Last night, a mixed bag of stodgy older men, fashionably dressed students, and a few people who looked like they were lost could all be found in the same Upper West Side venue.

At Barnes and Noble authors Robert Bryan (former New York Times staffer) and Bertrand Pellegrin (a noted brand strategist) were sitting in handsomely tailored suits discussing mens fashion.

Bryan and Pellegrin have each published books, American Fashion Menswear and Branding the Man respectively. The first is a great coffee table book filled with inspiring images ranging from Hollywood legend James Dean to fashion columnist Patrick McDonald, but, don’t just look at the photos, read the words, too! Seeing as Bryan’s knowledge of fashion stretches back to the days when he remembers sketches being more prevalent than photographs, he probably has a thing or two of importance to say regarding the evolution of modern menswear.

While Branding the Man has less glossy photos and may look like a book that belongs on the Parson’s curriculum plan, it covers a range of intriguing topics from style icons to guerilla retailing, and is simply a must read for any budding retailer, marketer, designer or simply a well dressed (or well intentioned) man.

KEYWORDS: books, events, reading