MUSINGs
When showing one of our alternative jackets, the first thing we are always asked is “So what do I wear this with?” It's really pretty simple.
This Fall we are pleased to offer a new range of luxurious knitted fabrics in pure cashmere and cashmere/silk blends.
During a recent Dallas trunk show, Jonathan sat down with our friend Kirby Allison to chat about the goings-on of the shop and how we’re thinking about tailored clothing these days.
It’s with a mixture of nostalgia and anticipation I announce my retirement from the Alan Flusser Custom Shop.
A kind of navy blazer of sport shirts. It’s hard to imagine how the combination of color and texture could be improved upon.
As our typical approach of making up sample garments and photographing them for a seasonal lookbook was disrupted, we’re excited to share our illustrated rendition of the garments we want to be wearing this Summer.
When made in the right cloth, a warm-weather suit can be a supremely versatile garment that offers a host of styling opportunities for whatever comes your way in the Summer season.
The Polo coat is one of very few articles of apparel from menswear’s golden years that one hundred years later still populates the closets of the best-dressed men around the world. Whether vintage or new, custom or ready-made, this iconic mantle’s stylishness has long transcended time and place.
Jonathan and Tommy kick around Manhattan before heading off for a long weekend in Southampton.
The times continue to drive our sartorial explorations and routines, motivating our search for those “nexts” in the firm’s pantheon of tailoring staples
Alan gives his thoughts on what it would take to properly reconstruct the Brooks Brothers brand for the future.
Alan reflects on the tradition and satisfaction of man having a manicure.
A trove of films and series that have resonated with me over the past several months. Most tend to be documentary in nature as I love learning about one thing or another and especially about people who have done something memorable with their lives.
This summer, courtesy of last-minute minutia surrounding my book’s completion, I did not get to go off to my beloved southern Italy and France. Trying to find a French beach substitute, we landed on the Caribbean island of St. Barts.
Alan reflects on Roger Stone’s style, and considers why the clothes ofWall Street and of Mr. Stone himself have received such outsized media attention over the years.
Articles of Style founder Dan Trepanier captures Alan in his own words on the state of menswear, his own personal style, and how to improve as a dresser.
For me, wearing new combinations and colors, mixing different kinds of clothes, experimenting with various arrangements of layering will always be a working part of my sartorial DNA.
Alan reminisces about his friend and fellow sartorial conspirator, artist, and Gotham bon vivant.
A personal tour of Alan’s favorite Mediterranean vacation spots.
Alan’s reflections on the essential elements of quality in fine tailored clothing. This article originally appeared in Saks Fifth Avenue Menswear Magazine, 1998.
A personal tour of Alan’s favorite Mediterranean vacation spots.
Astaire compared dressing well to putting on a show: You have to rehearse it to get it right. Here are 25 men, 10 from the past, 15 from the present, who have gotten it right.
The shoulders define a jacket’s character more than any other element. Today’s preference is for a softy tailored, natural shoulder that fortunately has been our house-style for decades.
Highbrow formalwear rests on a few pivotal elements of classic proportion and style points.
A quick guide to the three main areas of considerations when choosing an ideal dress shirt collar.
A demonstration of how the scale of a tie’s pattern affects its overall dressiness.
A look at how different materials, weaves, and textures can change the effect of the famously versatile solid navy tie.
A introductory brief on elegant and effective dressing for lawyers.
Learn about the three factors that determine the relative dressiness of any given necktie: pattern, texture, and color.
Attorney and Flusser client Alan Behr recounts Alan’s musings on the 1930s golden age of American sartorialism, and the challenges of dressing well today.
Flusser client and attorney Alan Behr recounts Alan’s sartorial advice to the legal profession in this first article in a series for his Fashion Industry Law Blog.
While many people obsess over their waistlines, few of us give much thought to the trouser waistbands we gird about ourselves every day. It’s worth doing so at least once, as the waist is the site of so much sartorial possibility.
Alan and Steven Taffel of NYC's premier men's shoe store Leffot discuss how they pair shoes and clothing.
The late Woody Hochswender's key takeaways from Style and the Man -- Alan's 1996 guide to buying and wearing great men’s clothes.
A celebration of the most dynamic yet frequently overlooked color in a man's wardrobe.
The trend in men’s style over the last few hundred years has been towards less and less complexity, but every once in a while, one still gets an invitation that says, “black tie.” There’s a tendency to think of the black tie dress code as something rigidly fixed, but despite that, there’s still room for sometimes very varying ideas on what, exactly, is or is not okay for a gent to don at a black tie event...
When it comes to wedding day fashion, there's so much attention to paid to the dress. Fashion-wise, what's the guy's role in all of this? The groom’s role should not be driven by fashion but by the sartorial protocols associated with the wedding as a ceremony itself. The groom’s primary function is to present the bride, not compete with her.
Once by mirrors, tape measures and the like, most men relinquish questions of styling and fit to the wisdom of the store’s salesman or tailor. Years ago, when men’s fashions were less fickle and tailors were more studied in the manners of correct dress, this was a reasonable act of faith. Unfortunately,in all but the very fine stores,today’s tailor is simply another cog in the assembly line. He is anxious to get you out with as few alterations, and as little cost to the store, as possible.
Some days what you want to put on each morning is the perfect utilitarian pant that is easy to wear, keeps you cool, and still looks good at the end of the day, and this fits that bill.
The lightweight dark-shade denim shirt is highly under-appreciated in the bespoke realm. The particular beauty of a high quality denim dress shirt is the way it ages and changes character over time.
There is perhaps no necktie more beloved than an Italian silk grenadine. The navy model offers understated punctuation to pull together almost any outfit.
The cashmere and cotton blend elevates what was originally a worker’s cloth into something incredibly chic without compromising its unpretentious, knockabout charm.
A unique formal shirt that adds a bit of panache to traditionally understated attire.
What do we mean by a “blazer tie?” Simply a tie that looks especially good with a classic blue blazer, ideally echoing the unique dash of the garment itself.
For those who find pinstriped suits too aggressive and windowpane suits too dandified, this cloth’s deep plaid offers the opportunity to sport a pattern without getting upstaged by it.
A great blue blazer is everything modern tailoring should be: easy, elegant, and versatile. Here’s a look into our MTM blazer offering starting at $1,495.
Combining a jacket’s tailored shape with a sweater’s cozy drape, our lightweight cotton jersey knits have become a go-to casual piece.
A bouncy new blend takes seersucker to the next level of comfort with built-in stretch.
Lustrous, breathable, and virtually indestructible, mohair blends are Summer fabrics that we recommend to anyone wanting to stay crisp in the heat of summer or the crunch of travel.
We don’t often say this about clothing accessories, but given their 40-year age, perfect condition, quality of construction, and timeless woven design, these pocket squares are true collectibles.
Our current favorite blended Summer fabric was developed by one of Italy’s top mills, and features the crisp, dry look of linen, the drape of wool, the luster of silk, and the resilience of a touch of lycra.
We love seersucker. A puckery cloth traditionally woven of 100% cotton in white and pastel stripes, it’s an American hot-weather classic. Yet this is something completely different.
An introduction to a little sewing technique which gives odd trousers a little extra subtle flair.
Last week we introduced our remaining stock of Alan Flusser Exclusive suiting fabrics, created by Alan with Luciano Barbera and woven at the Carlo Barbera mill in Biella, Italy. Today we turn to the bolder patterns Alan created for his signature jacketings.
A special offer on the last remnants of Alan Flusser Exclusive suitings, woven expressly for us by Carlo Barbera from Alan’s own designs.
Soft raglan sleeves and minimal lining render the duster an incomparably comfortable extra layer that drapes beautifully and billows gracefully in a breeze. It’s essentially a coat that wears like a robe, and we think it’ll become the one you reach for more than any other.
Increasingly, what we want in our clothing are pieces that can take us anywhere. We think our slack jacket is the ultimate go-anywhere garment.
An appreciation of a swaggering sartorial classic first made famous by early Hollywood stars.
Highlights of our Spring/Summer 2018 mailer, shot on location at the new Four Seasons restaurant.
This year’s offerings include a refresh of the fine terrycloth polos, airy knit linens, dry cotton pique in long-sleeved faded indigo or tennis yellow, and a gossamer-weight cotton jersey polo.
Behind the scenes of Alan Flusser Made-To-Measure.
The Anglo-American special relationship in silk has a third, less well-known Continental acquaintance: the Arny’s tie. The signature namesake of what had been since 1933 one of Paris’ most whimsical and storied men’s boutiques, these ties carry decadently bold stripes two or three times wider than those found on their English-speaking cousins.
It’s with much anticipation that we announce the official debut of our bespoke women’s wear. I say official because over the past three decades, we have turned out the random Kate Hepburn-inspired Donegal tweed suit, velvet hacking jacket, or silk tailcoat.
An interview with our friend and new client, vintage menswear dealer Sean Crowley.
Sartorial reflections from Flusser friend and client Russell Bush, an interior decorator described by one of his clients as “an artist of space.”
“My grandfather was a soldier in his youth and as my interest in clothes grew, his sense of style, both in uniform and in civilian dress, became a source of inspiration for me. Outfits that would be almost inconceivable nowadays (grey flannels for a hike in the countryside, chunky knits on the beach) look obvious on him, as if any other option would have been nonsensical.”
Mr. Scott Himmel is a Chicago-based interior architect and designer, Flusser customer since the early 1980s, and personal friend of Alan’s for over 20 years.
Brandon Sim is vice president and portfolio manager at Silvercrest Asset Management Group, a boutique financial services firm where he manages or assists in the management of over $2 billion in client assets. He has been a client of Alan Flusser Custom since 2006.
Alan Flusser Custom made our second appearance of the dais of the National Arts Club in Gramercy Park — this time for a conversation on the history, aesthetics, and future of tweed. This article has been drawn from the notes for that event, and is illustrated by the slide show which accompanied it.
A few words with Jonathan about where to get your coffee while attending NY Fashion Week, as well as men’s clothing tips on dressing well and looking good.
Don’t be afraid to pull out the GTH (“got to hell”) sartorial fireworks at your next backyard BBQ, because summer is the season to celebrate some of America’s greatest contributions to the classic menswear canon.
Within the infinite permutations of angle, scale, and mass, no single article of apparel is better able to enhance that appendage of the body that should receive the most attention — the face — than the well-designed shirt collar.
An invitation to come join Alan Flusser Custom at Michael Arenella’s 13th Annual Jazz Age Lawn Party on Governor’s Island.
A recap of "A Formal Evening with Alan Flusser" -- an event at the National Arts Club in December 2017 at which Alan discussed the exact science and vanishing art of men's formal eveningwear with host David Zyla.
The iconic 80s power look Alan created for Gordon Gekko in Wall Street has aged remarkably well — probably because it was well-aged to begin with.
"It was the perfect interview suit. Single-breasted, three-button, in a warm mid-grey worsted wool, with a subtly draped chest and shaped waist. Classically proportioned, trim but nowhere tight, confident without being brash..."
“While the Easy Riding western world was gleefully casting off its meticulously constructed menswear traditions in the 1960s and 70s, it was the Japanese who picked up the pieces from the side of the road, dusted them off, and installed them as icons of timeless taste. Little surprise that when Alan Flusser emerged on the fashion scene, resplendently and unapologetically classicist, he was immediately Big in Japan.”
An annotated look at a 1979 GQ photo spread about Alan and his wardrobe that illustrates the consistency of the Flusser sartorial aesthetic from the start.
This is a sampling of cover art from 25 years of the Custom Shop’s brochures. Some contain original art while others are based on Apparel Art illustrations from menswear’s grand age of upper-class men’s style and fashion illustration – the 1930’s to the 1950’s.
We filmed a quick chat with Kirby Allison to talk about a few of our more casual made-to-measure jacket models.
Alan joined Kirby Allison’s livestream series for a conversation around Alan’s favorite style images, and how Alan goes about putting outfits together.
Kirby Allison from the Hanger Project filmed the entire process of his commission for our custom slack jacket. From initial consultation to fitting to delivery, we show you what you would experience through our custom process.
In this video from The Hanger Project, Jonathan and Kirby Allison discuss high/low dressing – pairing garments of varying levels of formality to put together an unexpected look.
The Hanger Project’s Kirby Allison has his MTM suit and shirt delivered. Jonathan makes some final tweaks and explains how both garments embody our principles of timeless yet modern fit and proportion.
Jonathan conducts the first fitting of the made-to-measure three-piece suit and dress shirt we made for The Hanger Project’s Kirby Allison.
On October 24, 2019, Alan spoke as part of a NYC symposium discussing “American Style: Ivy, Trad, and Prep into the 21st Century.” Also speaking at the event hosted by Permanent Style’s Simon Crompton were retailer Sid Mashburn, fashion designer Todd Snyder, Esquire magazine Creative Director Nick Sullivan, and former J Press CEO Richard Press.
The Hanger Project’s Kirby Allison visits the Custom Shop to get a made-to-measure suit, walking viewers through the full consultation and commission process with Alan and Jonathan.
Alan speaks with NBC’s News’ Simone Boyce about his role as Roger Stone’s “sartorial mentor,” reflecting on the love of bold style they share and the politics that divide them.
In the second half of his interview with The Hanger Project's Kirby Allison, Alan discusses the elements of a classic wardrobe, and how to assemble one well-suited to one's own proportions and coloring.
Kirby Allison of The Hanger Project recently came by the shop to interview Alan for his blog. In this first half of their far-ranging conversation, Alan discusses his earliest work as a sartorial consultant (for his high school girlfriend’s father), his experience working for Pierre Cardin in the 1970s, and his motivation for writing the books which have made him a preeminent authority on menswear.
Operating out of a restored fire station in Chicago’s South Side, Optimo is considered by many to be the best hatmaker in the world.
Alan’s story of settling on the Cartier Tank to satisfy his quest for a timeless and stylish timepiece.
From our Things We Love series: Alan’s ode to his favorite footwear.
An appreciation of one of our favorite casual summer footwear brands.
When showing one of our alternative jackets, the first thing we are always asked is “So what do I wear this with?” It's really pretty simple.