A Well-Dressed Gentleman's Pocket Guide

by Oscar Lenius

While fashion is subject to seasonal change, the wardrobe of the man who dresses in classic style is marked by a distinctive continuity. A Well-Dressed Gentleman’s Pocket Guide is both an etiquette and a history of impeccable dressing and classic styling. It illustrates the fine distinctions of the gentleman’s dress code, arming the reader with the requisite information to dress for any occasion. It covers the entire wardrobe—from suits, coats, shirts, and shoes to umbrellas and underclothing—their history, manufacture, tailoring, materials, patterns, and colors. There are also summary style charts and warnings of classic faux pas. Any gentleman should consider himself incomplete without this elegant and authoritative pocket accessory.

Genres: Nonfiction, Fashion

216 pages, Hardcover

Published May 1, 2006

About the author

Oscar Lenius is the nom de plume of the proprietor of Germany's leading group of menswear stores. He is also President of the International Union of Menswear Outfitters.

Reviews

[Vasilis Stefanou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book on menswear and the history behind every piece of clothing.

[Omar Cisneros · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oscar Lenius’s A Well-Dressed Gentleman’s Pocket Guide is a tidy and stylish little volume, clearly written with affection for the art of classic menswear. Its strength lies in its brevity—it doesn’t aim to overwhelm, but rather to offer a compact roadmap for those looking to refine their dress sense with a nod to traditional tailoring and sartorial etiquette. For the novice, the guide offers quick, digestible tips on everything from lapel width to shoe styles to when (and how) to wear a pocket square.

But for all its charm, the book suffers from a frustratingly narrow scope. It is deeply Eurocentric, with little to no acknowledgement of how cultural and regional variations impact what constitutes “well-dressed.” Style, after all, is as much about context as it is about collars and cuffs. Lenius's advice sometimes veers too close to dogma, offering firm rules without the benefit of nuance or adaptation for modern or multicultural wardrobes.

More critically, the book lacks what should be a staple of any modern style guide: photographs. A few well-placed illustrations or photo spreads could have dramatically elevated the book’s utility. Describing the ideal break in a trouser or the curve of a double-breasted jacket is one thing; showing it is another. In a genre where visual cues matter immensely, the absence of imagery is a significant shortcoming.

In sum, A Well-Dressed Gentleman’s Pocket Guide is a decent primer, but not the definitive resource it might hope to be. It is best treated as a starting point—a kind of amuse-bouche of classic style—rather than a comprehensive manual. Readers serious about dressing well would do well to supplement it with richer, more visually informed sources.

[Steven Frazier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting and well written. I do wish they had included more pictures for reference. Good book to have on hand when expanding your wardrobe.