This non-intimidating, one-stop guide pushes aside the curtain marked "for men only" to explore the world of men's time-honored fashion.

Dressing the Man You Love: A Woman’s Guide to Purchasing, Coordinating, and Caring for His Classic Wardrobe

Betsy Durkin Matthes
Peter’s Pride Publishing (2006)
ISBN 0977387836
Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (4/06)


Yves Saint Laurent once said “Fashions fade, style is eternal.” Betsy Durkin Matthes, in her book “Dressing the Man You Love” gives age-old advice on dressing the man in style, not in fashion. Her concise and all- encompassing book covers every aspect from planning, to styles, to fabrics, to accessories. There isn’t one aspect that Matthes left out.

The book starts out with a quiz to help the reader evaluate her knowledge of men’s attire. Once the evaluation is completed, Matthes provides a step- by-step process. The first process is “Getting to Know Him.” In this section she helps the reader assess the right clothing choices based on height, weight and coloring. The next section is “Proper Prior Planning.” Here Matthes recommends going through the entire closet and eliminating the clothing that doesn’t fit into the “right” clothing scheme.

“The Consummate Menswear Consumer” is the next section of the book. Matthes articulates in much detail on various styles of suits including collars, pockets, vents, and buttons as well as the trousers. She also points out the various fabrics, colors, and patterns. Continuing in this section, Matthes covers vests, shirts, ties, and socks while factoring in styles, colors, and patterns. She not only covers business attire but also suggests clothing for casual Friday.

Winding up this comprehensive book, Matthes covers issues concerning hanging, pressing, dry cleaning, repairs, and storage. She also gives a suggestion of how many pieces of each shirt, pants, socks, etc. the man should have. Matthes includes a glossary, bibliography, and an index making it easy to find information quickly.

Matthes’ shares many successful methods that help the man change his image based on his build and skin coloring. Men have every right to show concern for their outward appearance and it must be done with purpose and meaning. Matthes presents a simple, practical, and educational book of workable, functional clothing suggestions as well as dressing tips to help the man look the best he can possibly look.

Although “Dressing the Man You Love” was written for the woman, it is a definite must for any man that desires to be well dressed and in style. I wish I had this book when I was conducting classes for men on clothing selection and style. It would have been a great resource and workbook to have.