Esquire The Handbook of Style: A Man's Guide to Looking Good

This small book is jam-packed with valuable information regarding men's stylings and fashion. The size lends well to a portable reference book, while the density of info makes it well for the personal library. The variety of topics covered is exhaustive, with included details on form and functions. Compared to other style books, I would say this has the most longevity. The only problem I had with it was the pictures are all black and white, and tiny. Details referred from the text are lost in the small photos. But still, highly recommended.

Solid, if quite general, information on basic mens style. The writing is good, occasionally snarky, and the advice offered will still be relevant several years from now. The layout is well put together and the celebrity images run from vintage to recent. And I disagree with other reviews dismissing this range as dated. There is a certain classicism represented in the choices, and I appreciate a restraint which avoids too many trendy faces that will be forgotten in a year or two.

Unfortunately what weakens this edition from four to three stars is the omission of any color photos. One cannot properly compare dark brown and black shoes in a B&W photo. A page that purports to guide the reader in pairing shirts, trousers, and jackets is ineffectual as a grayscale reproduction. Fashion in our daily lives always exists in full color, and any book claiming to be a style guide should mirror this reality.

The publisher should correct this in future editions.

Are you a man who simply wants to dress better without being mistaken for a metrosexual? If you are, this book is definitely something you can use. Divided into different bite-sized chapters, each packed with useful information and photos, the Esquire Handbook of Style is intended as an introduction to a world of classic men's style that is both elegant and masculine. While much of the material in here is recycled from various articles from Esquire magazine that you may have already read, it's great having it organized and in one place.

The focus is almost always on dressier clothing that white-collar professionals would wear to the office, as well as what to wear to the theater, restaurants, weekending, etc. We are repeatedly given the message that a modest amount of quality clothes chosen tastefully will serve us much better than a large number of cheap, trendy clothes. It's a message that many of us do need to hear over and over, because moderately-priced clothing stores often push cheaply manufactured knockoffs of current trends and leave us with the impression that unless we wear the very latest styles we look awful. The Esquire Handbook of Style takes a totally different approach, and shows not only how to determine quality in clothing before you buy, but also how versatile the basic building blocks of a man's wardrobe really are.

This is intended as a long-term reference book. Almost all the photos are of Golden Age Hollywood celebs such as Fred Astaire and Cary Grant. The binding, quality of paper, and the cover itself suggest that this is a book that you can use throughout your life. Indeed, it's so well-bound that you might mistake it for a vintage book.

I think this is a great book for recent high school grads or for college students who need to score a plum internship or first 'real' job. This is an excellent and readable book for any male making the transition from a career in which wardrobe is not an issue (such as college education, or a job in which you need to wear a uniform) to one where you are expected to present a crisp business-like appearance. I personally wish I'd had this book years ago as it would have made my adaptation to the office much easier.

The only downside I can see to this book is that the accessories chapter is much too brief. This is unfortunate because it isn't entirely clear why you would want to learn to knot several different styles for neckties, what materials or stitching are best for neckties, etc. It could simply be that the editors regard the rules regarding neckwear to be much looser than the rules regarding shirts and jackets, but its all too easy for men to slip into the habit of ruining an otherwise great look with a hideously garish (and often over-priced) tie. I would have liked to see more about this, as well as options regarding the appropriateness of lapel pins and pocket watches.

There are some books on how to dress well -- books like Russell Smith's Men's Style: The Thinking Man's Guide to Dress -- that are heavy on theory, you might say: not only how to observe the principles of timeless style, but why those principles are correct in the first place. I tend to enjoy reading those kinds of books, and was a little disappointed at first to see that this book from Esquire did not really spend a lot of time in explanations and philosophical discussion. But the more I read, the more it became clear that the man who is really interested in learning these things can pick up a lot from "The Handbook of Style." Esquire has packed a lot into this small-ish book, and most of it is quite good.

It is, as I say, a small book, and it is quite densely packed. I probably would have preferred a larger format, which would have in turn allowed for larger type, larger illustrations with clearer detail, more white space, and a layout generally more friendly to aging male eyes. But then, maybe this is intended primarily for younger men -- an audience I certainly encourage to study this book closely. The authors embrace the classic and traditional in men's style, navigating by the light from, among others, the holy trinity of Astaire, Grant, and Windsor. (Jay-Z and André 3000 are cited as modern exemplars, and while I don't follow their careers well enough to know, I'll take Esquire's word for it.)


For men in, or just out of, college or otherwise looking to define their own style -- a time when guides like this were pretty influential on me -- they or their loved ones could do much worse than to track down a copy of this book and begin studying it. There's a lot older men can take away from this too. I admit I was a little skeptical to begin with, but now I'm convinced this is one of the better utilitarian guides to come along in many years. It certainly deserves a place on many men's shelves.

I love this book.

It does not follow trends. If you follow the advice in this book, you will look good today and 20 years from now. Classic styles do not get old.

A lot of good advice is packed into this small tome. Everything from choice of cloth and pattern, to color and season, to grooming and closet organization. How to tie several tie knots. Where to find quality garments.

If you know nothing at all about style, it will coach you from the very beginning, and it will give advice for different budgets. Even if you know a lot of the tips, it's a great reference work, with guides to finding the right size and even a wallet card to store your measurements. In short, you can't go wrong.