Dressing the Man You Love
A Woman's Guide to Purchasing, Coordinating, and Caring for His Classic Wardrobe
Going from clerical to management; graduating from the campus to the office; going from a job in a small town to one in the city; wanting to create a look that commands respect and attention one that states competence and confidence. These are examples of situations where a man needs to change his wardrobe to reflect new circumstances. How does he go about it? If hiring an image consultant is out of the question he’ll probably turn to the women in his life.
In Dressing the Man You Love author Betsy Durkin Matthes has all the information needed to dress for success - and then some. The quirky title and cover belie the wealth of information found within its 280 pages.
Matthes a successful stage screen and television actress became fascinated with men’s fashion while researching a course being offered by the Screen Actor’s Guild Conservatory. The result is a treasure trove of priceless tips hints and instructions — a comprehensive guide to dressing for success complete with illustrations checklists and even a bit of humor. Matthes covers the gamut from casual work dressing (a.k.a. Casual Fridays) to office and dress attire.
The book is divided into five sections: “Getting to Know Him” a guide to determining the best styles colors and patterns; “Proper Prior Planning” evaluating and cleaning out the old to make room for the new; and the third “The Consummate Menswear Consumer” is at the core of the book. This is an in-depth guide to every piece of men’s clothing: three pages on ties a page on shirt cuffs another on collars. Accessorizing coordinating patterns and colors shoes outerwear working with a tailor - it’s all there including illustrations to help one visualize the nuances. The fourth section is “Preserving His Newly-Acquired Assets” tips for caring for the wardrobe and the last section is “The Launching of the New Him” putting together an action plan for using the new wardrobe. It includes a checklist for what to include in the wardrobe which is very handy for assessing what is already in the closet and what pieces still need to be acquired. While some might be overwhelmed with the sheer amount of information it’s easy to pick out and read specific topics of interest. For example if it’s shirts that are needed read only the section on shirts.
The book isn’t overtly for women who are helping men build a wardrobe. A few pages deal with how to get men to go shopping and a few paragraphs address how to convince him he really does need to dress appropriately. Either men or women would find this an invaluable guide to building the perfect wardrobe for a man. Matthes’ concise clear and detailed manner laced with a touch of humor is accessible to nearly everyone.
Reviewed by
Jamie Engle
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
