostSecret
Video Games
Vinyl
Warhol
Outdoors
Star Wars
Motorcycles
The Dark Knight
Paris
Interior Design
World Atlas
Banksy
Wes Anderson
Tribal Cultures
Playboy
Girls
Libraries
The Cosmos
The Beetles
Travel
Preppy
Steve McQueen
The Moon
It's this book: https://www.amazon.com/Cartier-20th-Century-Margaret-Young-S%C3%A1nchez/dp/0865653119
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
I read it in this book
worth picking up
https://www.amazon.com/King-Style-Dressing-Michael-Jackson/dp/1608871517
Here it is for $16 cheaper
Lotta people hate cropped trousers, that always surprises me. I like when he does it because it seems so clean and casual with the high waisted, straight legged trousers and the loafers. The high break and straight leg looks so sharp to me.
Black tie is ehh to me too, I like a color or a pattern. But, I do know that a black knit tie is huge part of the original Japanese Ivy (pre Take Ivy) movement in which Popeye was a big player in. If you're interested Ametora is fantastic and gives a lot of context for his style and history of Japanese fashion magazines like Popeye
Dressing the Man is quite comprehensive.
They're scans from this book that I cleaned up in Photoshop and had printed.
A lot of Michael’s clothes was designed by Michael Bush. Bush has a book called The King of Style.
One of these days I really need to read Lazio Vass's book, which I've heard is excellent.
I'm in a similar situation. I ended up purchasing a few fashion design textbooks.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0875967175/ref=oh_details_o08_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1609010019/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1576875504/ref=oh_details_o07_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
actually only the center one is a textbook, the other two are construction techniques and basically an Ivy inspo. I own all of these and enjoy them all in different ways.
There is only one legitimate Supreme piece on Amazon: the Supreme Hardcover Book by James Jebbia. 35% Off Too. Got mine a while back; highly recommend it, definitely an interesting book that provides a lot of Supreme history and definitely worth your money. Keep This Lowkey haha
Don't buy anything else off of amazon in relation to Supreme. They even have fake stickers there lol.
In stock on Amazon for $30.
You're criticism isn't wrong. But there's a definite thinking behind it.
It;s about them trying to promote an intentional "otherness" to white people. It's meant to feel exotic. There's an extremely good book about this that gives WAY more context if you are interested: https://www.amazon.com/Ametora-Japan-Saved-American-Style/dp/0465059732
For what it's worth, the models on their site are Japanese, and they also are big on "Staff Snaps" which involves photos of store staff (who are almost all Japanese) wearing the same clothes that are in the look book. Every item of clothing on their site is accompanied by Staff Snaps.
I hope you bother reading this comment. I know it's buried pretty far down the thread.
This isn't makeup itself, but the book Face Paint by Lisa Eldridge is absolutely phenomenal. It's a very thorough and highly visual history of makeup, from medieval times through the present day. Sounds like it's right up your Secret Santa's alley!
It says something Cartier which is a jewelry brand..
Edit : it looks like this
Not sure what it could mean though
Second edit :
The book is about :
“Presents a meticulously selected overview of Cartier's contribution to 20th-century design and culture. Drawing extensively from the rich holdings of the Cartier Collection and Archive and the expertise of Cartier Heritage, it features not only a sumptuous array of rings, bracelets, necklace, and tiaras, but also cocktail and smoking accessories, mystery clocks, and lavish gifts exchanged by movie stars and maharajas, all created by Cartier's ateliers in Paris, London, and New York...”
We know she loves Elizabeth Taylor?
Women in Clothes is great for reading about different women's styles and fashion journeys. A lot of the book is in interview format with really interesting questions about personal style.
Matt Hranek, the author of A Man and His Watch has entire chapter in his book dedicated to the Domino's Rolex Air-King. He calls it:
> "[T]he ultimate high-low mash-up of a college dorm favorite and one of the most recognizable luxury brands on the planet"
u/workweardenimhead got me this book Blue Blooded for Secret Santa, and I really enjoyed it. It has plenty of info you'll already know, but some other cool info, plus several brand/designer profiles. https://www.amazon.com/dp/3899556461/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_bMEHAbAPMAY7D (Sorry for the long link - I'm on mobile and cba looking up a link shortener 😬)
Casual:
Jeans: Jacob Cohen
Shirts: Emmanuel Berg, Hugo Boss
Blazers: Paul Smith, Hugo Boss
Sweaters: Emmanuel Berg (cashmere), Ralph Lauren (merino)
Pants: Hugo Boss
Jackets: Joop, Hugo Boss, Barbour, Burberry
Shoes: crocket & jones
Office/Work:
Shirts: Emmanuel Berg, Hugo Boss, but considering bespoke options
Blazers: Paul Smith, Hugo Boss
Suits: Corneliani M2M, but considering bespoke options
Pants: Hugo Boss
Coats: Joop, Burberry
Shoes: Crocket & Jones, Hugo Boss
Other stuff, like ties (rarely use them), or handkerchiefs, pretty much anything good, emmanuel berg, armani, boss, hermes.
cuff links: anything good.
Hair style: Fairly short, but with an old school cut (think Gatsby).
Note: I am 40,in decent physical shape, and due to the nature of my work, dressing well is kind of a requirement (consulting), so this looks natural on me. Oh, and live in Europe.
Edit:
I should perhaps add that I actually like male fashion in a timeless sense, and take a very hard look at the look I want to achieve (timelessness, natual, refined). For any man who wants to take their wardrobe to the "next level", I'd strongly recommend two books:
http://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Man-Mastering-Permanent-Fashion/dp/0060191449
and
http://www.amazon.com/The-Suit-Machiavellian-Approach-Style/dp/0060891866
They will both give you the basics of suits, materials, etc, with references to old-school male icons... think mad men on steroids... in the style department...
but never forget, style without substance is worthless.. fashion/style is not necessarily "peacocking", but it does help in attraction of course ;)
Michael Bush published a book: The King of Style: Dressing Michael Jackson
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1608871517/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_nzMADbBCE96R5
hypebeast did some decent articles uraharajuku Japanese retail expierience
David Marx of the Site [Neojapanisme] (http://neojaponisme.com/) has some good articles on his site probably more archival as well as a great book on Japanese americana Ametora
/u/thebrandonbond found it on amazon for 16 dollars cheaper
My mom's in a different timezone. I'll be giving her a call later today.
GD: My copy of Handmade Shoes For Men arrived. The essential coffee table book for fine footwear enthusiasts.
How many of you here have read or own 'Handmade Shoes For Men by Lazlo Vass? I find myself going through it every few months.
I asked for a copy of Dressing The Man. I heard about it here and hope it's good.
You should buy this book - https://www.amazon.com/Handmade-Shoes-Men-L%C3%A1szl%C3%B3-Vass/dp/3848003686
It will answer all of your questions to start.
I loved this book. Blue Blooded: Denim Hunters and Jeans Culture. Goes into the history of denim and different styles. Great photography! And has some familiar faces pop up!
It's a fascinating story, but it's not like NASA called the International Latex Company (Playtex) out of the blue a couple of weeks before the project and asked for a spacesuit.
Forgive me for any slightly mangled details. It's been awhile.
ILS (again, Playtex) won the contract for the Apollo suits in '62, but was forced to work as a sort of subsidiary of Hamilton Standard for three years. Hamilton didn't trust them to do the job so made it's own suit, submitted it in '65 and it was horrible. They blamed ILS and ILS lost it's contract.
NASA, not having a suit, threw an open competition. ILS engineers broke into their old offices at Hamilton, stole their designs back and designed a brand new suit over the course of weeks. It was the only competitor whose suit both fit through the door of the Apollo command module and didn't burst.
For more info, there's Fashioning Apollo (I haven't read it, but I've heard good things), and Moon Machines part five (really good).
If you want to get into the technical aspects, this was suggested to me by Ted Southern when I asked him about glove design: AAS History Series, Volume 24. I got the paperback for thirty bucks. It's $2000 now for some reason.
https://www.amazon.com/Out-Box-Rise-Sneaker-Culture/dp/0847846601
Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture
No problem friend, I basically only wrote this reply, after I saw the way you replied to the other comments - you seemed genuine about making a change to a better dressed man, and for me, dressing good is a form of good manners. Good job on the decision, it will be the one of the best you took in your life!
To your question: Yes, indeed. A business casual wardrobe is about versatility. If you purchase garments who can work together, you always have many more outfit potentials.
It is why I recommend most of all:
A few light blue shirts
A few white shirts
A black shirt
A button down oxford collar in white/pale blue
A striped shirt.
Grey chinos
Blue chinos (The ones you are wearing in the photo are a super well fit for you)
Dark blue jeans
A gray sweater
A navy sweater
A brown pair of oxfords
A black pair of oxfords
Brown pair of double monk strap shoes
A navy blazer, I recommend hopsack weaving for casual style
A navy/charcoal suit, slim fit, notched lapels - I recommend suitsupply
Chinos in tan, olive, white
Basically friend, you just need to make sure that things fit you. If you are not a perfect height for your trousers, get them altered. If your shirt sleeves are too long, get them altered. This will indeed cost you some extra bucks on all purchases, but it is the best investment any man can make in dressing.
Another thing which is crucial to remember. Building a great wardrobe takes time. It is not something you just get in a minute, you need to work on it and get inspired. As you start wearing these clothes, and you get compliments leading to confidence, perhaps you start taking some more "risky" clothing choices. Personally, I wear a tie 5/7 days a week, even when I am not at work - For me, a tie is my art. I am very italian dressed, but it is a whole world different than typical American or British dress.
Check out these channels:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmRfQHc3U4fV1-i8Ry1HmtA - Real Men Real Style. This guy is all about business casual. Many informative videos.
https://www.youtube.com/user/AlphaMconsulting/featured - AlphaM. This guy has a channel which covers any "man" aspects, however, there are tons of good style videos aswell. This guy has a series where he turns people with "bad" style into great style. It is called "The Alpha M project" Watch those, as he take people shopping and talks about importance of fit and versatility.
https://www.youtube.com/user/thegentlemansgazette
Sven from Gentleman's Gazette, is deeply focused on men's style. Business casual is not his expertise, but he surely make some nice videos if you are into tailored construction, tie knotting etc.
Lastly, I can recommend the book named "The art of permanent fashion" http://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Man-Mastering-Permanent-Fashion/dp/0060191449
this is a wonderful book with many thoughts of style, with great photos of the style icons through the years. Much information on basically everything in men's style.
I'm back!
Usually the info about beauty, makeup, and hairstyles, are found in fashion history books, so here a couple of general fashion history:
Some books about beauty:
Here some online resources:
And finally, not a resource, but LBCC Historical sells beauty products from historical recipes of different centuries, but you know, without lead and stuff XD
Yeah, I'm a fashion history nerd, in case you haven't noticed.
I got Women in Clothes as a Christmas, gift, and have enjoyed it so far. It gives a lot of different perspectives on fashion and style, more lifestyle-related than specific fashion advice.
Icons of Men's Style
Just bought and started reading Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style. Previously, I read (and enjoyed) Dressing the Man: Mastering the Art of Permanent Fashion.
I'm an American businessman in my late 20's. I want to be creative and forward-thinking but also professional with my fashion choices. I like to have fun with my clothes while still being respectable.
Any book recommendations?
On another note, there is a fascinating book called [Women in Clothes] (http://www.amazon.com/Women-Clothes-Sheila-Heti/dp/0399166564) that tackles a lot of similar questions.
Onward!
>>What do you remember your family wearing during your childhood? Did this change into your teenage years?
>>How did your family feel about the way you dressed as a child or teen? Were your clothing choices ever a source of tension?
As a child, I didn't have much say in what I wore. But through middle school/high school, I remember there being a lot of tension about wanting to buy/wear the same branded clothing as everyone else and not getting to do so. I grew up in a suburb in the late 90s/early 2000s, so it was all about the obnoxiously branded clothing from Limited Too, AF, American Eagle, etc.
A lot of these brands were extremely expensive, and my family never wanted to buy that stuff for obvious reasons. When I went off to college, I lost quite a bit of weight, started taking care of my appearance, and started dressing in a more "provocative" fashion (at least by the standards of my immigrant Indian family), and there were always (and continue to be!) arguments about my dresses being too short or me revealing too much cleavage (even when it really wasn't that bad by my own standards.) I think they get nervous when I look overly done up or overtly attractive. I find their fixation on me looking as frumpy as is socially acceptable quite strange.
>>Where did your family buy most of their clothing? Did you go on shopping trips with them?
My parents are Indian immigrants, which influenced a lot of their ideas about "Western" clothing. My mother isn't necessarily the most fashionable woman when it comes to American/Western-style clothing. She's very conservative and set in her ways when it comes to fashion, so she always bought conservative clothes for me from large department stores or from mall stores, even as a kid. Indian fashion is a totally different story, though - her eye for color, cut, and overall style in a Indian clothing is fantastic. If I go shopping for Indian clothes, I always take her with me, because she knows exactly what to get. Western clothing was another story, especially when I was younger. Mall trips were always difficult because I didn't have the frame needed to wear a lot of the clothes that the so-called "popular" kids were wearing, and my Mom was absolutely not in favor of me dressing that way.
My dad is drawn to nice, tailored shirts and business wear for the daytime. When he's not at work, he's also pretty standard "Dad"-like in his fashion choices -- his standard non-work uniform is a Hawaiian shirt with khakis. (LOL) Interestingly, he has very good taste in jewelry.
>>Did you wear hand-me-downs from older relatives? Did you get to choose which hand-me-downs?
How did/does your family dress relative to their community? Was your family's clothing or style ever a source of embarrassment for you?
My sister and I steal each other's jewelry/clothes/etc all the time. Growing up, I would feel self-conscious and shy if we were wearing Indian clothes in public, but these days, my mom loves wearing long Indian tunics and pants underneath. It suits her, and as an adult, I'm less pushy/concerned about what other people are wearing. My grandmother pretty much lives in Kanchipuram silk sarees, which I think are beautiful.
Overall, as a child/teen, I never enjoyed shopping because I had little control over what I could wear, and I had well-intentioned but not-so-savvy parents who didn't really get the point of being fashionable by American cultural standards or what that meant. Now that I'm slightly older, I can wear what I like, but whenever I go home, my clothing choices are a constant source of tension and consternation, so I try to dress a little more modestly in front of my family to avoid that tension (which still comes up since it's never really modest enough).
Spacesuit: Fashoining Apollo also has this anecdote and everything you'd want to know about the development of spacesuits.
If you want to know more about the A7L space suit development I recommend reading this . I was expecting more engineering/technical information, but the political and orginizational history of the space suit development was still fascinating.
I've been reading Rowing Blazers. Makes a good coffee table book.
If your goal is to look fashionable, then just wear what colors are in.
If your goal is to look good, then you absolutely want to coordinate your outfit around the colors and shapes that flatter you. Just like a jacket in the wrong fit can make you look fat, a shirt in the wrong color can make you look pale. If you care about fit, you should care about color.
Entire books have been written on the subject.
First, Make her a free site with wordpress that you can port over to her chosen domain name and spruce up as she likes. Put some pictures up of things she's made that she's proud of, and make a nice landing page for it. Make it explicitly clear that she can have you change anything. For example, dummy text that says, "This is just waiting for tdwtya'swife's orders"
Next, you make a sandwich out of white bread and cucumbers with the seeds cut out (you can pick anything for the sandwich I just picked cucumbers because they are relatively clean and you can wrap it day of without them getting too gross as long as the seeds aren't there to make it soggy).
Then you wrap a note in tin foil inside the sandwich with the domain name of the site you built that says "I'm better at blogs than sandwiches, but I'll be able to help with both once you teach me how"
Wrap the whole sandwich in tin foil. then wrap it with a bow voila
---
or if you want something more tradition and you know her taste get her a few yards of fabric and a book with ideas/inspiration. Something like; https://www.amazon.com/Fashion-Definitive-History-Costume-Style/dp/0756698359/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482277969&sr=8-1&keywords=fashion but that sort of thing depends a lot on what she likes.
For books?
The Wristwatch Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Mechanical Wristwatches https://www.amazon.com/dp/185149829X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_cfYvyb57KNM20
Probably the best reference for understand watches.
For watchmaking and understanding the art...
Watchmaking https://www.amazon.com/dp/0856677043/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_FmYvybRK27DGS
You'll love this one (:
https://www.amazon.com/Fashion-Definitive-History-Costume-Style/dp/0756698359/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1481972547&sr=8-2&keywords=history+of+clothing
Take Ivy. A look at the preppy image of the 1960s.
Dressing the Man
No, really. Buy it.
This book is fantastic.
Check out the book called Blue Blooded - https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Blooded-Denim-Hunters-Culture/dp/3899556461/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1479742419&sr=1-1&keywords=blue+blooded+denim+hunters+and+jeans+culture
-Bahzad
A Man and His Watch
Maybe http://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Man-Mastering-Permanent-Fashion/dp/0060191449/
thesartorialist is good for inspiration, they cover NY, Paris & Milan.
Also try styleforum, they are all over this. There are members there that seem to wear nothing but Kiton & Boroni.
This is more than I could have ever asked for. Thank you very much. By the way, any good books which you would recommend to learn more about shoes?
I was planning on checking this book out.
(You're actually the most comprehensive post I've found so far, StyleForum and all other sites don't really pull up anything on them.)
AOTD: Cost-wise, probably too much. My focus has been on shoes but I'll sometimes purchase some more expensive pieces of clothing.
GD: Found Handmade Shoes for Men at Half Price Books so I went ahead and bought it. Should be a fun reader for those easy days! Also just received the Viberg x Notre Coffee Pack boots that I ordered from the 25% off sale. The cxl is beautiful and the finishing is on point except for a little bit of weird stitching connecting the tongue to the vamp. They fill the brown boot niche of my wardrobe but I'm not sure if they're special enough (to me) to keep so I'll be consulting the SO in the next few days. My body is telling me yes but my brain is telling me to save some $$$.
http://www.amazon.com/Handmade-Shoes-Men-L%C3%81zl%C3%93-Vass/dp/3848003686
It kind of looks like your typical coffee table book, but it's amazing. Super well-researched information on nearly every aspect of shoes and shoemaking, with beautiful pictures.
Not sure if you'd still consider this streetwear, but Take Ivy is a very interesting Japanese photo book of 1960's Ivy League style.
https://www.amazon.com/Take-Ivy-Shosuke-Ishizu/dp/1576875504
a man and his watch: https://www.amazon.com/Man-His-Watch-Watches-Stories/dp/1579657141/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1541127468&sr=8-1&keywords=a+man+and+his+watch
under 30 bucks, so now you have that extra $3,970 for a new piece!
My style definitely could not be described as "preppy" but I have a copy of Take Ivy on my coffee table, because it's just cool.
If you can find it, the book Take Ivy (http://www.amazon.com/Take-Ivy-Shosuke-Ishizu/dp/1576875504) has lots photos of amazing 1960s Ivy League style.
Handmade Shoes for Men goes through all that.
If you're Canadian, out of stock though
Supreme https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0847833119/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_PDcEwb0NT64D9
This is a nice book on the history of fashion and is reasonably priced.
No black. Black is only for funerals. He needs charcoal or navy blue.
I recommend this book to every man:
https://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Man-Mastering-Permanent-Fashion/dp/0060191449
Alright some great brand recommendations on here, so I’ll jump in on the other questions (eg. color and style).
First of all check out Dressing the Man by Alan Flusser. It’s an absolute bible of men’s fashion, and it has fascinating and helpful advice for just about every aspect of style you’ve never thought of, with a focus on suits and formal/professional wear. Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Man-Mastering-Permanent-Fashion/dp/0060191449
You mentioned 2-3 suits and that’s a perfect number to have for an all-purpose wardrobe. Navy, grey, black (edit: black is not as necessary as the others and could be swapped). Your choice whether “grey” means charcoal or light grey, they’re both great and versatile (if you feel like ever getting suit #4, get the one you didn’t get in this round). I personally recommend no pinstripes or other patterns until you’ve fully established your baseline wardrobe. If nothing else, patterns are more memorable so you can’t wear the same suit as frequently. Ditto with more interesting colors. Start with the core 3-4 colors above, then branch out.
Shirts can and should have more variety, and are obviously cheaper to buy in numerous options. While some brands have reliably higher quality shirts (ie. Brooks Bros), there’s nothing wrong with stocking up on cheap and interesting ones as well. Hell, half of my shirts were stumbled upon in thrift stores and sample sales for cheap and I get compliments all the time. Construction quality matters, but not nearly as much as for suits.
As for colors, get a set of standard single-colored shirts (white, black, blue, etc), because these will be easy to match with a wide variety of ties. Solid color shirt, solid color suit, flashy patterned tie is probably my go-to set up, and it’s very easy to rotate. As you get more comfortable with the basics, or find an item that strikes your fancy, you can play around with more complex combos. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with breaking the basic mold, and some of the best outfits happen that way, but it’s more difficult to know what works well at first, so that’s why I recommend starting with a more straightforward approach. Dressing the Man has multiple chapters on colors, patterns, and the mixing and matching thereof.
One fascinating point I remember from Dressing the Man is the idea of matching the clothes to your facial features. Not every color/pattern looks equally good/bad on different people. For example, notice the contrast of your features. If you have high contrast features (ex dark hair, light skin), you will probably look awesome with high contrast clothing (ex black suit, white shirt, striking pattern tie), and less so with low contrast clothing. However, the opposite holds true for low contrast faces (light hair, light skin, and/or light eyes). A low-contrast outfit (ex navy/grey/tan suit, blue shirt, yellow tie) will match your face well, but a high contrast outfit will make your face look washed out and bland in comparison. And in case anyone is wondering, people with dark skin fall under the “high contrast” category for these purposes, even if their skin and hair are similarly dark.
Shoes are another key element. Black pair, medium or dark brown pair, with a sleek, simple design (rather than lots of ornaments/flash) so that you can use them with all of your suits. From there feel free to experiment with some more awesome, flamboyant options that may or may not be as versatile (ex double monks or walnut Strands from Allen Edmonds). Dress boots are an interesting option too. I would much rather invest in high quality shoes and meh suit than the other way around. One, you’ll be walking on them all day so comfort matters. Two, they take a beating so durability equals money. Three, people are much more likely to notice how good/bad shoes you are than clothes in many cases, especially sartorially-minded folks. Four, the total cost of top quality shoes isn’t as high as it is for suits.
I’m sure there’s more and I may edit later, but that’s my brain dump off the top of my head! Cheers to you, snazzy future lawyer!
Buy yourself a copy of Dressing the Man: The Art of Permanent Style
Ok well for general books I'd really recommend "100 designers 10 curators" as it helps flesh out a lot of different brands. (Most you will never see ever again)
As far as some of the bigger ones
i know there are more undercover books but i think they're pretty much impossible to find for a decent price so you're going to have to PDF find them.
this dries one looked really interesting if it's the same one i remember seeing in person.
rick has an absolute ton of books and magazines about him.
the terry jones id one are generally the cheapest but never have too much meat. they're pretty though and make for good decorations.
I just finished reading the book "Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style" Link
Also watched "Dior and I" for the second time the other day. It's on netflix, pretty good.
I read a lot of fiction, mostly sci-fi/fantasy. I also enjoy reading about menswear/fashion. Books by Bruce Boyer, Alan Flusser, etc.
I mentioned it below, but I just finished reading Ametora. I highly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in Japanese culture and fashion.
You can read this - https://www.amazon.com/Ametora-Japan-Saved-American-Style/dp/0465059732
Just got this book a few weeks ago. Haven't had a chance to go through it much yet but from the reviews and first glance it looks solid
The Wristwatch Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Mechanical Wristwatches https://www.amazon.com/dp/185149829X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_nyJSCb6EGRSH6
Last winter I bought Icons of Men's Style by Josh Sims, who is a freelance style blogger who has written for several big magazines. It's more of a coffee table book, but it's absolutely fantastic. Note that it's not so much about the gradual change of fashion as it is looking at the popularization of pieces that we consider to be timeless.
Just got done reading Spacesuit: Fashioning Apollo, this reminded me of an anecdote in there. The silver on the Mercury spacesuits was largely just to make it look cool. The actual spacesuits were military drab, similar to flight suits of the day.
This kind of stuff has been going on for maybe 60, 70 years now. And I'd highly recommend Spacesuit to anyone interested in how the media played a huge role in the Space Race.
There's that book everyone got off to like a month ago. Don't remember the name though.
Edit: Here it is
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/185149829X is the one I got. It has a wealth of beautiful high res pictures and goes into great detail about the history and mechanics of watches.
Dressing the man? see https://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Man-Mastering-Permanent-Fashion/dp/0060191449/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485821062&sr=8-1&keywords=dressing+the+man
https://www.amazon.com/Supreme-James-Jebbia/dp/0847833119
Check it out, been my coffee table staple for a minute.
It’s not comprehensive, and I can’t think of one real consistent option, but the Rizzoli book might be a good place to start.
Flusser's books have long been respected.
Is there anything you do consistently without thinking about it?
Is there anything you do enjoy, that you do occasionally, but you just enjoy it for the sake of doing it?
Lastly, is there something you are really attracted to, but don't do because people will judge you?
> Honestly the only way I can find enjoyment in anything is to drink a lot while I am doing it. It's the only thing I have found that turns off the constant thoughts of: "why do you even bother, you are just embarassing yourself."
Be productive when you're drinking then. I've experienced the same thing. I started drawing a little time after I tried marijuana. I tried drawing before, but that negative voice would creep into my head and I would just quit. Marijuana gave me the ability to lose my fucks. (I'm not condoning it, but it was the initial spark that got me through my post-military depression and start doing things again.)
I started out with terrible shit, but after just the ACT of putting shit out there without care for what people would think, it got easier. I kept with it, now I can draw just through the inebriated brazenness that alcohol gives me. I'm still not good, but I have a couple things that I have a tiny bit of self-pride in.
I do it for friends, I do it for a hobby. It will never be a career...but it keeps me happy. I've started a bunch of new interests since I realized I can do whatever the fuck I want: I started reading books I like, instead of the ones I think will get me a job. Early 1900s NatGeos, John Muir, classics like Aristotle, Plato...St. Thomas Aquinas, a book on the Japanese government, lol. I recently bought two books, a sewing book, and a book on fashion. I'm a guy, and very few in America expect a guy to take up sewing and fashion as a hobby...but I want to give it a try. I've always been interested in the functionality v. fashionality of the way people dress. I find a lot of fashion ridiculous, so I want to try to offer my own stuff. The books are a start.
In high school, a wise old black woman told me, "Just do it." Shortly after I got out of the military, an alcoholic sociology major with multiple businesses told me, "Just do it." After that, a deceptively smart stripper in Florida told me, "Just do it." ...sure, it might be a Nike slogan, but their advice came straight from them and they were honest about it.
Don't give a fuck whether you think you can or can't...just do it.
Dressing the Man actually has a good section on how colors complement or hide your complexion. For some (myself, for example), bold and contrasting colors work out really well. Like you, I prefer blue suits (though I have several suits).
Depending on the OP's complexion, charcoal might be a better look but it's really just a preference thing, as you alluded to.
Take Ivy
Also, Michael Fassbender in X-men: First Class is really sharply dressed.
> Any idea the price range on Alan flusser?
I have no clue however he is an authority on how to choose clothing based on your individual characteristics. This book of his explains what he means:
https://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Man-Mastering-Permanent-Fashion/dp/0060191449
> Also, any thoughts on balani custom clothiers?
I am not familiar with them.
couple of books I found
https://www.amazon.com/Sneakers-Complete-Collectors-Unorthodox-Styles/dp/0500512159
https://www.amazon.com/Sneakers-Complete-Limited-Editions-Guide/dp/0500517282/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=M3BQ6KZKHQ2H5BJ3Q850
https://www.amazon.com/Sneakers-Rodrigo-Corral/dp/0448494337/ref=pd_bxgy_14_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0448494337&pd_rd_r=0C4TTN946P6A5QCNNNNQ&pd_rd_w=5ipav&pd_rd_wg=tVS49&psc=1&refRID=0C4TTN946P6A5QCNNNNQ
https://www.amazon.com/Out-Box-Rise-Sneaker-Culture/dp/0847846601/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=M3BQ6KZKHQ2H5BJ3Q850
https://www.amazon.com/Fifty-Sneakers-Changed-Design-Museum/dp/1840916788
This might interest you. It has more of a historic approach to fashion but it's a good starting point.
AidanSN's Holiday Wish-list v.1
obviously in it's early stages
Here's a link to the book on Amazon.
This is a good coffee table book, I enjoyed it
Fashion
I have that book and 'Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture' side by side, on the shelf, between shoe boxes.
Not a rep but yea https://www.amazon.com/Supreme-James-Jebbia/dp/0847833119
The Wristwatch Handbook : A Comprehensive guide to wristwatches.
By a well known watch expert, bit of a labour of love for him. Very detailed and wide ranging, and high quality photos too.
Link here , I'm sure yiu can find it on US Amazon too. Recommended.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wristwatch-Handbook-Comprehensive-Mechanical-Wristwatches/dp/185149829X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1499804322&sr=1-2&keywords=wristwatch+book
I think this book on interior design could be cool, or even this book, which details the history of makeup. I'm sure she'd love that one.
I think having an interest in makeup is fine, and as long as she feels confident and isn't hurting anyone, I don't think you need to worry :)
Since she's studying interior design, I'm sure she needs a portfolio. She might really like a nice portfolio book for showing off her work.
This guy I used to kinda know "wrote the book" on this phenomenon.
Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style
http://www.amazon.com/Ametora-Japan-Saved-American-Style/dp/0465059732 (not an affiliate link)
Apparently it was featured in Take Ivy, which was published in 1965 in Japan as a fashion guide for "Ivy Style"
It's been referenced before, but the book Dressing the Man has as chapter on this. Basically, it says that there are two options for color coordination which are known to work well. The first is mimicking the amount of contrast between your skin and hair tones with the contrast in your clothes. For example, if you have pale skin and dark hair you can go high contrast like this. You fall somewhere in either high contrast or medium contrast, so the you can have a lot of fun. On the other hand, if you're light skinned and blonde you'll look better in less contrasting colors, like this. If you're darker skinned (black, spanish, whatever) then you can usually get away with more variations than a lighter skinned person would.
The second method of looking good with color coordination is matching colors that are found in your face and hair with the colors in your clothing. The most important color that people notice is your hair color, followed by your skin complexion, and thirdly your eye color. Matching parts of your dress with these colors is usually a safe way to go. Here is a good example of how to pull this off.
These two methods tend to work well, but obviously once you understand the basics you can experiment. I used only pictures of suits, but these principles can be extended to casual dress as well.
I think this post's title was just kind of misleading—the article's actual title doesn't specify anything about jeans/denim. And it seems like the article is basically a quick summary of the book that's listed on the side of the page.
Using bedsheet as a backdrop. This guys is a keeper. Go get him girls.
Hope this helps
http://www.amazon.com/Supreme-James-Jebbia/dp/0847833119
A book I just got for my birthday talks about how to dress very well. Even though the author uses formal attire for explaining how to dress, he also talks about how shirt shape, color and pattern create a favorable or unfavorable look for someone. The same goes for pants and even hats. So I would say that you should study your body type and skin tone before you go out buying expensive clothing.
Also, if you know someone with an eye for good fashion and is supportive, get them to come out to the stores with you and give their honest opinions.
Dressing the Man: Mastering the Art of Permanent Fashion
I see this one recommended all the time.
Take Ivy is classic.
if you say so just because of the t-shirt you might be mistaken.
EDIT: You0re definitely right about the continent though: http://www.amazon.com/Take-Ivy-Shosuke-Ishizu/dp/1576875504
It looks incredibly similar to Cambridge, UK, nut it may well be Princeton.
You can't type "Supreme Book" into Amazon?
http://www.amazon.com/Supreme-James-Jebbia/dp/0847833119/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462745589&sr=8-1&keywords=supreme+book
I haven't finished it, but I got a copy of Ametora from my sister, and I really like it. It sheds light on the role of Japanese fashion in the world today, which I think is quite interesting.
They had this link in the "about" section of the youtube video.
Real fashion is timeless, just like when you see a man wearing a nice fitted suit in the 1950s he looks baller. Get a real book on fashion and learn it, like "Dressing The Man" https://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Man-Mastering-Permanent-Fashion/dp/0060191449
All this streetwear stuff is a gimmick. Gimmicks and fads are short lived, REAL fashion is timeless.