Class Act: A Gentleman's Guide to Dressing Well

by John Berendt

From the bestselling, iconic author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil comes an irreverent and essential style guide—from boxers to button downs, turtlenecks to tuxedos


For more than a decade, beloved author John Berendt wrote a series of smart, sophisticated columns for Esquire on matters of manners and men's clothing. Class Act brings together over fifty of these updated and revised pieces, as well as two new additions, each focusing on a particular item of iconic men’s fashion. Whether interviewing the Duchess of Argyll about her family connection to a certain pair of socks ("When she came to the telephone, the Duchess of Argyll made it clear by the resoluteness of her replay that she had been asked about argyle socks before..."), educating the reader on the virtues of French cuffs, or identifying the definitive motorcyle jacket and how to wear it (Marlon Brando in The Wild One), Berendt informs and entertains in equal measure.

Full of surprising facts, unforgettable characters, and amusing anecdotes, this collection of snappy, elegant essays is fully illustrated and as stylish as its subject matter. Part cultural history, part handbook, Class Act serves as a reminder that the clothing we wear is not simply fabric, but a reflection of our character... and sometimes our sheer audacity. A wildly entertaining ride through men's style and its place in our collective imagination, Class Act makes a strong case that taste and wit will never go out of fashion.

208 pages, Paperback

Expected publication October 13, 2026

About the author

John Berendt is an American author and journalist best known for his best-selling nonfiction book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1994), a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction. Blending true crime and vivid portraits of Savannah, Georgia, the book became a cultural phenomenon, spending a record-breaking 216 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and inspiring Clint Eastwood’s 1997 film adaptation.
Born in Syracuse, New York, Berendt studied English at Harvard University, where he worked on the Harvard Lampoon. He went on to serve as associate editor of Esquire and editor of New York magazine, and later wrote a long-running Esquire column. His years in Savannah, beginning in 1985, gave him intimate access to the city’s eccentric residents and the real-life murder trial at the heart of Midnight.
Berendt’s second book, The City of Falling Angels (2005), explored Venice in the aftermath of the fire that destroyed its historic opera house, La Fenice. In 2011, he published the children’s book My Baby Blue Jays. In 2024, a stage musical adaptation of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil premiered at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, with a Broadway opening planned for 2025.

Reviews

[Darius Ostrowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are many enjoyable aspects of “Class Act: A Gentleman's Guide to Dressing Well” by John Berendt. For one, he covers a broad spectrum of male clothing and apparel in this brief tome, talking about items both common (jeans) and not-so-common (ascots). Also, the history and tales associated with each item are informative and interesting. Lastly, Mr. Berendt is a talented writer, and his style and prose are very approachable and entertaining.

But I guess I am disappointed since this book did not meet my expectations, there is almost nothing about style. This is not a guide or handbook, one will not get any tips or advice on wardrobe, other than some very broad generalizations (do not wear a red bowtie, for example). What one gets out of this book is some very short histories, usually two or three pages, and/or some amusing anecdotes. And that’s about it.

A fun read but overall not much to it.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor, Vintage via NetGalley. Thank you!

[Courtney Stearns · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a witty, illustrated collection of Esquire essays that frames men's style through cultural history, personal anecdotes, and sharp observation. Combining practical wardrobe advice with engaging storytelling, the book serves as both a fashion guide and a cultural commentary