A Review of Tom Ford's 'Essentials'

Last week, we reviewed Tom Ford's lessons to be a modern gentleman. This week, we look at his list of 22 Essentials, some must- have's/must-do's for men. Here is Mr. Ford's list:

While the list is a good starting point, it is hardly realistic. Some stuff is too expensive or unnecessary. Instead, I give a realistic list of things all non-millionaire men should have. Instead of seeing this new list as essentials for the modern gentleman, we should see it as essentials for the common gentleman.

A Review of the Tom Ford's 'Modern Gentleman'

Tom Ford was recently described in AnOther magazine as a “fashion powerhouse, film mogul and old school romantic.” The first two are well known: Ford was a star for Gucci before creating his own fashion line, and his recent directorial debut in A Single Man was well received, garnering plenty of recognition at the Golden Globes and Oscars. To add to the list, apparently he’s an old school romantic to boot. I’m not sure precisely how one garners this ‘old school romantic’ label, but his recent lists of “Tom Ford's five easy lessons in how to be a modern gentleman” and “The Essentials,” the latter a list of 22 must-have’s/must-do’s for men, have certainly made a tangible case for where men are lacking.

In this two-part series, Tom Ford’s lists for what it takes to be a modern gentleman will be looked at again. Some parts work, whereas others don’t. Today, we examine Mr. Ford’s teachings for modern gentlemen, and at the same time we will critique and simplify.