Am I a Chap?

by Gustav Temple

An hilarious manual for correctly spotting the English gentleman, including dandies, cads, and eccentrics  Seeking to classify every species and sub-species of English gentleman that one may observe throughout the seasons, this guide ranges from the flamboyant young fop to the crusty old duffer. Looking at established chaps such as Beau Brummel and Cary Grant and taking in deceased chaps such as the Comte de Montesquiou and Fred Astaire, the book takes us up to the present day with contemporary types such as the Bohemian Chap, the Libertine, the Old Codger, and the City Gent. Full of barbed wit and helpful tips on how to correctly wear one's spats, this is a pocket-sized prestige gift for aspirantly stylish chaps and chapesses.

192 pages, Hardcover

First published May 19, 2011

About the author

Gustav Temple has been the editor of The Chap magazine since 1999, when Britain’s finest gentlemen’s quarterly was launched. The Chap, now bi-monthly, recently celebrated its 15th year of publication and continues to spread the word of anarcho-dandyism through its pages, as well as via its annual gathering of the excellently dressed, The Chap Olympics. Mr. Temple is the author of six books, including The Chap Manifesto (2001) and Cooking for Chaps (2014). Mr. Temple’s grand quest is to rid the world of pantaloons de Nimes, sportswear off the sports field and uncouth behaviour. He believes that a man who is properly dressed has much more to offer the world than a slovenly fellow, and that society ultimately benefits when there is more dandyism on the streets.

Reviews

[Tim Pendry · Rating 5 out of 5]

An offshoot of the cult journal, 'The Chap', this humorous little book is better than might have been expected.

More than once I found myself laughing out loud at Gustav Temple's put-downs of readers who have sent the journal photographs of themselves in what they like to think is 'chap' mode but which more often represents sartorial comic relief.

What might be of more long term interest than the passing witticisms are the excellent short essays on the origins and history of various items of clothing and the short but well judged accounts of famous dead dandies and contemporary British fashion eccentrics.

At the end there is a useful list of clothing suppliers, alongside the ironic British humour. This is a worthy latest addition to a genre that may have said to have started with Peter York and Anne Barr's 'The Official Sloane Ranger Handbook' (1982).