Dressing the Man: Mastering the Art of Permanent Fashion

Pick Up in Store

Reserve and pick up in 60 minutes at your local store

Hardcover (First Edition)
$34.23
BN.com price
$49.99 List Price (Save 32%)
Marketplace (New and Used)
from
$21.31
$49.99 List Price (Save 57%)
All (27)  
Used (12)  
New (15)  
Close
Sort by
Page 1 of 3
Showing 1 – 10 of 27 (3 pages)
$21.31
(Save 57%)
Seller since 2008

Feedback rating:

(2244)

Condition:

New — never opened or used in original packaging.

Like New — packaging may have been opened. A "Like New" item is suitable to give as a gift.

Very Good — may have minor signs of wear on packaging but item works perfectly and has no damage.

Good — item is in good condition but packaging may have signs of shelf wear/aging or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Acceptable — item is in working order but may show signs of wear such as scratches or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Used — An item that has been opened and may show signs of wear. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Refurbished — A used item that has been renewed or updated and verified to be in proper working condition. Not necessarily completed by the original manufacturer.

Good
GOOD with average wear to cover, pages and binding. We ship quickly and work hard to earn your confidence. Orders are generally shipped no later than next business day. We offer a ... no hassle guarantee on all our items. Read more Show Less

Ships from: Tualatin, OR

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • Canadian
  • International
  • Standard, 48 States
  • Standard (AK, HI)
  • Express, 48 States
  • Express (AK, HI)
$24.63
(Save 51%)
Seller since 2007

Feedback rating:

(11921)

Condition: Very Good
2002 Hardcover Item is in very good condition.

Ships from: Wilmington, MA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • Canadian
  • International
  • Standard, 48 States
  • Standard (AK, HI)
  • Express, 48 States
  • Express (AK, HI)
$26.17
(Save 48%)
Seller since 2008

Feedback rating:

(12288)

Condition: New
Absolutely Brand New & In Stock. 100% 30-Day Money Back. Direct from our warehouse. Over 5+ Million Customers served. In business since 1997. Happy Customers is Our #1 Goal. ... Customer Service toll free Support Monday-Friday EST Hrs. 4 to 14 business day Delivery Time by US Post Office. Read more Show Less

Ships from: Oldsmar, FL

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • Standard, 48 States
  • Standard (AK, HI)
$30.54
(Save 39%)
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(4796)

Condition: New
Shipped from US in 4 to 14 business days. Established seller since 2000

Ships from: Aurora, IL

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • Standard, 48 States
  • Standard (AK, HI)
$30.54
(Save 39%)
Seller since 2010

Feedback rating:

(889)

Condition: New
Shipped from US. Express shipping in 3 to 6 business days. Standard shipping in 4 to 14 business days. Established seller since 2000

Ships from: Aurora, IL

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • Standard, 48 States
  • Standard (AK, HI)
  • Express, 48 States
  • Express (AK, HI)
$30.73
(Save 39%)
Seller since 2012

Feedback rating:

(88)

Condition: New
Shipped from US in 4 to 14 business days standard or 3 to 6 business days express. FREE TRACKING WITH EVERY ORDER! Established seller since 2000

Ships from: Aurora, IL

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • Standard, 48 States
  • Standard (AK, HI)
  • Express, 48 States
  • Express (AK, HI)
$31.09
(Save 38%)
Seller since 2007

Feedback rating:

(21685)

Condition: New
BRAND NEW

Ships from: Avenel, NJ

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • Canadian
  • International
  • Standard, 48 States
  • Standard (AK, HI)
$32.14
(Save 36%)
Seller since 2007

Feedback rating:

(3210)

Condition: Good
Buy with confidence. Excellent Customer Service & Return policy.

Ships from: Richmond, TX

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • Canadian
  • International
  • Standard, 48 States
  • Standard (AK, HI)
$32.24
(Save 36%)
Seller since 2008

Feedback rating:

(14111)

Condition: New
Brand New, Perfect Condition, Please allow 4-14 business days for delivery. 100% Money Back Guarantee, Over 1,000,000 customers served.

Ships from: South Bend, IN

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • Canadian
  • International
  • Standard, 48 States
  • Standard (AK, HI)
$32.25
(Save 35%)
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(4796)

Condition: New
Shipped from US in 4 to 14 business days. Established seller since 2000

Ships from: Aurora, IL

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • Standard, 48 States
  • Standard (AK, HI)
Page 1 of 3
Showing 1 – 10 of 27 (3 pages)
Close
Sort by

Overview

Dressing the Man is the definitive guide to what men need to know in order to dress well and look stylish without becoming fashion victims.

Alan Flusser's name is synonymous with taste and style. With his new book, he combines his encyclopedic knowledge of men's clothes with his signature wit and elegance to address the fundamental paradox of modern men's fashion: Why, after men today have spent more money on clothes than in any other period of history, are there fewer well-dressed men than at any time ever before?

According to Flusser, dressing well is not all that difficult, the real challenge lies in being able to ...

See more details below
Sending request ...

Overview

Dressing the Man is the definitive guide to what men need to know in order to dress well and look stylish without becoming fashion victims.

Alan Flusser's name is synonymous with taste and style. With his new book, he combines his encyclopedic knowledge of men's clothes with his signature wit and elegance to address the fundamental paradox of modern men's fashion: Why, after men today have spent more money on clothes than in any other period of history, are there fewer well-dressed men than at any time ever before?

According to Flusser, dressing well is not all that difficult, the real challenge lies in being able to acquire the right personalized instruction. Dressing well pivots on two pillars — proportion and color. Flusser believes that "Permanent Fashionability," both his promise and goal for the reader, starts by being accountable to a personal set of physical trademarks and not to any kind of random, seasonally served-up collection of fashion flashes.

Unlike fashion, which is obliged to change each season, the face's shape, the neck's height, the shoulder's width, the arm's length, the torso's structure, and the foot's size remain fairly constant over time. Once a man learns how to adapt the fundamentals of permanent fashion to his physique and complexion, he's halfway home.

Taking the reader through each major clothing classification step-by-step, this user-friendly guide helps you apply your own specifics to a series of dressing options, from business casual and formalwear to pattern-on-pattern coordination, or how to choose the most flattering clothing silhouette for your body type and shirt collar for your face.

A man's physical traits represent his individual road map, and the quickest route toward forging an enduring style of dress is through exposure to the legendary practitioners of this rare masculine art. Flusser has assembled the largest andmost diverse collection of stylishly mantled men ever found in one book. Many never-before-seen vintage photographs from the era of Cary Grant, Tyrone Power, and Fred Astaire are employed to help illustrate the range and diversity of authentic men's fashion. Dressing the Man's sheer magnitude of options will enable the reader to expand both the grammar and verbiage of his permanent-fashion vocabulary.

For those men hoping to find sartorial fulfillment somewhere down the road, tethering their journey to the mind-set of permanent fashion will deliver them earlier rather than later in life.

Editorial Reviews

Forbes
Author and haberdasher Alan Flusser's Dressing the Man is an authoritative guide to the modern man's wardrobe, a surprisingly newsworthy subject thanks to the recent rise and fall of Silicon Valley's influence, and the cor-responding shifts at many companies from business wear to "business casual" and back again. Flusser leads off with the fundamentals, color and proportion, and builds all other associations from there. "Once you learn which colors enhance your complexion and why specific proportions flatter your physique," he writes, "you are halfway home." But Flusser is just warming up: The encyclopedic book continues with chapter-by-chapter discussions of everything a man might put on his body. With each description of socks, shoes, dress shirts and pocket squares, Flusser returns to his main point: that a man's clothes should harmonize with the tones of his skin and hair and with his physique. Style, like anything else a man wants to improve--his golf game, his public speaking, or his appreciation of fine wines--is a talent that can be learned.
—Richard Nalley
Publishers Weekly
During the past 25 years, men have spent more money on clothing for themselves than in any other period of modern history, says Alan Flusser (Style and the Man). The time has "never been more propitious for the emergence of a standing army of well-heeled swells," he believes, and in Dressing the Man: Mastering the Art of Permanent Fashion, he takes readers on a tour of men's clothing that he attests will never go out of style. Flusser carefully explains how to mix patterns, what to look for when trying on clothes in the fitting room, what kind of jacket to wear with a straight-point collar, the history of the monk-strap shoe, the correct position for a bow tie and what "business casual" really means. Heavily illustrated with photographs of dapper dans from Humphrey Bogart to the Duke of Windsor and drawings depicting neckwear, suit jackets, coat sleeves and trouser creases, this is a superb reference for any man.

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780060191443
  • Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
  • Publication date: 10/28/2002
  • Edition description: First Edition
  • Edition number: 1
  • Pages: 320
  • Sales rank: 75,341
  • Product dimensions: 8.50 (w) x 11.00 (h) x 0.25 (d)

Meet the Author

Alan Flusser is the author of a number of books about men's style, including Dressing the Man. He is the president of Alan Flusser Designs, a company he founded in 1979. He attracted national attention in 1987 for Michael Douglas's wardrobe in Wall Street, as well as later acclaim for his work on the HBO movie Barbarians at the Gate, the Al Pacino movie Scent of a Woman, and American Psycho starring Christian Bale. In 1988, he was placed as a permanent member on the International Best-Dressed List.

Table of Contents

1 Permanent Fashion 2
2 The Power of Color 16
3 Proportion: The Foundation of Style 34
4 The Prerogatives of Pattern 62
5 The Suit 78
6 Odd Jackets, Trousers, and Waistcoats 100
7 The Dress Shirt 120
8 Neckwear 144
9 Hosiery Harmonies 170
10 Foot Decorum 186
11 Accessories: The Major Importance of Minor Things 210
12 Formalwear: Black-and-White Etiquette 232
13 Business Casual 254
Glossary 277
Bibliography 306
Acknowledgments 307

Customer Reviews

Be the first to write a review
( 0 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(0)

4 Star

(0)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Your Name: Create a Pen Name or Leave Anonymously

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identiy on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

We're sorry, but penname is already taken.

Please select one of the following:
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

penname is available!

By visiting the BN.com website or marking a purchase on BN.com, a User is deemed to have accepted the Terms of Use.

Continue Anonymously

Welcome, penname

You have successfully created your Pen Name. Start enjoying the benefits of the BN.com Community today.

Sort by: Showing all of 10 Customer Reviews
  • Posted January 10, 2010

    An excellent sartoril guide for men who want to dress better.

    I love all of Mr. Flussers books. This one is excellent as a follow up for the Clothes and The Man.
    Gentleman there is no need for us to rely on our wives or girlfriends to dress us. If one can be confident in what style suit cut, shirt color, and ties fit them best it will show.
    In todays economy we see more people putting on the suit. It may be something that sets you apart from the other peole interviewing or you keeping your job. Paying attention to details is something a man can convey inthe way he dresses and Mr. Flusser shows hot to do just that.
    Some parts may be complicated, such as understanding one's facial and hair coloring and how the way we dress can either detract from it or enhance it. Eventually you will get it.
    Other examples of details include things such as suggesting what style shirt collar looks best with a mans face, as well as the tie knot to go with the collar. Another one is not matching your pocket square to the tie.
    I was able to work over the holidays as a temp worker in a mens clothing store and had the chance to make some sales. The advice in this book was very useful to me in helping men to select clothes that flattered them (especially when it comes to suits).
    I also use it in my regular job because I enjoy dressing well even though the job does not require a suit or shirt and tie (I'm a teacher by profession). One should always look their best.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Posted January 24, 2009

    more from this reviewer

    Very Good Reference for Men's Sartorial Conundrum

    Just about every page of this book contains photos (mostly black & white) and hand-drawn pictures to understand the classic styles that every man should be familiar with. Also, you will see some of the photos of the Hollywood actors, such as Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart wearing exquisite wardrobes to diffrentiate themselves from the average Americans. If you like to read the author's previous book, "Style and the Man: How and Where to Buy Fine Mens' Clothes", then you will also like to this book.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Anonymous

    Posted July 12, 2008

    Trick photography . . .

    Real quick. I don't believe the doctoring of the photographs was meant to fool anybody, but rather just represent a hyperbole to illustrate his point. Most men I know lack the ability to observe fine details such as how a shirt can bring out the color of one's eyes. Furthermore, a large portion of men have difficulty seeing at least one color. A note in the book addressing this would be nice. Also, his publisher may have been the one who pushed for this for marketing reasons.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Anonymous

    Posted October 23, 2006

    Cannot recommend

    First, I agree with the reviewer who mentions the doctored photographs. I was surprised a man of Flusser's alleged societal standing would stoop to those depths. In one photo he claims the clothing choice brings out the blue in the objects eyes, when if you cover up the clothing with your hand in the 2 photos clearly one picture's eyes have been rigged to be blue, while the other photo has gray eyes. What is most disappointing is the unnecessary wordiness that Flusser injects into every section. It is as if he is attempting to impress the reader with his expansive vocabulary. I purchased this book as a fashion aid, not an English lesson. Example page 30: '..the surest way to ensure your visage its rightful due is to buck it up with the relevant pageantry..' This guy needs to get over himself. Not a bad book if you can get a used copy for less than $10, otherwise put your money somewhere else.

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Anonymous

    Posted April 2, 2006

    If you care about how you look, you need this book!!

    I just bought this book and I haven't been able to put it down. Flusser not only gives you the essential tools needed to cultivate one's own sytle, but he also gives you a brief history lesson on the men who made the different looks staples in mens fashion. Clear right and wrong illustrations add to the flow of the book. Flusser forces you to look at your wardrobe in a whole new light. If you like the feel of a suit, you need this book!!!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Anonymous

    Posted July 5, 2003

    DRESSING THE MAN

    Mr. Flusser (Author of Dressing the Man), Mr. Lauren (Ralph), Mr. Wolfe (Tom) and Mr. Cooper, Editor in Chief of Gentlemen¿s Quarterly all seem to have a remarkable, keen and talented eye for men¿s fashions. And yet that keen eye is nowhere to be found even in Harper Collins Publishing talents of this book. The book makes a lot of interesting and true claims that can be argued to hold water, until when it comes to the blatant use of trick photography to make Mr. Flusser¿s point. If the viewer would, go ahead and cover all of the clothing for Tom on page 31. You will note a remarkable difference, a before and after effect. On the right side you see a far more refreshing and happy a face than on the left and you see the same on page 30 as well with Alex. In fact, the color on the right hand side has been significantly manipulated to convey the point Mr. Flusser likes to make. And again, all of the above reviewers seem to have no problem with this doctoring of photographs. If the viewer now would turn back a page to page 29 he or she will note an almost ridiculous level of color doctoring where the same man has green eyes in one photograph and bright blue in another. The point Mr. Flusser tries to make is that wearing more rich blue shirt and a light blue coat will remarkably change the man. ¿Edwin¿s blue eyes suddenly spring to life¿ Mr. Flusser stares. Yes. So much so that they are green on the left hand side with your hands completely covering all clothes. The reader is encouraged to take a look at this amazing doctoring of photographs. The book is a good contribution to men¿s attire and yet one looks at all of these home-run names in the back and front of this book, pitching the virtues of the content therein, and wonders why a publisher, an author, a designer, an editor would not note repeated use of trick photography to make a point. What has been highlighted here continues throughout the book. Take Trevor for instance on page 26. Again, cover the entire outfit with your hand and note the remarkable difference of skin color here; it is absolutely amazing. There is not just one or two `little¿ mistakes in this book; there are a plenty and again, one has to look at all these people and ask some questions here. The most clear evidence of doctoring pictures to convey a point, perhaps comes with Fumihiko on page 27. Note the picture on the left and the two birth marks below the left eye and the one on the right; they are gone on the right hand side and the color of complexion is a more healthy orange/red glow. One mistake in this book would be fine. Two? Sure. Three?? Well. I¿m not sure if the people who say they read and approved of this book actually read and paid any attention to the book. I certainly did not put the pages in this book under a magnifying glass and have yet to page through the entire book. Neither am I a seasoned pro in men¿s attire nor even editing or publishing - but all of these men mentioned above - are. The issues herein are so remarkably obvious that some questions have been raised and hopefully will not be censored.

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Anonymous

    Posted November 16, 2002

    Another wonderful guide

    This time with the help of illustartions and photographs Mr. Flusser writes wonderful prose on the art of mens dressing. In this book he not only re hashes the way men should by shoes, shirts, suits, etc, he also discusses hw a man can mix and match different patterns properly. In an age in which there are very few "educators" on men's dressing its wonderful to have Mr. Flusser show us young men who wish to dress and look our best, a way to do it.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  No   Report this review
  • Anonymous

    Posted April 30, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 20, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted February 26, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 10 Customer Reviews

If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)
500 character limit