The Suit: A Machiavellian Approach to Men's Style

by Nicholas Antongiavanni

"Clothes make the man." Mark Twain never worked in today's fast-paced workplace, but his observation has never been clothes do make the man. With The Suit , Nicholas Antongiavanni provides a masterly manual on what it takes to advice on how to dress with style, flair, and an eye toward gaining power. That's because "business casual" has proved itself a one-way ticket to a lifetime in the corporate dungeon. But if you apply the sartorial advice proffered in The Suit to your clothes, you will project elegance, bravado, and success. Drawing inspiration from Machiavelli's The Prince , Antongiavanni has crafted an essential handbook for the ambitious man who recognizes that smart and stylish appearance is a lever to power. From neckties to footwear, belts to suspenders, lapels to handkerchiefs, The Suit leaves no garment or accessory untouched and will inject a dose of good taste into your closet. The debates over double-breasted vs. single, two-buttons vs. three, English vs. Italian, and many others are settled with wit by Antongiavanni's wealth of knowledge in the art of dress. The Suit is much more than a simple how-to manual -- Antongiavanni packs these pages with insightful and sometimes stinging commentary on celebrities and the clothes they wear. Leading public figures from David Letterman to Donald Rumsfeld are picked apart at the seams. Antongiavanni uses powerful men in the public eye as entertaining examples of how to dress properly and what garish mistakes to avoid. Whether you are already a corporate Prince -- or if you are a Joe Cubicle aspiring to be something greater -- The Suit will teach you how to make your clothes work for you. No matter what your physical build or your status in the workplace, let Nicholas Antongiavanni be your fashion consultant.

Genres: Fashion, Nonfiction

230 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2006

Reviews

[Adam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely on the higher range of 2 star, almost a three, but not quit enough. The book contained many things I already new. Anton's writing style is enjoyable, and there were plenty of similarities with The Prince which was enjoyable to read, especially the final chapter. However, overall the book was relatively boring. I feel anyone picking it up already knows how to dress, and for those who don't, it is not a suitable introduction to men's style, and readers will become lost within the words.

[Ebrima · Rating 4 out of 5]

Multiple things can be true. The author's manichean worldview permeates what is at best a snobbish and at worst, pedantic approach to the "rules" of menswear...however,

As a menswear nerd myself, I can read with a grain of salt. One must hand it to Anton, he knows his stuff. He expresses it eloquently and entertains along the way. This is a crucial read for any menswear enthusiast at any level.

[Keller Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every man who wants to dress well must read this book.

[Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a great source of insight to the art of dandification. The author gives useful and helpful hints on what to wear and why. This book describes from what worsteds a person should own and what patterns and suit types each type of person should wear as well as giving an explanation of why they should wear a certain pattern or cut of fabric. The one thing I did not like is that, almost everything came back to bespoke items. True they are custom made and will fit and look nicer than anything else. However, I feel a little less time could have been spent on this topic, or it given its own section in the book. There were more than enough examples given and after you looked up what he was discussing if you reread the section there is a perfectly illustrated example.

[Bjorn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read and the author is mainly on the point and gives good advice. It is written in the style of the Prince, which is kind of funny and doesn't detract much. However, the author does not contribute anything that has not been better written in other books, "Dressing the man" by Flusser for example. Also, the book favours (in my opinion) American classic style rather than presenting British, Italian etc notions. Still a good read and a nice format for reading on the go.

[Jason Yang · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Machiavellian writing style had made this a fun read at first, but after a few chapters of commitment, I found this work short on content. Antongiavanni's comments are more of the usual fanfare regarding male fashion. Ultimately, while this was a quick read, I didn't really feel like it was worth my time.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exquisitely written, entertaining, and illuminating little book. The author's intent is for the reader to learn the difference between the two goods of Formality & Dandification, while abhorring the wiles of Fashion. There is no magic bullet to dressing well, but with the tools provided here a man may confidently dress in a manner to do himself much honor.

[Bernie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent introduction to men's suits, especially helpful if you have no idea at all. It's both well written and filled with tips that can help any man find the right suit. Some of my favorite tips include (paraphrasing) "your first suit should be gray- not so dark a gray that you're mistaken for a funeral director, but not so light that you couldn't apply for a job as one."

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Очень коротко:
первое, это очень смешно, если вам близка тема тема классической одежды
второе, книга требует более глубокого, чем базовое, понимания темы и владения соответствующим понятийным аппаратом - особенно с учетом того, что иллюстраций, способных пролить свет на то, что объясняется словами, нет
третье, видел ли автор книги ту иллюстрацию, которую выбрали для обложки перевода?

[Jonathan]

Gift of Harvey Mansfield to Jonathan. Based on his translation of Machiavelli's The Prince. Inscribed by the author to Harvey Mansfield.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some excellent advice, however it's trying a bit too hard to be arch. More photos/drawings would have improved it as a volume for reference.

[Akiva Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

idiculously fun