(Gentleman: A Timeless Fashion
Q: What is the biggest mistake you see men making today as regards clothing and/or grooming?
A: It has always been seen as a mistake if a 40-year-old man tries to dress like a twenty something. I notice today that many men of 40 dress like 8 or 12 year olds. When I bring my seven-year-old daughter to school, I’m the only man who doesn’t wear sneakers, baseball cap and sweat shirt. I never wear suit and tie at that time of the day but even in a v-neck, corduroy, brogues and a raincoat I look like an alien. I think it is not good for children if their parents and all other grown ups dress like themselves (ed: I believe he means “like children”). The worst mistake in grooming is to shave one’s eyebrows in the shape of a fine line.
From an exclusive interview by Nicola Linza of Manner of Man and Cristoffer Neljesjö of Welldressed, with noted author and style journalist Bernhard Roetzel. Read the whole thing here.
Love this book. Looovveee it. But one every chance I get and have had fun giving them away to friends and family. My 15 year old nephew is now asking me for Hermes ties I no longer wear. It really kicks up the learning curve.
tintin, 15! Precocious! I didn’t start asking for Hermes until my first year of college. I have hopes for the future.
Interestingly, Mr Roetzel has revealed that the reissue of the book will contain an iPhone/iPad app that won’t repeat content, delivering instead daily (?) tips, etc. . Wish I had an iPad/iPhone or something that would run it. Great idea.
While not Hermes, my 7 year old is partial to Hickey Freeman ties, as they produce them in his size. There is still hope.
I’ll second Tintin’s praise of this book. My well worn copy sits in an honored place on my bookshelf, next to my (equally worn) Flusser editions.
And like Tintin, I have made regular gifts of both over the years.
Chris
Picked this up a couple of months ago on sale at Books A Million on Broad street.
Good read and great reference piece too.
Now reading the collected works of P.G. Wodhouse, and all thing Jeeves! Six short stories that make up the plots for the Brit tv series. Righty Ho!
For some reason, my father’s mislaid his edition; a consequence of his occasional itinerant tendencies, I think. It provided some needed reference a few years ago
Mr Roetzel’s appearance would be singularly alien on a German school run due to national standards, I think; even the fathers here in Ghana make some concessions to smartness, matters of ability aside
B
Greg, a well worn set of Wodehouse sits on my shelf. An ancient Penguin Classics edition of “What Ho Jeeves” was my beach read in France. It helped.
Welcome Barima! As I once told Brohammas, as long as people make some effort at all I’m happy!
Trevor, a fine gift. I used to give away copies of “Men In Style” when we carried it at Britches…
Turling, great to know. I should stock up as the progeny is turning four this year.
I have seen in recent months two men with sculpted eyebrows! It looks highly irregular and even now I shudder at the memory.
Ye Gods, LBT! Honestly? How disturbing.
Biggest mistake — sloppiness as fashion! It’s awful – and a disease.
Tuck the shirt in, wear a belt, comb your hair, shave your face, iron or press your shirt and your pants.
All the above will open doors where as the opposite will close them.
And if you just got your MBA – dress like you have an MBA!