A collection of the most desired, envied, and debonair men in history. From the frock coats of Gainsborough's portraits to city workers' two-piece suits, men and their fashion have made a vital contribution to our collective notion of style. One of France's leading fashion and style specialists, author François Baudot juxtaposes paintings and photographs of famous and lesser-known figures dating back almost 200 years, embodying centuries of elegance and style.
In scholarly words and stunning, mostly black-and-white photographs, stylemeister François Baudot uses the coffee-table book format to pose an important fashion question: How in the world did the vain modern male give up colorful clothing? As he puts it, "How is it that those 17th century birds of paradise ... turned themselves into jet-black crows?" Baudot says it was the Sun King's fault. Louis XIV, mad for frills and flounces, made everybody who was anybody in France circa 1650 wear billowing shirts with lacy sleeves, plu The Allure Of Men read book online now.
