By Jake Gallagher
Not only is he a walking, talking encyclopedia of all things food, Alton Brown is also one of the best dressed “real people” on television. From his elbow patched tweed blazers, to his window paned linen suits, to his blue oxfords, to his signature bow ties, the Food Network star rarely appears in front of the camera looking anything less than his best. What particularly makes Brown a neo-icon in my eyes, is that he has an enviable grasp of his own style. After his very public choice to lose weight a couple years back, Brown really pegged down what he likes and what fits, and he’s stuck to it ever since. While I personally would never wear a bow tie, I love that Brown wears his because, as he says, “I’m a pilot and straight ties get tangled up with cables and harnesses when you fly.” Brown is a great example of how to dress with character without looking like a character. He shows that it’s okay to wear outlandish pieces, as long as they fit right, and you carry yourself with a bit of confidence. Of course, it helps if you host a couple TV shows here and there, but we can’t all be so lucky now, can we.
A classic Brown outfit:
Brooks Brothers Extra-Slim Fit Oxford Dress Shirt
L.B.M. 1911 Blazer
Pierrepont Hicks Prairie Bow Tie
Sid Mashburn Heavy Drill Trouser
Common Projects Original Achilles Low Top Sneakers
Jake Gallagher is a writer and student currently living in Manhattan. He focuses on back stories and the historical side of menswear at his site Wax-Wane.com. You can also follow him on Twitter.
5 Comments
That man is a boss.
Totally agree, Alton is great to watch for what he wears. My only issue is that his weight-loss crusade now makes him look really unhealthy and much older than he actually is.
Gotta disagree with you, Gary-A. Since the weight loss AB looks 10 years younger and is a bounding ball of healthy energy.
Really, Alton Brown’s “personal style” starts and ends at Sid Mashburn. This is not a knock on Alton Brown.
I wrote an article about this a few years ago for Haberdash’s blog and his stylist actually contacted me. Wound up selling him his first few LBM’s… I’m not feeling the current bowtie kick though. I liked the traditional ties better.