"I cannot live without books." -- Thomas Jefferson

Sunday, November 27, 2011

"Why A Man Should Be Well-Dressed" by Adolf Loos


This book is not only about men's attire, but also the Vienna mindset from the author and great visionary architect Adolf Loos.  The structure of Austria's class system has a lot to do with how people dressed during the turn of the 19th into the 20th Century.  What's charming (and this book is nothing but charming) is Loos' writing style which seems to be geared for the fashion magazine of its time.   One thing that comes through is that Loos knows his landscape, and he knows how that landscape should look - so its natural for an architect to be also interested in clothing, because clothing is another form of architecture.   So what's fascinating about this book is not the subject matter itself, but how such an interesting man, a great designer, looks at the world of fashion and fabric.  And yes, a must for the dandy's book collection, without a doubt!

Adolf Loos

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