A man should look as if he has bought his clothes with intelligence, put them on with care—and then forgotten all about them. Such gems of sartorial wisdom are the hallmark of legendary British clothier Sir Hardy Amies’ 1965 classic ABC of Men’s Fashion—regrettably long out of print. Until now, that is. It’s just been re-issued thanks to a major new fashion exhibition at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum, and men everywhere can benefit from such a stylish lexicon.
Every facet of the well-dressed fellow’s wardrobe is represented, together with a few acid remarks (see Fat Men and Short Men). Hell, Sir Hardy earned a bit of stuffiness; the dashing designer was a British secret agent before setting up shop at 14 Savile Row in 1946, and he went on to design costumes for both Stanley Kubrick and the Queen of England.
—J.P.S.
