[.ca] Carol Spenser's Style Directions for Men (ISBN 0749920947)

A style book that's actually USEFUL:
I just finished reading this book and wanted to recommend it. It is the most useful book on men's fashion that I've yet found. The book gives you directions for analyzing your personal looks (i.e. facial shape, facial features, body type, hair and skin color, etc.). It then gives specific recommendations for each type. These recommendations are general; for instance, what patterns look best with your facial features, what "lines" look best for your body type, etc. Most books on men's style or fashion that I've read mainly give advice about more formal clothing. They rhapsodize about suits, ties and pleated trousers, but rarely cover casual clothing. When they do cover casual wear it is usually the pretentious sort only worn by J Crew models. The recommendations in this book are general and so can be applied to any type of clothing, from what you wear in a college classroom to what you wear out to a club (formal wear is covered too). This is the only book of this sort that I've found so far, and I recommend it highly.

Parts of it are useful:
With its bold cover, and straghtforward style, I really wanted to love this book. And I must admit, parts of it were simply excellent - the style tips were straightforward and unprecedented. But unfortunately, in some areas of the book, the author starting to wonder off the track and get into things like skincare, suggesting a five-step routine on facial cleansing. Apart from the fact that the author isn't exactly a skin care expert, this is akin to walking into a chemist to buy some toothpaste and getting a lecture on christianity. Context please! This is one book to read in the store, and leave on the shelf.