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<\/a><\/p>\nI am a product of the New York City education system, both public and private.\u00a0I have a Bachelors of Arts (B.A.) degree in English literature from Brooklyn College of the City University of New York.\u00a0My law degree is a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Brooklyn Law School.\u00a0My wife, Minna, also loves clothes, especially Chanel and Hermes. However, the female enthusiasm is directed at design and style.\u00a0 Everything that she has is ready to wear. Custom holds no magic for her. The same holds for her friends. The female of the species has different sartorial aims and interests.\u00a0Ironically, although she buys more clothes than me, her costs are less since she buys at sales and at resale shops.\u00a0Therefore, my wife is somewhat tolerant of my clothing interests.\u00a0My children and grandchildren have no interest in clothes. They have other interests and pressures of daily life.<\/p>\n
I guess that I have had the “solo business gene” in me. My father had his own accounting firm. I had a steak of independence, and I had to have my own firm.\u00a0I have been blessed with success, and I have been acknowledged a leader in my field by my peers. For example, I am listed as a “Super Lawyer” (see\u00a0www.superlawyers.com<\/a>). I am a life member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum which limits its membership to lawyers\u00a0with $1,000,000 plus settlements and verdicts (see\u00a0www.milliondollaradvocates.com<\/a> My parents liked to dress well.\u00a0 I would say that my mother placed an inordinate amount of importance on dress and outward appearance.\u00a0 She would comment endlessly about how some professional or other prominent person was dressed poorly or inappropriately.\u00a0My father liked to dress well and neatly. He\u00a0is a certified public accountant. He is still around at the spry age of 95!\u00a0I recall going with him in the 1960’s and 1970’s\u00a0to his clothier on the Lower East Side in Manhattan. It was located in what is now Chinatown on East Broadway in the shadow of the Manhattan Bridge. My father never shopped at the “fancy” stores uptown, such as Brooks Brothers. The uptown stores were perceived as too expensive (ironically, Barneys New York started as a reasonably priced “downtown store.”) Also, my father came from the Lower East Side which had an excellent clothing and tailoring culture\u00a0from the “old country.” That tradition no longer exists as their sons and daughters\u00a0have become doctors, investment bankers, lawyers, professors, etc.<\/p>\n Although my parents liked clothing, as they aged their interest diminshed. I think that one factor was the increased cost of clothing. They were children of the depression, and they could not fathom the present\u00a0 cost. Another factor is that as one ages one’s priorities gets shifted away from vanity.\u00a0In the college years I turned to classic clothing. Ironically, I was helped by the then current mens fashion. When I graduated college in 1976 there was a revival of the three piece suit, and it continued to when I graduated law school and started working as a lawyer in 1979. Three piece suits were regularly carried in RTW.\u00a0Since I entered a conservative profession, classic clothing was natural. I first worked for a judge, and then I spent about 6 years with an insurance defense law firm. Casual dress did not exist. It was suit and tie every day.<\/p>\n [For my knowledge] the most important resource was Alan Flusser’s books.\u00a0 Eventually, I was fortunate to be one of his customers. I would say that Alan Flusser has been the seminal teacher of classic style to young Americans.\u00a0Another training ground was my upbringing. A coat and tie was not foreign to me and my contemporaries.\u00a0Another resource\u00a0was old films of the 1930’s to 1950’s.\u00a0My own style of dress is conservative businessman. I used to be a little more flamboyant, such as bolder striped suits during my Flusser years. But now, my style is more muted. In time I have adhered to Beau Brummell’s dictim that if you\u00a0turn heads\u00a0you\u00a0are not well dressed.<\/p>\n I basically wear bespoke or custom since I find RTW difficult. I have bought from many stores and makers. I have even purchased some accessories from eBay. Incidentally, I must have one of the largest collection of Hermes pochettes (pocket squares) in existence. It numbers in the hundreds.\u00a0One problem with New York is that there are too many\u00a0great\u00a0stores and makers, including the regular visitors from abroad. There are many terrific clothiers that I have not used because I am “full-up” on clothing.<\/p>\n 1.\u00a0\u00a0Oxxford Clothes. It is hands down the best factory made suit in the world. I buy at its\u00a0New York store which is is its only retail store.\u00a0 Therefore, the store has a direct “pipeline” to the factory in Chicago. There are fewer chances for mistakes or miscommunications.\u00a0I have my clothes\u00a0made to measure. My pattern has been adapted and changed many times so that it is virtually a bespoke product.\u00a0I have had all types of garments made including all kinds of suits, sportscoats, slacks, and topcoats. I have had everything made from conservative business suits to more flashy sportscoats with casual detailing (e.g., belted backs, shiring, etc.).\u00a0In sum, Oxxford is my preferred choice all around for fit, service, and finish.<\/p>\n Snapshot Impression:\u00a0Its coat is soft and molds to the body. You forget that you are wearing a suit.<\/p>\n 2. Davies & Son. Alan Bennett is my London bespoke tailor who\u00a0visits New York City\u00a0(four times a year).\u00a0Davies’s\u00a0work is\u00a0impeccable.\u00a0In Mr. Bennett’s own words, Davies is a conservative English tailor. They make clothes that are built to last. I have\u00a0pieces that I have worn regularly which are 10 years old. They are still going strong.\u00a0Alan Bennett was recommended to me by two great dressers who\u00a0are in mens retail. Although they could have purchased their suits\u00a0from their own stores at a substantial discount, they chose\u00a0Davies. This was a great endorsement.\u00a0 Also, both of these friends like to boast that some of their Davies suits are 15-20 years old.\u00a0Davies has made for me suits, sportscoats, and trousers.<\/p>\n Snapshot Impression:\u00a0Mr. Bennett has been\u00a0titled “The Protector of Row”, i.e., he is the guardian of its traditions,\u00a0craft, and excellence. If you want\u00a0Savile Row, go to Mr. Bennett.<\/p>\n 3. Martin Greenfield Clothiers. It is New York City’s\u00a0major mens clothing factory. It makes Golden Fleece RTW and MTM for Brooks Brothers and J. Press MTM.\u00a0Greenfield makes an excellent suit. I had tons of Greenfield from Brooks Brothers MTM and RTW.\u00a0Martin Greenfield is not only one of the great\u00a0clothing manufacturers, but he is also a great person. He is a Holocaust survivor. He has a cadre of loyal, celebrated customers who delight to be served by him. He is\u00a0ably assisted by his two sons.<\/p>\n 4. Alan Flusser Custom Shop. I thank Alan Flusser for introducing me to the world of custom and classic clothes.\u00a0I was a customer at\u00a0his prior boutique in Saks Fifth Avenue as well as its present, free-standing shop.\u00a0 His signature look is the double breasted suit.<\/p>\n 5. Turnbull & Asser. Still the masters of shirts and accessories. Rob Gillotte is in charge of its bespoke department in New York City. If money were no issue, I would buy all my shirts there. Shirt heaven.<\/p>\n 6. Brooks Brothers. I used to be a more regular customer for its tailored clothing, but I still return for its MTM shirts with Tom Davis. Its MTM shirts are\u00a0an excellent\u00a0value, especially the oxford cloth shirts in Brooks’s exclusive oxford.<\/p>\n 7.\u00a0Bruce Cameron Clark. Bruce is a singular stylist and a great character. He used to be the shirt maker at Tommy Nutter. His signature look is tall and lean.<\/p>\n I discovered this online world [of style forums] through a New York Times article centered on Ask Andy About Clothes. It just grew from there.\u00a0I have\u00a0met some of the people from the fora, and they have\u00a0become friends.\u00a0The regular fashion press does not cover classic menswear to the same degree as the various fora.<\/p>\n My wife, Minna, and I collect posters from the Belle Epoque and World War I periods.\u00a0 I also have some\u00a0mens’ clothing posters, such as\u00a0Edward Penfield for Hart Shaffner & Marx and a James Montgomery Flagg poster for Lee Hats.\u00a0We are also active in the Jewish community and charities, such as the Hebrew Free Burial Association; The Museum of Jewish Heritage, A Living Memorial to the Holocaust; and the Sanz-Laniado Medical Center.<\/p>\n 3. Dress in conformity with your life style, occupation, and social surroundings.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/a><\/div>\n