Elegance: A Guide to Quality in Menswear

by G. Bruce Boyer

Book Overview

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... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393018784
• ISBN13: 9780393018783
• Release Date: January 1986
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 279 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Excellent resource and entertaining at that...

Such a wonderful piece that is so timeless and relevant even 25 years later. It goes to show that class never goes out of style. Every college student should be required to study this book before venturing out into the business world!

excellent

I have to say that I also disagree with the negative review below. For one thing it refers not to Elegance, but to another of Boyer's books, Eminently Suitable (which I would also have positive things to say about). There are technical books on tailoring and alterations, but I don't think that is [primarily] what this book is about. Elegance is a collection of essays, from advice on buying a suit to the demise of the top hat. The essay on cashmere contains a funny description of how it gets "from goat to sweater", and why it can't be inexpensively mass-produced. The essay on Harris Tweed is not only about fabric but also the Harris Island weavers who produce it. The focus is not on garment construction or "advanced tailoring", but on the history and aesthetics of men's clothing. It is written with humor and wit and interspersed with snippets of interesting detail. A pleasure to read - highly recommended.

I'm obviously not a man, but....

I am interested in design for men's clothing as well as women's. This by far the most informative book I ever have read on the topic of dressing for men.It is witty, rich in history and useful advice. Mr. Boyer has written a true gem of a book that I hope he will revise into a second edition.