We are in the midst of a cultural shift––an aesthetic inflection point––where business norms in manners of dress are changing. “Casual Friday” has given way to the full-time casual workplace. With so many sartorial options you need advice. “The Laws of Style” are just that––clear rules for sartorial presentation through the very practical viewpoint of the office reality of the service professional (lawyer, banker, accountant, consultant)––and yet the Laws are so much more.

The Laws of Style is an exploration from an intrepid fellow service professional (leading fashion lawyer Douglas Hand) into spheres of self-expression with the goal of not only enhancing your career, but enriching your life. To put this in some perspective: if you are a strutting fop fresh out of graduate school, the Laws may rein in some of your exhibitionism. Your innate curiosity, however, will be refined and encouraged by the Laws, giving you a subtle sophistication within your budget. Alternatively, if you are a grinding service partner who couldn’t care less about fashion, the Laws will escalate your style game and elevate your standing.

The Laws will also expose you to menswear and why we wear it, giving you a degree of sartorial appreciation from which you can actually begin to revel in the self-expression your choice of dress affords you.

Witty, bright, charming, and informative, The Laws of Style is at the same time a striking visual resource with more than 40 illustrations created by renowned fashion illustrator Rodrigo Saldana. In addition to the author’s 54 “laws of style,” the book includes short introductions to highlighted designers relevant to each Law. More than just a simple dress-for-success guide, author Hand’s erudite, creative, elegant, and whimsical narrative style is a fitting tribute to the laws he has created to assist you in establishing and elevating your own style—both professional as well as personal.

"Douglas is a rare animal, a man able to move as comfortably in New York fashion circles as he does in the more sober world of the law. That he can do that gives him an unparalleled platform from which to advise men on dressing for work to both fit in and stand out at the same time."
––Nick Sullivan, Fashion Director, Esquire magazine

"The Laws of Style is a must-read book offering the best advice on dressing professionally for work."
––Steven Kolb, President and CEO of the Council of Fashion Designers of America

"To approach Douglas Hand is to behold style. Smart, handsome, and gracious, Douglas also has the additional advantage of knowing how to ‘put himself together’ for any occasion and conditions. In the endless speculation about who might be the first American to play James Bond onscreen, I submit Hand. Doug Hand."
––Alec Baldwin, Actor

"When I envision how my clothes are going to look on a capable man, Douglas is that man."
––Todd Snyder, Menswear Designer

"Douglas Hand is the dapper-est dude in my hood. The Laws of Style is fascinating, obsessive, and insanely useful."
––Simon Doonan, Creative Ambassador, Barneys New York

Table of Contents

Chapter One: The Importance of Professional Presentation
Chapter Two: Relativity Theory
Chapter Three: Dressing Relative to Your Employer
Chapter Four: Insouciance and Breaking the Laws
Chapter Five: From the Ground Up – Shoes
Chapter Six: Socks – Sock it to Me
Chapter Seven: The Suit – Our Uniform
Chapter Eight: Shirting
Chapter Nine: Ties and Pocket Squares
Chapter Ten: Business Casual
Chapter Eleven: Patterns and Textures – Mixing and Matching
Chapter Twelve: Functional Accessories
Chapter Thirteen: Accessorizing Timepieces/”Jewelry”
Chapter Fourteen: Personal Grooming
Chapter Fifteen: Feeling Good Means Looking Good and Breaking the Laws
Appendix A: The Laws
Appendix B: Brands to Know