"Queer" guru pens sassy book on style

By Jean Patteson
The Orlando Sentinel

ANTOINE CAU / ABBACA PRESS "Queer Eye" star Carson Kressley has written a book, "Off the Cuff: The Essential Style Guide for Men and the Women Who Love Them."

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It's cheeky, opinionated and just a little bit risqué.

In other words, it's exactly what you'd expect from Carson Kressley, the most fabulous of the Fab Five on Bravo's hit TV show "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy."

Kressley, who handles the clothing segment of "Queer Eye" with a beguiling mix of sympathy, humor and sly digs at the sartorial cluelessness of straight men, has added "author" to his repertoire. His lavishly illustrated book is "Off the Cuff: The Essential Style Guide for Men and the Women Who Love Them."

His approach is entertaining and his message clear: Anyone can dress well.

"Think of me as your very own fashion fairy godstylist," he suggests. Ignore trends and forget rules. Use common sense and keep it simple. And more than anything: "I want you to look like yourself and no one else. Think of [the book] as a celebration of you," he suggests, as an "all-about-you-palooza."

How could any guy with a smidgen of ego resist?

Kressley brings more than just a queer eye to men's fashion. His style credentials are solid.

By age 15, he was traveling all over the United States showing horses at national competitions. The horse world, he says in the introduction (arguably the most interesting part of the book), "is a very, very glamorous one, and one filled with fabulous clothes and rich heritage."

He spent a season selling ties at Saks Fifth Avenue before joining the Ralph Lauren company, working his way up from gofer to stylist during seven years, learning all aspects of the fashion business.
 
The book, he says, is for all men, no matter what their sexual preference, "because we all know that bad taste does not discriminate."

He organizes it into predictable chapters, from shoes and socks, to hats and gloves — including his pet peeve, pleated khakis.

Other peeves include white windbreakers, bikini swimwear and pre-tied bow ties. He'll find few arguments with the first two, but it's doubtful even Kressley can charm men into tying their own bow ties.

There's even a chapter on attitude, with a heading that has plenty: "Attitude — Be Like Winona and Carry it Off."

Though the material is by no means new, it's informative and helpful, especially the sections on suits, jackets and sport coats. And Kressley's quirky humor, rarely politically correct, adds spice.

Guys in silk shirts, he says, "look like they're waiting for the valet to bring their IROC-Z ... or they're waiting for the next Air India flight to Bombay."

His chapter on shoes is vintage "Queer Eye":

"What you have on your feet can make or break any look ... and break your toes. Spend some money and get the best shoes you can afford. And for Gucci's sake, make sure that they're comfortable. ... "

He often invokes the sartorial style of movie stars. "When in doubt," he suggests, "just try to look like Tom Cruise."

From clothing tips, he moves on to grooming guidelines — and keeps the quips coming. Highlights can make thinning hair appear a little fuller, he says. But too many highlights in short hair can make you look like a leopard: "Way too Discovery Channel."

If the idea of a salon pedicure is just too scary for straight guys, he begs: "Just promise me you'll clip those toenails at home in the privacy of your own woodworking shop."

Sometimes, he sounds downright conservative. "If you're on a date or you're proposing to someone, you want to show you care. Make an effort," he advises. "If you're going to church, dress up a little, it's God's house, people."

As for his own flamboyant style, don't try to emulate it, he warns readers: "It's not for amateurs."