The Well Dressed Playboy

The Clothing that adorns today's playboy has come a long way since the time of Adam's drafty, ill-fitting fig leaf.

Although style changes in the men's fashion world are neither as dramatic nor as frequent as those enjoyed by the female, proper masculine dress can become a very confusing matter. If a man is concerned with how he looks, and he should be, he may find himself caught up in a perplexing phantasmagoria of color combinations, patterns, styles, designs, fabrics and cuts. Perhaps he recalls the words of Patrice Munsel, edible young Metropolitan Opera soprano, who claims that "eight out of ten men are boring to look at," and it's quite possible that odds like those run against him.

But, assuming our man is not totally color blind, possesses most or all of the necessary appendages upon which to hang assorted articles of apparel, earns more than $60 a week, and takes a shower at least as often as he receives his paycheck, there's no reason why he can't look as tastefully attired as that fellow who sells Schweppes. To accomplish this, there are certain basic concepts about clothing with which he should be familiar. Once mastered, they are as dependable as his favorite bartender, and just as well-calculated to make Miss Munsel, and others of her species, sing with delight.

Despite violent advertising to the contrary, the sort of underwear worn by the clothes-conscious man is of no interest to anyone, with the possible exception of his wife (if he has one) or his secretary (ditto). Shorts -- whether they are boxer or jockey, yellow or helio, cashmere or gauze -- are a purely functional item and we're sure that what he is now wearing will suffice until those mysterious little holes start to appear. Then he'll go out and buy more of the same:

In the matter of men's outer apparel, however, our position is more definitive. Conservative in all departments, we lean heavily towards those distinctive details of styling that point up the man as being quietly well dressed. Saffron suits with Li'l Abner shoulders are worn with pride by Li'l Abner, and no one else.

Our man would choose suits with the natural look, shoulders without padding, soft fronts, and the lapels small and high-notched. The single-breasted jacket hangs straight from his shoulders, with no indentation at the waist, loose enough to give him the feeling of freedom he desires. (His double-breasted jackets were given quietly to the Korean War Relief several years ago, and no word of them has been mentioned since.) Classic detailing suggests a three-button model in preference to the two, with flap pockets and a deep hook vent in the back. As a distinctive touch, his odd coats and rugged tweed suits feature stitched one-eighth inch raised seams and edges. The collars of his jackets are set low, so that one-half inch of shirt can be seen above. In the same manner, jacket sleeves are trimmed to allow one-half inch of shirt cuff to appear. No more than two buttons are required on his jacket cuffs. Trousers are cut trim and slim, tapering from 21 inches at the knee to an 18 inch bottom. The need for pleats is diminishing rapidly, and only those men with a sizable paunch have any use for them. Our fellow frowns on them.

His business shirts are of three basic collar styles: button-down, round (worn with safety pin) and tab -- all of which follow the natural, comfortable lines of his suits and sports jackets. He knows that "new" collar styles pop up and disappear as quickly as Hollywood starlets, so he stays with the tested three. Woven of oxford cloth, fine cotton broadcloth or no-ironing Dacron, they are colored in blue, tan or white; or candy or hairline stripes in blue or tan or white. For everyday wear, button cuffs are favored over the dressier French cuffs. For country wear and relaxation without a jacket, he chooses shepherd check gingham, brushed cotton flannel or Tattersall checks, with button-down or regular collars -- sport shirts that combine the distinctive in both texture and design.

Neckwear offers a wide choice of unique color blends centering on the primary hues rather than the more muted pastels. Rich foulards in neat, orderly patterns or Rep silks in a variety of bold colors -- yellow stripes on black, red on blue, green and black on yellow -- reflect the individuality and good taste of the wearer. His Rep four-in-hands are cut no wider than 2 3/4 inches, while his foulards and knits are three inches in width. Bow ties are worn by our man whenever he attends a Frank Sinatra movie; string ties deserve no comment.

The Edwardian waistcoat is welcomed by our conservative man as an item of rare distinction, perfect for adding a dash of color to country suits or extra warmth for football weekends, hip flask notwithstanding. Patterned in rich Tattersall checks, narrow strippings on a black background, foulard silk or warm velveteen shades of red, here is the unique compliment to our well-groomed man attending the outdoor, less formal occasion.

His hosiery follows the solid-color line, tending toward the darker shades of navy, grey, brown and black for office wear. Smart country hose include the perennially tasteful wool Argyles with small diamond shapes woven on dark backgrounds or framed by a stripe of contrasting shade.

The final mark of our well-tailored man dictates that his shoes be correctly coordinated to the rest of his apparel. For town wear, the plain toe blutcher or straight tip oxford in cordovan, Scotch grain or black is his choice; the more casual affair commands the wing tip or moccasin in brown. A constant favorite for loafing or leisure all year around is the white buckskin or canvastop. Suede shoes are nowhere to be seen.

playboy's apparel editor