This classic text, first published in 1994, gives the reader a charming and entertaining account of the suit's development from the seventeenth century to the end of the twentieth. Reissued now for the twenty-first century, the narrative reveals a fascinating motley of curious and frequently amusing facts; from the arcane mysteries of button replacement to the remarkable influence of princes and kings. Sir Hardy Amies's enchanting book still delights, and will be of help to any would-be gentleman.

Author Biography

Hardy Amies was born in London in 1909. He lived and worked in France and Germany before returning to London to work as a couturier. During the war he served as an intelligence officer in the SOE and in 1946 he founded his own fashion house. His salon was one of the few which would rival the great dress houses of Paris. He was dressmaker by appointment to Queen Elizabeth II and was knighted in 1989. He died in 2003.