Uncommon Topics on Menswear - Paperback

by Ivan M. C. Chen Ph. D. (Author)

Contemporary men's clothing lacks variety. Many men are unsatisfied with the uniform look of their clothing and are craving uncommon ways to dress differently. But, they often use the wrong or unnecessary approaches in an attempt to reach their goals. Some men like to show off unusual tie knots such as Merovingian and Eldredge, which they learned from the Internet. The knots are created by wrapping the small end around the tie apron (or blade). The knots are dangerous because the wearer can be choked instantly if the tie apron is pulled. Many men also have wrong or ill-advised concepts or beliefs about men's clothing. They mistakenly or unwisely think that a round face should be complemented with a point collar, a spread collar requires a large tie knot, socks should relate to either the shoes or the pants, and a pocketsquare should match the tie, and so on. Misconceptions and malpractices exist or pervade because few authorities are willing or able to discuss the problems and offer rational and effective solutions. This book covers a number of topics, which are not commonly discussed in contemporary literature. The author has sold men's clothing for more than twenty years to hundreds of thousands of customers in person. He offers many of his unique keen insights in this book. He explains the advantages and disadvantages of the spread and button-down collar better than any other author. He also emphasizes the importance of mass balance in determining the proper length of a suit jacket. No other author ever suggests that a man should wear different sleeve lengths for barrel cuff and French cuff shirts. Readers will find the discussions not only amusing but also practical.

Author Biography

Ivan Chen graduated in 1977 from Ming-Chi Institute of Technology, which is a member of the Formosa Plastics Group in Taiwan. He earned an MBA from the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania in 1985 and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1991. Chen strives for perfection on everything he does. He studies constantly and becomes an expert on whatever he does. He has been able to share his expertise through publications in various professions. He wrote a manuscript, entitled The Psychology of Soldiers, while he served in the Marine Corps in Taiwan. The manuscript was recommended by the Ministry of Defense to join the Seventh Military Sciences Golden Statue Award Contest in Taiwan. After serving hundreds of thousands of customers in retail for more than twenty years, Chen has gained invaluable expertise in menswear. With his multi-disciplinary educational background, experience in cloth industry, and his exceptional reasoning capacity, Chen has been able to understand and explain many phenomena in men's clothing better than any fashion expert. Many experts contend that there are about 100 methods to tie a tie, but no one knows which method is preferable. Chen is perhaps one of the few people in the world who can arch out a tie without the support of a collar pin, a collar tab, or a vest. Experts suggest that spread collars are more elegant than point collars or button-down collars, and cuffed pants are dressier than non-cuffed pants, but no one can explain why. Experts also mistakenly claim that fabrics made of 2-ply yarns are better in quality than fabrics made of single-ply yarns. Chen often provides surprising, yet convincing explanations. Many of his answers are thought provoking and are contrary to common beliefs. According to Chen, buying the wrong clothes is a major reason that today's men dress poorly. Consumers are overwhelmed by the huge selections of clothes items; they have no idea about what they should look for once they enter into a clothing store or shop on line. Contemporary publications are ineffective in helping consumers dress well because the publications do not teach consumers how to buy the right products. Unlike other books that describe every variety of men's clothing items but cannot tell consumers which variety is preferable, Dr. Chen's books enlighten consumers what to buy and how to wear men's clothing.