10 January 2012

Clothes With Style

"M" The Civilized Man - January, 1985 (click in image to enlarge)



Clothes With Style by Robert Bryan: "In this increasingly less-than-perfect world, the man who dresses with style - that is, appropriately to the occasion as well as to his own personality and station - almost always stands out."



"...real personal style is never too obvious, it is usually best expressed in dress through subtle touches...putting on pigskin gloves with a very dressy Chesterfield coat..." RB



"...there is a demonstration of particular personal style that does not overshadow the thing that should be noticed first: a man's face, disposition and personality." RB



"And there are some almost shabby things -- an old felt hat on a man who can wear one, or-



...your favorite well worn tweed sport jacket -- that convey much more personal style than anything brand new." RB


"What appears natural, and is natural when worn by one man, becomes an obvious affectation on another." RB



"...dressing with style is simply a matter of following one's informed common sense. It doesn't take a Douglas Fairbanks Jr. to know that a dark suit and white shirt are fitting for important or sober occasions-



...while a paisley sport shirt and a pair of well-worn khaki trousers are indigenous to a Saturday afternoon stroll." RB

12 comments:

Alice Olive said...

Love this!

Particularly love the images of the umbrellas and the shoes in black and white.

"What appears natural, and is natural, on one..." Great stuff.

David V said...

I never thought I would actually miss the 80's. Makes me want to cry.

Oyster Guy said...

This post prompted me to revisit all your Robert Byron posts. Just wow! He really says it all.

Anonymous said...

Great post. Cole-Haan used to make great bucks. Not any more. So many of my nascent clothing tastes can be found in these articles.
Please keep the M Magazine scans coming!

Main Line Sportsman said...

That paisley robe is killer...

Minh said...

Beautiful scans. Interestingly, the Savile Row suit looks like it hasn't aged a day. The shoulders and labels are not too wide, and the gorge is not too low, unlike most 80s suits. Just goes to show that timelessness is the essence of style.

TRVS said...

I miss seeing boys dress like this. "Woo your Woman with Paisley" days.

tintin said...

Olive- I was sure you would have fallen for the B&W hat.

David V- "M" and Bryan made the '80s look good. Hell, M even made Regan look good.

Oyster Guy- Bryan has this taste level that really speaks to a '30s kind of elegance. For an educational contrast one need only look at Nick Wooster.

Anon 22:09- Back then Cole Haan owned the Rancourt factory in ME and made beautiful stuff. But one day the garbage trucks full of money pulled up in front of their offices...

Main Line- Sulka was amazing. M is loaded with their ads. I haunt eBay but the Sulka goods are few and far between.

Minh- I think you mean the V opening. The gorge is where the collar and lapel meet. The DB in the UK really stands the test of time with freakish extremes avoided at all cost. For an educational contrast please see Nick Wooster.

TRVS- It will be my objective this year to bring paisley back. Just for you...

Alice Olive said...

Yep, the hat works for me, too.

TRVS said...

I think it's within your power...you seem to be good at starting trends. And I'd be forever grateful...

notanymore said...

Cannot disagree with this...

Theo said...

My favourite part, "overdressing can be just as bad as underdressing". Yes, thank you, YES! So sick of internet people incessently going on to the contrary.