Rating: 
Summary: Good volume with minor flaws
Review: This book gives you a fairly exhausting walk through of a modern gentleman's appearance. Physical that is. Now, as we all can imagine, serious gentleman lore comes from England. However the author is clearly not from the UK, I imagine he is German.This does the book a lot of refreshing good. I believe we have 2 major schools of thought and style, when it comes to dressing a gentleman today. The days where you could hardheadedly insist that there exist no other fine tailoring than British are over. You have to relate to, and understand the Italian fashion tradition as well. Clearly it has proven its value by now. Something like that is not addressed in for example A Gentleman's Wardrobe - Classic Clothes for the Modern Man. I believe that the author not being from the UK has given him this clarity of vision. However. Being well dressed at any occassion is only a small part of a gentleman's characteristics. That is why I hate to see the author dismiss many of the fundamental little tid bits that make up a gentleman in this text. I believe that takes a truly English nature to fully comprehend these and their importance in the middle of bowties and brogues. That is a shame. I could for example refer to the umbrella (a gentleman will wear an umbrella but NEVER open it!), which is pushed aside as ancient nonsense! Take the interesting walk-through of the personal grooming and clothes, and leave most of the advice on behaviour. That is better found elsewhere, if your goal is to call yourself a true gentleman.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the Best Books on Men's Clothing in A Very Long Time
Review: This book is really very comprehensive! An excellent value considering the information in here as well as the fact that it is very richly illustrated. It has very good detail on sartorial esoterica such as formal wear. This really is one of the best books I've ever seen on the subject. Better than any book by Flusser - although this book is more along the lines of Clothes and the Man than it is to Style and the Man (both by Flusser. The book covers a range of items from brushes, and razors, to suits and shirts - the books is a fairly entertaining book with a coffee table book feel and layout.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful book with some minor flaws
Review: This book is what the Chic Simple book on men's clothing aspires to be. It contains a veritable treasure trove of instructive pictures and good information about just about every aspect of men's clothing and men's style. The text is generally well-written, and I found the book to be utterly engrossing. Although it will not be particularly helpful as a practical reference for the vast majority of readers who cannot have suits and shirts custom-made, a number of the points it makes about clothing quality and style should be read by anyone buying a suit, even if he can only afford a $400 one. Good as this book is, it is not without some shortcomings. First of all, the author has a decidedly British outlook. Italian and American tailors and shirtmakers get short shrift, the Americans disturbingly so. There is more to American fine clothing than Brooks Brothers (Robert Talbott, Oxxford Clothes, and Hickey-Freeman can hold their own with anything off the rack from Britain, to say nothing of American custom makers such as Alexander Kabbaz), but you wouldn't know it from reading this book. Given that the author is German, it really isn't that surprising that he's Anglocentric in his clothing ideas, but he could at least acknowledge that the United States does have something to offer. Secondly, there are times (especially in his description of the shoe-making process) when the author's prose becomes muddled and hard to understand. This may be because of the inherent arcanity of the subject, but it still is unfortunate. All in all, however, this is an excellent book. While it does not eclipse Alan Flusser's books, it is their equal is many respects and their superior in many more. Despite whatever minor shortcomings it may have, I recommend it whole-heartedly to anyone who has any interest in men's clothing whatsoever.
Rating:
Summary: All you ever wanted to know...but were afraid to ask!
Review: This book really caught my attention as the attention to detail is fantastic. A whole illustrated section on the pleasures of smoking is refreshingly un-PC and is simply a part of an enveloping guide to the 'timeless fashion' as promised in the title. The author can sometimes wax lyrical over the most idiotic points - such as the description of the first visit to the barber as a child, but even this can be forgiven if read in the context of living one's life as a 'gentleman'. The comprehensive guide to tailors, hatmakers, brands, cobblers, etc has a distinct leaning towards London firms, although classic American and Italian names are given which gives a cosmopolitan edge to it. However, this will not be of much use to those readers living in Russia, Asia, Africa, etc to whom these brands may not be readily available. In all, this is a fascinating book. Glossy and informative, perhaps slightly whimsical but not ridiculously so. Couple this book with the latest Debretts guide to ettiquette and you are ready for anything!
Rating:
Summary: A Must for a real Gentlemen !!!
Review: This book will tell you where to find the best in suits, shirts and shoes and will save you years of experimentation which will eventually lead you to the same conclusions as the author. Even if you are not interested in paying $3500 for your next suit or $3000 for a pair of hand made shoes from John Lobb's of London this book is worth every cent you pay for it. It is well prepared and holds a wealth of interesting information.
Rating: 
Summary: A Very Pretty Coffee Table Book on Men's Dress and Grooming
Review: This is a general survey of a man's wardrobe - a fine quality wardrobe. Roetzel devotes a chapter to each item of clothing. He also writes about grooming, including photos of a shampoo and a haircut at one of London's finest barbers.
The text concentrates on English clothing. Features include a custom made suit from Savile Row tailor Gieves & Hawkes and a list of six of London's best shirtmakers.
Limited attention goes to Italian tailors and shirtmakers. A one-page map of Italy shows where some of the finer Italian tailors are located.
In its mentions of America, also limited, the most notable are Alden Shoes and Brooks Brothers, the traditional menswear firm established in 1818.
"Gentleman" is a pretty book - the pictures have been beautifully taken - and it is simple and easy to read.
Some of the information, however, is inaccurate. Today's American college students do not wear saddle shoes. It's safe to say they haven't since the late 1960's. Noted London shirtmaker Turnbull and Asser was founded in 1885, not 1904.
Enjoy, but read with a careful eye.
Rating:
Summary: A good start for the well-dressed man
Review: This is a good book for the man who cares about how he looks, but read with a grain of salt. Roetzel does an excellent job on everything from tips to the history of topics ranging from colognes to evening wear. The background on every subject is very in-depth and interesting. However, the opinions belong more in a magazine, like GQ, not in a book. For example, does Hermes really make the best ties? Is Brooks Brother the best American shirt-maker? And a few topics, such as saddle shoes and smoking jackets, would be irrelevant to 99.9% of the male population, including readers of this book. In the end, the author's opinions aside, the book is a terrific guide to the style that makes a man a gentleman.
Rating:
Summary: Good for what to wear
Review: This is a very detailed book on clothes and accessories for men. It concentrates on traditional American and English styles with some mention of other styles such as Italian. This is not a book for those interested in the latest fashions. The book has many good photographs showing details such as how a properly tailor suit jacket sleeve, collar, etc. should look like and what it should not look like. This is very useful information when trying out a suit and the salesperson keeps saying you look marvelous even though the sleeve is too long and the suit bunches up under the collar in the back. The amount of detailed information with good accompanying photographs is this book's best point. The list of accessories covered (shoes, umbrellas, canes, cigars, watches, etc.) is quite huge. One can question the utility of discussing the correct walking cane to go with a tuxedo but if you need this information, it is here. The book is rather non-judgemental in that it does not advocate American style over English style over Italian style. It simply gives the details of the various styles so you properly adhere to the style you chose. If you did not grow up in a household where this information is imparted by your valet, this is a good book to get if you need to ever dress as a gentleman should dress.
Rating:
Summary: Gentleman: A timeless fashion
Review: This is by far the best book I ever read about male fashion. It is true that it dwells almost exclusively on British tailors and shoemakers, but the truth of the matter is that they are simply the best. If you can afford a shirt from Pink or turnbull and asser, or pair of shoes from Church's or alfred sargent, you will be catapulted to the circle of the exclusive. I strongly recommend this book to every gentleman seriosuly interested in improving his wardrobe and image, with no hesitation.
Rating:
Summary: That English Style!
Review: This single magnificent volume speaks "volumes" on the super English style. He covers what is important and leaves out what isn't.
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