“The Elegant Man: How to Construct the Ideal Wardrobe”

Authors: Riccardo Villarosa and Giuliano Angeli.

Info: Random House, 1990. $35 hardcover. 185 pages plus appendixes. Illustrated in black-and-white and color photographs, many old Hollywood stills, others by Fred Marcarini.

For the man who has visions of Fred Astaire (in black tie and tails, of course) dancing in his head, this book is just the ticket. The key is “elegant” in the title; elegance can’t be taught, but knowing what to look for is a start. And sure, you start with a good suit, made of quality fabric, with the right cut and tailoring. But how do you recognize that? Villarosa and Angeli help demystify one of the toughest areas of shopping for men’s clothes--fabric selection--and discuss cut and shape.

Then again, one good suit does not make a wardrobe, and Villarosa and Angeli prove that a man can cultivate a look consistent and appropriate from sporting events to the most formal evenings, from knickers to three-piece suits, from blazers to morning coats (OK, it is a little pretentious).

Of course, there is more to it than “practicing” fashion; the style must suit the wearer’s physical type, character and personality. So he may not be an Astaire, but perhaps he is a Prince Charles, a Clark Gable or a Gary Cooper.

The book designers get high marks for making an interesting presentation of meticulous information for the committed male, but points are lost for captions that fail to identify the personalities in the photographs (although there is no excuse for an elegant wanna-be to not recognize Ronald Reagan or Jimmy Stewart). The final section of the book is devoted to maintenance and care of clothes (including tips for ironing, packing and designing a walk-in closet), because not everyone has a Godfrey or Jeeves to do it for him.