Classic men’s style is well suited to scholarly erudition, based as it is in so much history and the trends that speak of centuries rather than seasons. But reading the history of men’s clothing won’t get you very far towards knowing what to wear yourself. You need both. And the best books that have been written on classic men’s style include a mix, albeit with varying degrees of success in the mixture.

It is important to know what kind of book you’re getting, and hopefully this guide will give you a decent place to start.

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Alexander McQueen’s Spotlight Sweater combines a splash of black and white on a long-sleeved silhouette with a trim fit. Since we’re only dreaming of spring (but dressing for winter), the Spotlight Sweater can lift our spirits as we wait this season out. Simple winter dressing now; freezing-night-at-the-beach layer later. [$1070 at oki-ni]

A jacket like this but, you know, well made

Suits don’t necessarily fit into everyone’s day-to-day life. For some, in an office full of corporate lawyers, a suit is a necessity and a uniform. It is almost harder to take an interest in clothing that is imposed on you in this way. For other men, the barrier to developing a sartorial interest is the lack of suits in the office. Dressing up when everyone else is dressed down will draw attention; not everyone wants that kind of attention. Trying to show off? Who do you think you are? You’re not impressing anyone you know.

My advice is, dressing well is a question of degrees. So take what your peers wear and up it a notch.
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Bow ties are a tricky proposition for a man not accustomed to wearing them. While it is an item of clothing that could easily seem anachronistic, rather like braces or a fedora, the bow tie has the added disadvantage of being purely decorative. At least braces create the best line in a trouser leg and hats keep you warm and dry. A bow tie is mere fancy.

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Beau favoured blue, white and buff. All the time

Formal dress is built on a very simple colour palette, which was initiated by the regency dandy Beau Brummel. Despite its use today, the original meaning of the word ‘dandy’ was one who was fastidious about his appearance but with the intention of producing perfect simplicity. So his palette was modest: blue, white, occasionally buff, and black for accessories.

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A couple of weeks ago a reader of my blog, Permament Style, asked me what shops he should make sure he visited in London. He was coming over from the United States for a week and wanted to visit any store that could be considered unique to London. Bespoke suits and high-end shoes were out of his price range, so it was a question of dissecting the high street.

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BAPE and URSUS developed a pair of saddle shoes with Dr. Martens that are on the release schedule for 2011. The three colorways include a red, brown, and black, all on an unusual medium-grey ground. The Dr Martens giveaway is, of course, those incredible soles and stitching, which are chunky to make the expected Dr Martens “pow!” Clean uppers with classic saddle shoe shaping. [via slamxhype]

The poses might be tough to take all at once, but this lookbook was responsible for some serious summertime dreaming–and right before the change of seasons, too! The Nikolaj by Nikolaj d’Etoiles S/S 2011 collection is a clean and crisp one, with longer, tailored shorts, blazers, nautical stripes, and casual separates. Developed in a palette of navy, white, and stone, one piece will go with everything. [via modeman]

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A cuff button is finished off

It’s rare that you get to see something you own being made. Most of the stuff on the high street the manufacturers wouldn’t want you to see being produced – rather like sausages, I suppose. And, like sausages again, you wouldn’t want to see them being made because it would quickly put you off your favourite brands. Factories are not pretty places. Even if they’re clean, their gigantic efficiency crushes aesthetics.

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