Top 5 Most Important Men’s Style And Fashion Books

Though I write a lot about specific men’s style tips and tricks, very rarely do I talk about books on this topic. Since I’ve read a few in my time, I want to share them with you, along with a few words on each of them.

Books have the advantage they compress a great amount of info in a small place. This info is organized, in the case of men’s style books, on items of clothing.

But before I give you the most important books that will help you transform your appearance, let me give you a few tips of what you should look for when buying one.

1. Pictures

Style is mostly visual so the chosen book HAS to have descriptive pictures. The problem with some books is that they have very big pictures but not really relevant.

For instance, one book, when speaking of shoes, had a very big shoe that spread in the background. That’s not really useful since you want to see as many shoe combinations as possible. You want to see not just the shoes but, most importantly, how they fit together with the outfit.

2. Info

One book in particular was talking about what you should wear when hunting. Excuse me?? I’ve never been hunting and I sure as hell won’t go anytime soon.

The thing is, some men’s style books see the entire world from a gentleman’s perspective. They take you back 100 years back forgetting that you live in the present.

3. Clothes and color matching

Some books aren’t very good at this. They fail to see that us men have BIG problems when it comes to matching clothes and colors. That’s why it’s important that the ideal men’s style book has as many combinations as possible.

That being said, here’s my top 5 of men’s style books:

#1 Details Men’s Style Manual: The Ultimate Guide for Making Your Clothes Work for You by Daniel Peres

This is the most appreciated book about men’s style for the way it was put together. If you’re in your 20s or 30s, this is definitely a good acquisition. If you’re clueless about style, this is the book for you. However, if you want a little more specific info for your body type, you might find yourself a little disappointed.

Suits, pants, jackets, shirts, everything you need to know – it’s all in there. The explanations are clear and to the point. One thing it would have been be useful is to see some actual put together outfits and then some comments about them.

#2 Dressing the Man: Mastering the Art of Permanent Fashion by Alan J. Flusser

This has got to be the biggest men’s style book out there. It’s full of pictures and contains detailed explanations. If you’re a classic guy in your 30s or 40s, you’ll definitely want to read this one. It talks about everything a real gentleman needs and tries to adapt the classic gentleman’s image to the 3rd millennium.

While you won’t find the hunting outfits too useful (unless you’re a prince or a politician), you’ll appreciate the information about suits. Be prepared to spend some real money if you take Mr’s Flusser’s advice on what to buy.

#3 Esquire The Handbook of Style: A Man’s Guide to Looking Good

Another book that takes you through the basics is that from Esquire. One of the big minuses for this book is the absence of colored photos. While the book is small, it’s jam-packed with information.

If you’re not the type that want’s to stand out through the way he dresses, you’ll find this book perfect. It won’t take up too much space and it contains all the essentials a man should know about clothing.

No matter how stylish you imagine yourself to be, you still need those basics. It’s up to you whether you want this book or go for something a little more advanced.

#4 AskMen’s Style Bible: The 11 Rules for Building a Complete and Timeless Wardrobe

While AskMen’s book has some good info in it, it’s lacking colored photos. This is a biggie if you want to learn color matching. Still, it gives you a good overview of what a complete wardrobe should look, all in simple terms. It leaves away the “gentleman’s avatar” and focuses on today’s teenager (up to his mid 20s).

One of the things I appreciated was that they tell you which colors go with your body type. Again, you’ll only find the list, not some specific colored examples. But it’s a good place to start.

#5 The Be Stylish ™ Book, written by me, George Lazăr

I left mine for last because it was the last one to appear chronologically. What I did in my book was to learn from the mistakes of all the other books:

• lots of colored photos, but not the kind that stretch the whole page – just big enough to make you understand the text
• complete information about everything you can possible imagine about men’s style and grooming
• all the “secrets” about men’s style are in there
• works for you whether you’re 18 or 80, it doesn’t matter

Remember, a men’s style book will save you months and months of reading random articles in magazines and on the internet. If you’re committed to making a positive change in your life, a book is the best place to start.