Sharp Suits

Book excerpt: Clothes maketh the man--discover the fascinating history and evolution of the modern suit from the late 17th century to date. "A fascinating, richly illustrated history of suits." -- Esquire magazine "Few coffee-table books are so beautifully illustrated or as researched." -- GQ magazine For millions of men across the world the common denominator that identifies them is the suit. From eighteenth-century bespoke to the mass industrialization of the 20th-century, we see how the uniform of the ruling classes became the utilitarian outfit of the worker. A series of thematic chapters illustrates how the universal staple of a man's wardrobe can play many different roles and, chameleon-like, can mean different things in different situations. From the Duke of Windsor to The Thin White Duke, David Bowie, from James Brown to "The Godfather," movie stars, rock stars, heroes and villains, philanthropists, presidents, and gangsters have dressed to impress in a matching jacket and trousers, and have found that a suit will suit them very well.