Mr. Flusser holds forth in this interview for “Men.Style.com.”
The Executive Summary: He makes “elegant f@#* you clothes.” The Michael Douglas comment is cuttingly funny, anyway. Spoiler alert: he curses, and his hair needs cutting; at least in my just-had-long-hair opinion. For those of you uninterested in most of what he has to say outside of his books, the first minute or so is well worth remembering.
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I have always respected A.F.’s perspective on proper dressing and directives on doing so, until three minutes into that clip. Really, Alan? The well fit dress shirt, the tie which (while boring) compliments the jacket, the pocket square bringing the pop of flair to the otherwise somber palette, and he’s wearing it with stained blue jeans?! I’m sure they’re expertly “distressed” and cost more than my boat, but really? It so poorly fits with the rest of his kit that he looks as though he was told that he would be filmed from the waist up only. Or like he’s the subject of one of those children’s flip-books where the bottom half of an alligator may be paired with the top half of an astronaut. A discouraging day for we lobbyists for hightened male sartorial standards and expectations.
Captain, I couldn’t agree more. I saw a shot of him somewhere else that had the comment that this was his regular clobber, too! I know Ralph Lauren championed this look a while back, but still. And at his age and with his knowledge…
I respectfully disagree. He really nailed how to dress. He nailed Hollywood. He nailed his Anderson and Shepard suit. He is one of a handful of men in the industry who are not afraid to call out the BS and do it in a way that’s articulate and biting.
Could he use a haircut? Good God, yes. And he could lose the jeans. I was more bored with the jacket and tie and I hate pocket squares. He looks pretty bad in the Charlie Rose interview as well but I’ve read all of his books and he knows his stuff.
He may be the wacky professor at this stage in his life. He knows it so well he experiments with ideas very few of us can understand. In some way of his own, he’s pushing a style envelope rather than a fashion one. I know I’m stretching here but it’s the only way I can reconcile his intelligence with his attire.
I know that 20 years ago I would have laughed at you if you told me I would be wearing bow ties, monogramed slippers, tie back boxers and suede shoes. Yet, today I am and each year that goes by I hope my courage will continue – – it just has to remain tasteful. And say what you will about Flusser – -he’s not vulgar.
tintin, well argued. And yes, you are correct that this is a matter of style that he is pursuing. It may not be something with which I agree (it’s an age’ist thing with me, I admit. Jeans have their place. Just not… anyway.) There you go.
And I thank all of my readers for their very civilised attitude towards discussion.
Completely agree with tintin -especially his first paragraph.
There’s definitely a disconnect between the type of clothes Flusser sells and what he current currently choses to wear. There was a picture floating around a while back of Flusser at a fashion show where he looked like a homeless man. I do wonder if that might turn off some of the customers that he describes in this clip – the people who are ready to buy an expensive suit and are completely bemused by modern designer fashion. They might see Flusser’s own outfits and question why whey would buy a suit from this guy.
But there’s no question that he knows his stuff.
Fascinating clip, and Mr Flusser is more articulate than nearly anyone else in his field (it’s painful to see Ralph Lauren or Tom Ford struggle for the apt phrase) but the statements are riddled with contradictions. So too his appearance. I was distracted by the rumpled ill fitting jacket, the bad haircut, the silly pocket square- but those filthy blue jeans put me right over the edge. He is hardly his own best advertisement.
I agree with Mr Worthington … peerless words aside, the man looks like hell.
I saw Flusser one afternoon last summer – – in a beautiful tan wool suit darting into Grand Central Station. Nothing goofy about him except he needed a haircut. I think his hair is his icon. There was an Actor’s Studio interview with Al Pacino and there was Flusser in the audience…with a bad hair cut but you noticed him right away.