Book Review: ABC of Men's Fashion

The English designer Hardy Amies, who passed away in 2003, was so far as I know the first important menswear designer. His book, ABC of Men's Fashion, was originally published in 1964, just as top down men's fashion was to disappear for twenty years in favor of street fashions.

Re-issued this month, ABC should be of interest to any man that appreciates classic dressing. Organized as a series of alphabetized definitions, it's a combination of forecasts that didn't happen - Amies believed that the next step for men would be high closing four button jackets and that boots would replace shoes - and useful thoughts on color, contrast, late day dress and other things you may not have thought about before.

For example, Amies points out that a 13 ounce mohair makes a great travel suit for all but the hottest destinations as it doesn't wrinkle and holds a crease as if it was made of metal. To that he adds that being relaxed on holiday should not mean that we walk around other people's cities dressed as if we were at a sea side resort. "Correct dressing is only another form of good manners, and good manners are only another form of mental comfort."

Amen.

Final Adjustments

Tailor Thomas Mahon was in San Francisco a few days ago and that provided the opportunity to get what should be final adjustments to my first Mahon suit, an effort that we began a year ago. It was fitted for the first time this past Spring.

The suit is a half lined summer weight (ten ounce) mohair and wool blend cut as a 6x2 double breasted. There is a slight sheen to the mohair so I'll wear it on days when I might want to look a bit dressier than normal, and in the evening.


The suit had cleared customs a few days prior which gave me time to wear it for a day to see how it settled. It looked pretty darned good for a first effort with only one previous fitting.


Of course there were some nits. The trousers were a bit tight in the thighs when I sat, which Thomas picked up on before a word left my mouth, the coat needed a bit of shape and the jacket sleeve length was a bit off. I also asked for an eyeglass pocket in the jacket and an English back to the trousers instead of a straight waistband so the trousers will ride like my other suits and won't require me to adjust my braces each time I put it on.


If someone looks closely they may notice the turnback cuffs on the sleeves (click on the photo to see it full size), a subtle Edwardian touch. I think they add a little interest to an otherwise conservative double breasted. The jacket might have been a bit bolder if the lining was the paisley I'd requested, but it arrived navy blue and I elected not to make an issue of it. I've never received a bespoke suit that was exactly what I asked for, so why start now?

All that means this mission is mostly accomplished. In a couple of weeks I'll have a suit that I won't be able to wear until the end of March '08. I'd like to get delivery and season synchronized next time, so I'm planning to order a fresco next. With luck, both the suit and the appropriate season for it will arrive in the Spring.

Fabrics for Summer

Summer temperatures call for fabrics that breathe. The wind shouldn't be whistling through your jacket when the temperatures are below freezing, but mohair, fresco (along with its imitators like Holland & Sherry's CrispAire), and linen help keep a man cool as the thermometer climbs. Each of them will keep you cooler than a tropical worsted, and each has its negatives. So does worsted, for that matter.

Mohair is the hair of an Angora goat. It's got a bit of sheen to it, which makes it a good fabric for a warm weather dinner jacket or a navy blue suit, and a tendency to crack if it's not blended with wool, but it stays crisp in the heat. Ten ounce cloth that's 30% or 40% mohair makes a cool wearing suit that drapes well. Higher proportions of mohair may show an ufortunate tendency to wilt in the rain.

Fresco is a rough-to-the-hand open weave worsted that's trademarked by the parent company of weaver J&J Minnis, provider of the good stuff. 14 ounces used to be the weight of a standard summer suit fifty years ago. Today I like ten, though it's available in eight (the eight doesn't drape as well, wrinkles more easily and is only a touch cooler). If you're a fan of high Super number worsteds, fresco may feel a bit rough until you get used to it but in compensation it has the additional benefit of rubbing any excess hair from your legs so you look better in a bathing suit.

And finally there's linen, woven from the plant. I prefer the Irish version in 14 ounce weight. Holland & Sherry makes some of the best. The negative to linen is that it rumples, though the heavier weights work to minimize that. Better suited for a walk through the park than a seat in the board room.