A word about blue jeans, which, when I was growing up, were called dungarees, one of the more unfortunate marketing ideas of our time: Starting as a work garment for miners, the ubiquitous blue jeans became a staple of the counterculture starting when Brando wore them in 'On the Waterfront' and remained so through the anti-war protests of the '70s.
I'm a total Republican, but I've never claimed to be a Christian-right conservative. They're a large but dwindling part of the Party.
Socks must be at least an 18-percent synthetic blend to insure they don't droop, because droopy socks that show calf are worse than short socks that do the same.
I like the new, cool, swinging Justin Timberlake.
Unless you are a lawyer or Fortune 500 CEO, carrying a briefcase is, well, nerdy.
An ascot is never a substitute for a well-tied four-in-hand tie or a slightly disheveled bow tie.
Stone's Rules exist because sometimes the truth is too painful, and the lies will land you in prison.
I am a Libertarian Republican in the Goldwater style.
As an entertainer, Justin Timberlake has learned from the past. He can cradle a mic stand like Elvis Presley, move like Michael Jackson, and swoon like Frank Sinatra.
Bass Weejuns are the Cordovan black or brown penny loafers originally called Norwegian Loafers, hence their name. Worn without socks in the spring and summer, they must be kept to a high-gloss polish and should become burnished with wax over time until they have a fine patina.
The John McCain tactic of praising Obama as a great American and great senator 'with whom I disagree' is a loser. You've got to call him out as what he is - a fraud and a disaster.
The straps that suspend a man's trousers from his shoulders - known in the U.S. as 'suspenders' and in Britain as 'braces' - are always correct with a summer suit made of seersucker, linen, or silk.
As ambassador to China, Huntsman never publicly objected to Obama's trade policy, which allows China to take advantage of us - something that Donald Trump highlighted. Challenging Obama on China is one of the keys to beating him.
You can't wake up one day and say 'I'm for gay marriage,' and wake up the next day and say 'I'm against it.' Wake up one day and say, 'I'm pro-choice,' and the next day wake up and say, 'I'm pro-life.' There's no credibility there.
If you're not controversial, you'll never break through the din of all the commentary.
In 2000, Trump could have won the Reform Party nomination. I chaired his presidential exploratory committee.
How can you be conservative and justify wiretapping people without a warrant? We're supposed to be the party of personal freedom and civil liberties.
Every well-dressed gentleman must have an all-cotton oxford cloth button-down shirt from Brooks Brothers.
In most matters regarding apparel, I am a big fan of natural fibers - wool, cotton, and so on. Not when it comes to socks. An elastic fiber of some type is necessary.
Nothing ruins the lines of a suit or blazer and makes you look more like a doofus than when your pockets are crammed with stuff - a wallet, a cell phone, keys, a calculator, a calendar, pens, etc.
Politics with me isn't theater. It's performance art. Sometimes, for its own sake.
Above all, avoid the Indiana Jones fedora. It's very yesterday, and if you wear a black one, you might be mistaken for an Orthodox Jew.
'The New York Times' breathlessly writes about the left-of-center Americans Elect being a 'new third party,' but we already have a third party: the Libertarian Party.
In 1981, when he ran for governor, I confiscated the needlepoint belts of New Jersey's Tom Kean. It's a patrician look that is right for the Vineyard, Nantucket, Darien, Greenwich, Charleston and Savannah.
I oppose the spending of trillions in Iraq and Afghanistan, I strongly oppose Islamic extremism but don't believe that sending troops to die in two unwinnable wars makes sense.
Laureate is a highly leveraged failing investment whose principal beneficiaries are Wall Street fat cats and billionaires - and William Jefferson Clinton.
I believe the GOP should pitch its big-top tent around fiscal conservatism and a muscular foreign policy rather than carnival bark outside the sideshow tents of gay marriage and reproductive choice.
The Establishment on both the Left and the Right, who want to disenfranchise the millions of Republican voters who support Donald Trump, have blamed the staged riots near Trump rallies on Trump or on Bernie Sanders. That's like blaming the Russians for the Reichstag Fire.
Traditionally, Young Republicans have been a leading indicator of the direction of the party.
Burberry makes the best version of the traditional trench coat, which can have a zipper and button-in lining for colder climes. The belt, which comes standard, should never be buckled but must be casually knotted at the waist.
Let's face it: most jerks trying to affect an ascot look like Thurston Howell III.
Timberlake was once a boy-band idol with mismatched baggy attire and the curly, frosted locks of a Cabbage Patch Kid doll. His early fashion missteps included a full denim costume complete with rhinestones and a cowboy hat, and for a time, his hair was twisted in cornrows.
What sets seersucker apart from other materials? It's the 'coolest' material to wear in hot and humid weather. 'Coolest,' as in temperature, and 'coolest' as in hip, baby! There is nothing like it.
A black or royal blue velvet blazer will look great with a pair of jeans and a black or navy turtleneck sweater - though it's a more casual look.
There is no excuse for a well-dressed gent to wilt in the warm months.
American soldiers wore khaki uniforms during World War II. Men's khaki trousers became fashionable after the war, as homecoming GI's decided to continue wearing the soft, comfortable pants in their civilian capacities.
In this business, if you don't pay your debts you're finished.
In the 1930s, anyone of any sophisticated status owned a cocktail shaker. Distinctive ones are easy to find.
Never wear a seersucker suit straight off the rack. It's going to look shapeless and droopy. If you're going to sport seersucker, whether a jacket, trousers or a full suit, have it fitted. A nice, custom, tailored fit makes all the difference in the world.
I am a Reagan Republican.
Look at the greatest dressers in history - Philadelphia socialite and diplomat Angier Biddle Duke, Sir Anthony Eden, Fred Astaire, the Duke of Windsor, John F. Kennedy, and Gary Cooper - they all sport the well placed pocket adornment.
A Brooks Brothers button-down with an unfastened collar, rolled-up sleeves, and jeans makes for a comfortable, casual look.
The pocket square, properly contrived, finishes a man's look. With good tailoring and well chosen neckwear, the look connotes power, taste, refinement, manners. The naked pocket connotes the opposite: working class, tasteless, base, crude, ignorant.
Anthony Weiner is a crafty and worthy adversary - an unrepentant lefty who is usually a savvy media player.
Hillary Clinton is excoriating Donald Trump over Trump University? The Clinton scandal at Laureate Education, a for-profit education chain of schools and colleges operating world-wide, including the United States, is much worse.
There is no article of men's clothing that can make a man look more like a douche than the ascot. There are, however, a few men who can pull it off. Context is everything.
Never wear a button-down collared shirt with a double-breasted suit. The more formal double-breasted suit looks best with the more formal spread or long-point collar.
In the rough and tumble world of business, media, or politics, the black knitted tie is indeed indispensable.
The proper navy blue blazer can be single or double-breasted and looks best in a three-button style. The proper blazer requires side-vents. Italian versions can have no vent at all, but I find this a bit fast.
