What's Style?

What is style? To me, it's not just good taste. A man whose regular garb consists of two button suits in conservative cloth, black oxfords, white shirts and solid neckties lacks individuality, and without individuality there can be no style.

Personal style is a consistent gestalt of individual choices, with the emphasis on individual. Where is the individual in a crowd wearing striped suits, Hermes ties and Gucci loafers?

That said, style can be consistent with business dress. The dress in the photo from Alan Flusser Custom is made up of conservative elements. It's the small touches that add individuality, like the double breasted jacket with a stripe alternating single and double beads. A uniform, but an individualized one.

That's style.

Sources: April in Paris

April in Paris is the San Francisco boutique of master leather artisan Beatrice Amblard. Born in France, Amblard began her career as an apprentice at Hermes, one of the world's finest suppliers of leather goods, and worked there for 15 years before opening her own workshop in 2000.

Amblard’s specialty is working with French calf, ostrich, stingray and alligator. She is best known for her custom handbags, usually finished with the traditional saddle stitch, the same way it was done 200 years ago.

The April in Paris shopping site features handmade leather products such as credit card cases, wallets, business card cases, passport cases and belts. The quality is excellent.

Each item is made to order, in either Grain calf and Millennium Alligator. Amblard favors Millennium alligator because its soft, low gloss finish gives a sophisticated and timeless look. The grain calf is imported from France, and exudes modern and contemporary elegance.

Product prices range from $350 for a grain calf credit card case to $2,400 for an alligator men’s belt with a gold buckle. The pictured business card case in alligator is $675.

Web site orders require about two weeks (completely customized pieces like Amblard's handbags require three months). All sales are final.

Sources: luxury-scarves.com

Based in Zurich, Switzerland, Luxury GMBH hosts a unique web site specializing in authentic Hermes scarves.

Hermes began making silk scarves in 1937, when the company was 100 years old. It has since printed more than 1,000 designs. Worn folded in the breast pocket of a jacket, the 16" pochette version of the Hermes scarf makes a statement that some men swear by and others swear at.

The key to the Luxury site is its selection. Where the Hermes company site may have six pochettes from which to choose, Luxury has twenty. They range from current designs to the occasional gem from fifty years ago, at prices starting somewhat below Hermes list for a current item and increasing to considerably more for an older model in pristine condition.

The site does not accept credit cards directly but does accept PayPal payments, money orders and wire transfers. Shipping is by registered priority air mail and the cost is included in the price of the item. All sales are final unless an item is not as described.