From the bestselling, iconic author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil comes an irreverent and essential style guide—from boxers to button downs, turtlenecks to tuxedos


For more than a decade, beloved author John Berendt wrote a series of smart, sophisticated columns for Esquire on matters of manners and men's clothing. Class Act brings together over fifty of these updated and revised pieces, as well as two new additions, each focusing on an item of iconic men’s fashion. Whether interviewing the Duchess of Argyll about her family's connection to a certain pair of socks, revealing the identity of the mild-mannered gentleman who invented the most macho item in the male wardrobe (the motorcycle jacket), or laying bare the bloody Crimean war origin of the cardigan sweater, Berendt informs and entertains in equal measure. 

Full of surprising facts, unforgettable characters, and amusing anecdotes, this fully illustrated collection of snappy, elegant essays is as stylish as its subject matter. Part cultural history, part handbook, Class Act serves as a reminder that the clothing we wear is not simply fabric, but a reflection of our character... and sometimes our sheer audacity. A wildly entertaining ride through men's style and its place in our collective imagination, Class Act makes a strong case that taste and wit will never go out of fashion.

From the bestselling, iconic author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil comes an irreverent and essential style guide—from boxers to button downs, turtlenecks to tuxedos


For more than a decade, beloved author John Berendt wrote a series of smart, sophisticated columns for Esquire on matters of manners and men's clothing. Class Act brings together over fifty of these updated and revised pieces, as well as two new additions, each focusing on an item of iconic men’s fashion. Whether interviewing the Duchess of Argyll about her family's connection to a certain pair of socks, revealing the identity of the mild-mannered gentleman who invented the most macho item in the male wardrobe (the motorcycle jacket), or laying bare the bloody Crimean war origin of the cardigan sweater, Berendt informs and entertains in equal measure. 

Full of surprising facts, unforgettable characters, and amusing anecdotes, this fully illustrated collection of snappy, elegant essays is as stylish as its subject matter. Part cultural history, part handbook, Class Act serves as a reminder that the clothing we wear is not simply fabric, but a reflection of our character... and sometimes our sheer audacity. A wildly entertaining ride through men's style and its place in our collective imagination, Class Act makes a strong case that taste and wit will never go out of fashion.