The New Dress for Success by John T. Molloy

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Contents
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1. A Twentieth-Century Approach to Men's Clothing
2. How to Get the Most Out of Investing in Clothing
3. How to Maximize the Power of Shirts

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4. How to Pick Your Most Important Status Symbols: Your Ties [91-115]
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- [91-93] - anecdote about his friend's sons being hippies and swearing they'd never wear a tie, and then wearing hideous ones 10 years later for a wedding. the lesson: ties are a big part of dressing up; even someone who is wearing a terrible outfit will define himself as being "dressed up" by whether he's wearing a tie.
- [93-99] - description of various experiments showing that 1) you should try to dress similarly to whatever group you're appealing to (upper-middle class vs. middle class), and 2) your choice of tie plays a big part in how people decide what group to put you in. there were a LOT of problems with his study methods but w/e it sounds plausible.
- [99-106] - How to Buy Ties - DON'T let your wife do it; give it time and effort.
. . . . First, determine the necessary length, which will depend on your height and the type of knot you will be using; standard length is 55-56". The tie should reach your belt buckle, with the other (smaller) end 1) long enough to go through the small loop on the back of the big end without coming out, and 2) not so long that it ends up longer than the front (visible) end of the tie [1 and 2 are my guess at his opinion].
. . . . Second, determine the necessary width: "the width of the tie should be harmonious with the width of the suit lapels". At time of writing, 2 and 3/4" to 3 and 3/4" [at the widest end] were standard.
. . . . Third, determine whether the tie will make a good knot: "To do so, it must have substance, which is provided by a lining of coarse material sewn into the tie, as well as the material from which the tie itself is made. Cheap polyesters and shiny silks slip quite badly, and light, thin silks do not offer enough substance, unless they are heavily lined. In addition to the coarse inner lining, the tie should also be fully lined or backed with a light, but good quality material".
- [106-109] - How to Pick the Materials - Get 100% silk ties.
. . . . There are three types of silk ties: the lightest is foulard silk, which needs to be substantially lined to keep a good knot. Next is regular/normal-weave/solid silk; it's shiny but does not glisten. The heaviest is the woven silk tie, which was rare at the time of publication; if you see it, make sure the lining is light enough to ensure a good knot.
. . . . Expect to pay $14-35 (1988 dollars?). That translates to $25-64 in 2010 dollars.
. . . . If you absolutely can't afford 100% silk, then get silk/polyester blends; these can be more durable than 100% silk. If you get 100% polyester, the only characteristic to pay attention to is how closely it imitates silk.
. . . . There are three types of wool ties: First is the knitted tie, which is "sporty and should be worn accordingly"; get real wool. Second is the woven wool tie, which "has a very bushy look to it". The third type is the wool challis, which is finer, smoother, and is backed and lined like silk; "in fact, challis very often has almost the same look and design as silk, with the exception that it is not shiny, which makes it less formal. It is useful because it tends to wear, dry-clean and travel better than silk."
. . . . Cotton ties are worn year-round in the South and elsewhere in the summer; pay between $10-17.50 [$18-32 2010 dollars]. "The predominant look in cotton ties is light in both weight and color. Because of the light colors, it is advisable to Scotchguard cotton ties by spraying them."
. . . . "Linen ties are beautiful, but stay away from them unless you can afford to buy them to wear only a few times. Linen wrinkles incredibly, and the wrinkles are virtually impossible to remove."
. . . . Don't buy acetate or rayon ties.
- [109-114] - How to Select Patterns of Ties - 
- [114] - Ties That Should Never Be Worn - Avoid anything unusual, gaudy (unless paisley), bright (except a foulard), hard to look at, purple, too short. Basically, you're prob. best off if you don't wear anything except what he recommended.
- [114-115] - What to Do About Bow Ties - A bow tie can be useful to soften your image, but usually should never be worn unless you're a college professor or social commentator, or as sports attire (?).

5. Putting Your Own Look Together
6. Buy It Cheap
7. Dressing for Success on the Road
8. How to Use Clothes to Sell Yourself
9. Some Advice for Minorities
10. How to Get the Most Out of Accessories
11. The Do's and Don'ts of Sports Clothes and Formal Wear
12. How to Dress for Success with Women
13. How to Dress Up Your Office for Success
14. For Lawyers: How to Dress Up Your Case and Win Judges and Juries
15. A Special Word for the Professional Man
16. Corporate Image
17. Dressing Successfully for Job Interviews and a New Job
18. Making Your Clothes Fit the Occasion