THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 7, 1995 TAG: 9509070037
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CAMMY SESSA, SPECIAL TO THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines
FOR YEARS, the fashion crowd has considered Alan Flusser one of the most influential forces in the menswear industry.
True, among consumers he may not have the same recognition as the giants of advertising hype, whose names or symbols are nauseatingly encrusted on millions of polo shirts, jeans and jackets. Nevertheless, among those in the know, Flusser knows.
He's not only a menswear designer, he's an educator. His books have become fashion dictionaries and reference sources for writers, buyers and men who crave the art of dressing well.
For years my No. 1. guide for men's clothing has been Flusser's ``Making The Man,'' (Simon and Schuster) 1981. Recently, a move made it necessary for me to reduce the size of my personal library, but Flusser's book was the first one up my new office shelves. He covers everything from buttonholes to brogues, from handkerchiefs to hosiery.
``What you need now is my current book, `Clothes and the Man,' '' Flusser said when I called Carmel, N.Y., where he weekends with his wife and two daughters in a house so unusual it once was featured in ``Architectural Digest.''
``Clothes and the Man'' has sold 85,000 copies, and Flusser justifiably admits: ``It's the bible of the menswear business.''
That's not enough. He's currently writing another, more updated, book. ``I'm always trying to de-mythologize fashion. Dressing well is not that difficult.''
You can get an insight to Flusser's knowledge and his design acumen Friday and Saturday when he shows his collection in person at The Quality Shop, Hilltop East, Virginia Beach.
His major account is Saks Fifth Avenue but, in addition, some 40 selected specialty stores throughout the country also carry his line of custom clothing. In Hampton Roads, it's the Quality Shop.
``What's made this line very interesting is that it's made-to-measure clothing that will be delivered in 15 days,'' Flusser says. ``That's fairly unique in this business.''
Flusser's custom suits, jackets and sportcoats are made in a facility in Canada from a selection of Italian fabrics.
Flusser raved about softness of his textures and that caused me to interrupt: ``But Alan, you were always into softness,'' reminding him of the '80s when I attended fashion collections each season. At that time, most menswear designers were hawking tight-fitting three-piece suits but not Flusser.
``I was always into softness before it was in fashion to be soft,'' Flusser says.
That's because early on, he admired the elegance of English tailoring and would travel to London to have his own suits made by Anderson & Sheppard, the same house on Savile Row who tailored and draped Fred Astaire's clothes. Those wonderful outfits that were loose enough for Astaire's dancing still had the dash and chic of unabashed class. No doubt. Astaire was a class act and so is Flusser.
That's why he kept comfort, class and suitability in mind when he began designing his own line of clothing. He likes his own stuff and wears all of the designs himself. ``My clothes get filtered through me,'' he said.
When asked for a list of pointers to help men dress better, Flusser's answer was a surprise: ``Philosophically, a man needs a blue suit, white shirt, blue and white tie, white handkerchief, dark socks and shoes.''
Here are the things that Flusser insists make that combination work:
The length of the jacket and sleeves must be correct.
The trousers must fit correctly.
Are the trousers full enough at the waist, and does the trouser length fit properly on the shoe?
``The proper dress shirt collar has nothing to do with fashion but what each face requires. Also, how much shirt collar shows above the suit jacket? It should be no more than one-half inch.
``Equally important is the fit of a dress-shirt cuff,'' he said. That also should be a half-inch below jacket sleeves.
Flusser goes on: ``A man should know how to tie a tie correctly and to fit it under his shirt collar.
``A man should have a properly folded handkerchief in his pocket.
``All these things together are important. It's like the foundation of a house.'' MEMO: Alan Flusser will be at The Quality Shope, Hilltop East, Virginia Beach
on Friday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Prices
for Flusser's sportcoats begin at $425; suits, begin at $700. For
additional information, call 428-8615. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Flusser says a man should know how to tie a tie correctly and should
always carry a folded handkerchief in his pocket.
by CNB