John Bridges - A Gentleman Gets Dressed Up: What to Wear, When to Wear It, How to Wear It

A
GENTLEMAN
GETS
DRESSED UP

A
GENTLEMAN
GETS
DRESSED UP

REVISED AND EXPANDED

WHAT TO WEAR, WHEN TO WEAR IT,
AND HOW TO WEAR IT

JOHN BRIDGES
AND BRYAN CURTIS

2003, 2011 by John Bridges and Bryan Curtis.

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without prior permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

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ISBN: 978-1-4016-0471-4 (repack)

The Library of Congress has cataloged the earlier edition as follows:

Bridges, John, 1950
A gentleman gets dressed up : what to wear, when to wear it, how to wear it / John Bridges and Bryan Curtis.
p. cm.
ISBN: 978-1-4016-0111-9 (hardcover)
ISBN: 978-1-4016-0126-3 (leather edition)
1. Mens clothing. 2. Mens furnishing goods. I. Curtis, Bryan, 1960 II. Title.
GT1710.B75 2003
391.1dc21

2003010206

Printed in the United States of America
12 13 14 15 16 WOR 6 5 4 3 2 1

For Sally Levine, who has little, if
any, time for stuffed shirts
J. B.

For Mindy Henderson and Staci
Joyce, for years of compliments
and friendship
B. C.

OTHER GENTLEMANNERS BOOKS

How to Be a Gentleman
John Bridges

A Gentleman Entertains
John Bridges and Bryan Curtis

As a Gentleman Would Say
John Bridges and Bryan Curtis

As a Lady Would Say
Sheryl Shade

How to Be a Lady
Candace Simpson-Giles

How to Raise a Lady
Kay West

How to Raise a Gentleman
Kay West

Toasts and Tributes
John Bridges and Bryan Curtis

50 Things Every Young Gentleman Should Know
John Bridges and Bryan Curtis

50 Things Every Young Lady Should Know
Kay West

A Gentleman Walks Down the Aisle
John Bridges and Bryan Curtis

A Lady at the Table
Sheryl Shade with John Bridges

A Gentleman at the Table
John Bridges and Bryan Curtis

A Gentleman Abroad
John Bridges and Bryan Curtis

CONTENTS

ix

I f a gentleman is wise, he is grateful there are rules about a few things in life. He is particularly grateful that some of those rules apply to what he may wear or may not wear when he is lucky enough to be included in lifes special occasions. Even the most seasoned gentleman may find himself thinking twice before he begins to dress. Being a gentleman, he has no desire to stand out in the crowdeven if the crowd is a festive one, like the revelers at a black-tie ball, and especially if the gathering is a somber one, such as the funeral of a coworker. The gentleman desires simply to dress appropriately for the occasionbe it high-spirited and convivial or dignified and ceremonial.

A gentleman takes care that he looks his best and dresses his bestevery day, since he never knows when he will meet his next major client or the love of his life. He understands that good groominglike any other aspect of the gentlemanly lifeis not a matter of money. He does not have to run up the balances on his credit cards just to keep his shoes neatly shined, his sports coat brushed, and his hair neatly trimmed. Even if his wardrobe is limited, he knows that as long as it is carefully selected and well cared for, it can take him and he can take itto lifes most challenging occasions. He can be confident that as long as his closet contains a few staples, he is ready to dress and head out the door at a moments notice.

But even if he gives little thought to his appearance from day to day, even if the dress code at his office is casual, and even if he has no intention of accepting an invitation to anybodys black-tie party, every gentleman knows that the moment will come when he must pay attention to which shirt he puts on his back, which jacket he dons on top of it, and perhaps even which tie he knots around his neck. This book provides detailed guidance to help the gentleman face each of lifes sartorial challengeswhether it is his college roommates wedding, a cookout with friends from the office, or his own high-pressured interview for a new job.

With these guidelines, even a gentleman who has been branded an inveterate slob can transform himself, at least on select occasions, into the tasteful, well-mannered fellow nature intended him to be. At such moments, in fact, he may surprise himself as to how good it feels to look his best. He may even decide to make it a habit, transforming each of lifes occasions somehow into a special one.

That, after all, is part of his ultimate job as a gentleman. When it comes to getting dressed, it is not a gentlemans goal to call attention to his tailoring. He is confident that his intelligence, his resourcefulness, his hearty handshake, and his ready smile set him apart from all others. His clothes, he knows, are merely there to help him along.

This book is there to help him too.

A well-dressed gentleman knows
that, once he has left a party, it is not
his clothes that will be remembered.
Instead, his friends, new and old, will
comment on the pleasure of his company
and the charm of his conversation.
Being a gentleman, those qualities are
the essentials of his everyday wardrobe,
no matter which suit he pulls out of
the closet, no matter which necktie he
chooses to go with his shirt.

xii

A gentleman acknowledges and respects
lifes varying dress codes, but even
more, he respects himself.

A gentleman knows that it is he who has
been invited to the party, not his suit.

A gentleman knows that dressing up
may require going to great pains, but
he knows that, ultimately, the pain will
be forgotten in the fun.

A gentleman knows that looking
comfortable is far more important than
looking stylish. After all, style, without
comfort, is impossible.

A gentleman understands the
importance of first impressions.
A gentleman knows that, for good or ill,
he may be making a first impression any
time he walks into a room.

A gentleman knows that clothes do not
make the man. But he knows that, when
making a first impression, his wardrobe
may speak louder than his actions
perhaps even louder than his words.