BOOK REVIEW: THE PHILOSOPHY OF STYLE BY CHRISTIAN CHENSVOLD

by Karen Alberg Grossman Oct 19, 2023

In this fascinating tome, author and historian Christian Chensvold examines men’s fashion from a unique perspective. Many before him have argued that clothing is a reflection of personality and/or culture; Chensvold takes it a step or two further, offering insights into fashion history and practical tidbits to ponder and inspire.

In his preface, Alan Flusser, designer and author of Clothes and the Man (considered by many the quintessential guide to male dressing), attributes the gradual demise of well-dressed men to many factors, including “the long-term absence of legitimately styled public role models, designer fashion still hostage to the laws of premature obsolescence, and undereducated sales staffs.”

Chensvold, also the founder of Ivy-Style.com and Dandyism.net, describes this book as “a semi-autobiographical account of where the path eventually leads for a thinking man interested in fashion and writing.” He goes on to confide that “As a young man, clothing helped me understand that my soul belonged to another era, one more congenial to art, style, spirit and the charms of civilized life.” Another confession: “As the son of an astrologer, I was raised knowing the stars had given me a predilection for my appearance, and even during my most rebellious teenage years, I was mocked for my sense of neatness and order. Clothes still fascinate me, since in a mysterious way they do indeed make the man, as William Shakespeare and Alan Flusser put it. And make him, I’d add, into whatever his soul wishes to be.”

My copy of the book is totally marked up with underlining and scribbles. Here, a few of my favorites:

  • Chapter 1 opens with a tribute to Charlie Davidson, a wonderful merchant who founded the Andover Shop in Harvard Square in 1949 after a stint at J.Press. (Editor’s note: Charlie died in 2019 at age 93; I’m proud to say he was my friend.) Charlie believed that “the customer often knows more about style and taste than the merchant” and that what stands out in a well-dressed man is not the clothes but the whole picture, “from his haircut to his shoelaces.”
  • “Since the time of Martin Luther, Protestant nations of the Western world have been known for a somber palette compared to the scarlet and purple of their Catholic neighbors. Perhaps this repressed sense of color ironically accounts for the riotous display of blinding pastels that characterize the preppy look of the WASP…”
  • “Dandyism is often a mask concealing scowls and frowns. The poet Charles Baudelaire attempted to give Dandyism a heroic quality, viewing it as a way of imposing order and beauty upon a chaotic and ugly world, which suggests that Dandyism may be more relevant today than ever.”
  • “The Art Deco period produced a number of elegant men for whom life itself continued to be the greatest work of art. One of the most celebrated was the Duke of Windsor, who practiced the dandy quality of sartorial innovation within the bounds of good taste. He popularized suede dress shoes and is credited with having invented the backless tuxedo vest. He also invented a new way of tying a necktie, aptly referred to as the Windsor knot.”
  • In a chapter entitled Discourses on Dressing, Chensvold backs up a theory that it takes 10,000 hours to master the art of dressing well (or to master the art of anything, for that matter). “While certain men may be born with the kind of physique and charisma for which great clothes make the perfect pedestal, they still have to practice dressing. All told, with an hour a day of sartorial observation, consciously or not, a man would reach 10,000 hours of sartorial practice at age 45…We may not run as fast or jump as high as we did when we were younger, but it’s comforting to know that with age comes not only wisdom but greater elegance.”
  • “Sophisticated dressers know that ‘nice suit’ is a backhanded compliment. What you really want to hear is ‘You look great.’ If a suit—or a fuchsia tie, for that matter—draws attention to itself, then your outfit has failed. Your clothes should make you look good and not vice versa.”
  • “A stylish man can pull off anything provided he feels at ease in it.”

For more of Chensvold’s insights on style, read this delightful book, available on Amazon.com.