From the bestselling, iconic author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil comes an irreverent and essential style guide—from boxers to button downs, turtlenecks to tuxedos
For more than a decade, beloved author John Berendt wrote a series of smart, sophisticated columns for Esquire on matters of manners and men's clothing. Class Act brings together over fifty of these updated and revised pieces, as well as two new additions, each focusing on a particular item of iconic men’s fashion. Whether interviewing the Duchess of Argyll about her family connection to a certain pair of socks ("When she came to the telephone, the Duchess of Argyll made it clear by the resoluteness of her replay that she had been asked about argyle socks before..."), educating the reader on the virtues of French cuffs, or identifying the definitive motorcyle jacket and how to wear it (Marlon Brando in The Wild One), Berendt informs and entertains in equal measure.
Full of surprising facts, unforgettable characters, and amusing anecdotes, this collection of snappy, elegant essays is fully illustrated and as stylish as its subject matter. Part cultural history, part handbook, Class Act serves as a reminder that the clothing we wear is not simply fabric, but a reflection of our character... and sometimes our sheer audacity. A wildly entertaining ride through men's style and its place in our collective imagination, Class Act makes a strong case that taste and wit will never go out of fashion.
John Berendt was born in New York in 1939 and graduated from Harvard University in 1961. While at Harvard, he was on the editorial board of the Harvard Lampoon. From 1961 to 1969, he was an associate editor at Esquire and later wrote for David Frost and Dick Cavett. Berendt served as editor of New York magazine from 1977 to 1979 and wrote a monthly column for Esquire from 1982 to 1994. Berendt is the author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, which was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, and The City of Falling Angels, a #1 New York Times bestseller.
View titles by John Berendt
From the bestselling, iconic author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil comes an irreverent and essential style guide—from boxers to button downs, turtlenecks to tuxedos
For more than a decade, beloved author John Berendt wrote a series of smart, sophisticated columns for Esquire on matters of manners and men's clothing. Class Act brings together over fifty of these updated and revised pieces, as well as two new additions, each focusing on a particular item of iconic men’s fashion. Whether interviewing the Duchess of Argyll about her family connection to a certain pair of socks ("When she came to the telephone, the Duchess of Argyll made it clear by the resoluteness of her replay that she had been asked about argyle socks before..."), educating the reader on the virtues of French cuffs, or identifying the definitive motorcyle jacket and how to wear it (Marlon Brando in The Wild One), Berendt informs and entertains in equal measure.
Full of surprising facts, unforgettable characters, and amusing anecdotes, this collection of snappy, elegant essays is fully illustrated and as stylish as its subject matter. Part cultural history, part handbook, Class Act serves as a reminder that the clothing we wear is not simply fabric, but a reflection of our character... and sometimes our sheer audacity. A wildly entertaining ride through men's style and its place in our collective imagination, Class Act makes a strong case that taste and wit will never go out of fashion.
Author
John Berendt was born in New York in 1939 and graduated from Harvard University in 1961. While at Harvard, he was on the editorial board of the Harvard Lampoon. From 1961 to 1969, he was an associate editor at Esquire and later wrote for David Frost and Dick Cavett. Berendt served as editor of New York magazine from 1977 to 1979 and wrote a monthly column for Esquire from 1982 to 1994. Berendt is the author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, which was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, and The City of Falling Angels, a #1 New York Times bestseller.
View titles by John Berendt
