Classic Cuts

CARY GRANT, Fred Astaire, the Duke of Windsor. The names of these men evoke images of style and grace-and of infinitely good taste. They exuded Old World charm, and at the same time, provided a model for sophisticated and chic dressing the world over. Collectively and singularly, they created and shared the charisma of an era gone by.

Their influence on the world of menswear can never be adequately measured. To date, there have been no successors to them in the public eye. Today’s arbiters of style are more likely to be in the boardroom than on Broadway or the silver screen or the royal throne. The current generation of celebrities is woefully lacking in the art of dressing. After all, says noted menswear designer Alan Flusser, dressing is an art form that is passed down, and for at least a generation, there has been no interest in preserving a stylish heritage. Flusser makes two exceptions among current trendsetters: George Hamilton and Bill Blass, he says, are good examples of stylish dressers who can have an impact on the way American men dress.

Flusser, in town recently to promote his new sportswear line at JCPenney’s, wants to halt the decline of stylish dressing. He’s fighting back with a new book, Clothes and the Man, which brings menswear into the 20th century and clears up a lot of misconceptions along the way, “To be fashionably dressed,” he says, “is not the same as following fashion trends.” A “fashion victim,” he says, is one who buys all the latest fashions but doesn’t know how to put them together. Style, Flusser maintains, is a synthesis of knowing the basics and learning to wear them well.

Clothes and the Man is an encyclopedia of the basics, from the number of proper collars to the proper color of wing-tip shoes. Predominately conservative, the book underscores the basic tenets of menswear, says Flusser: “Men’s clothes are on the subtle side. Dressing well is all a matter of detail. Dressing is always a matter of economics, and buying menswear is an investment. Make quality investments that will stand the test of time.”

At JCPenney’s, Flusser believes that he has a great opportunity to bring quality sportswear to a mainstream audience, and through the exposure, help educate people to the art of dressing well. “You don’t have to be wealthy to dress well,” he says. “It might help,” he concedes, “but it’s not necessary.”