What We're Ogling: Men's Ex - The High End Men's Suit Style Book

         Anyone who's been keeping up with An Uptown Dandy knows that I'm crazy about some of the men's fashion magazines being published in the Far East. Men's Ex puts out a monthly magazine with a variety of photos that I enjoy ogling, but the special issues focusing entirely on men's suits and shoes are just on another level altogether. 

          Recently, I was able to pick up a copy of Men's Ex: The High-End Men's Suit Style Book. Now, I'm not sure what anyone can be writing about with regards to men's tailoring and fabrics in such detail on page after page, and, sadly, I'll probably never see a translation of the text. Fortunately for Japanese illiterates such as myself, however, the magazine is loaded with photos of tailors, suits, and fabrics from around the world . It really is a joy to peruse.

The Italian tailoring section: The Neapolitan tailor Mariano Rubinacci

Getting down to the nitty-gritty:
Deconstructing a suit to (I would like to think) determine the quality of its construction.

A rather lengthy section focusing on dozens of ready-to-wear labels,

ranging from Kiton to Polo Ralph Lauren.

I particularly enjoyed this segment on sartorial icons with examples of some of the more notable contributions made throughout the years to men's style. Here, you can see an example of the "Prince of Wales" glen plaid check pattern that the Duke of Windsor would often pair with brown suede shoes. The previous page offers an example of Winston Churchill's three piece suit and bow-tie combination.

          I could go on and on, but I'll leave something new for you to be amazed at once you've picked up a copy. Kinokuniya in New York City does not have copies on the premises but can place an import order at your request. Be warned - there is an additional import fee, but in my opinion, The High End Men's Suit Style Book from Men's Ex is definitely worth the somewhat hefty price (about USD $27.00).