"Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence in Society."
-Mark Twain
American Gigolo was single handedly responsible for making Giorgio Armani a household name in America. This particular scene sparked my lifelong interest in menswear, dressing well and looking "put together." Although my tastes have changed over the years, I still prefer dressing up rather than down.
Prior to the 60's, style icons of men's fashion were much older than they are today. They were mostly movie stars, and they were always "dressed to the nine's" both on screen and in public.
Among menswear advertisers, one illustrator reigned supreme: Laurence Fellows.
The current trend in popular culture is predominantly youth oriented and leans far more toward casual clothing. As an older man, I have more appreciation for the classic style of menswear which peaked in the 1940's. Since then it has been mostly variations on a theme, with lapels going wider and narrower and gorges going up and down. Trousers have gone higher and lower waisted, flat fronts and pleats, cuffs and straight. But the classic look remains basically unchanged for good reason: it just looks good.
