Sinatra's rules

[alden]

THE RULES

1. It takes two hands to put on a hat the right way: Back brim curled up, front tugged down to a couple of inches above the right brow.

2. Never wear brown at night. Never.

3. There’s no excuse for brown shoes past sundown.... Or white shoes. Or anything gray, unless it’s deep charcoal. Or blue, unless it’s midnight blue. In fact, let’s keep it simple: after dark, men should wear black.

4. Ties should be silk. And conservative.

5. Cuff links always. But leave the fancy jewelry to Sammy.

6. When dressing formally, a vest is better than a cummerbund.

7. Don’t wear a tuxedo on Sunday.

8. Having messy closets is like putting on clean clothes over dirty underwear.

9. The shower is a great place to steam out the wrinkles in your dinner jacket.

10. Orange is the happiest color.

11. Don’t hide your scars. They make you who you are.

12. When it comes to pockets, everything should have its own place.

13. A pocket handkerchief is essential, but it needs to be perfectly folded.

14. Shine your shoes.

15. Trim. Buff. Clean.

16. Take your hand off the suit, creep.


I have to say that #11 is particularly and wonderfully human as well as being true.

I had to laugh about his "orange" comment, and those of you who know me will know why..

Cheers

Michael

[akaSmith]

The #11 is as manly as it can be.

What's the source of these rules? Is it an interview in a magazine or maybe a book?

[Costi]

1-15 = style
16 = LIFEstyle

[Cufflink79]

I really like number 5.

Best Regards,

Cufflink79

[culverwood]

What's the source of these rules? Is it an interview in a magazine or maybe a book?

Adapted from The Way You Wear Your Hat, by Bill Zehme - see http://www.sinatra.com

[tteplitzmd]

Someone once said or wrote: "It's Frank's world, we just live in it."

[Check]

These are fantastic, the man really was different...

[storeynicholas]

Not by him but about him: I particularly liked the line in a fairly recent film (After The Sunset - strarring Pierce Brosnan and Salma Hayek), when the Brosnan character is ordering a cocktail, he is asked about having 'an umbrella' in his glass and then whether Frank Sinatra would have taken one and the answer is: : "Not even when it rained.".
NJS.

[J B]

Thank you, I actually agree with Frank Sinatra's sensibilities, and it was humerous all the same. The world doesn't have too many men like him around anymore. I especially agree with number 1, as I'm a fedora wearer myself, and I tend to follow this rule while wearing one.

[storeynicholas]

I put rule 1 into reverse but then I can't sing.
NJS

[AndyM]

I can't sing either and I tilt my hat to the left, is there a connection?! With most hats I feel a tilt to the left looks correct whereas a tilt to the right looks like my hat is lopsided, purely a personal thing.

[Costi]

The same here, AndyM. Tilting my hat to the right feels as unnatural to me a as holding the phone to the right ear: I can hear the voice, but I make an effort to make sense of the talk. Of course, that's just because we got used to it that way.

[storeynicholas]

It's an aside but, now that I think about it: I hold a fixed line telephone in my left hand but a mobile-cell telephone in my right!
NJS

[Costi]

Are you ambidextrous, too?

[storeynicholas]

Costi - only as described but I bat at cricket left-handed and play golf right-handed - mind you, that's the cheaper way round!
NJS