cover image Paisley Goes with Nothing

Paisley Goes with Nothing

Hal Rubenstein. Doubleday Books, $20 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-385-47712-3

Bright, breezy, irreverent and opinionated, this how-to compendium by the editor-at-large of InStyle magazine assisted by the comedy writer who contributes ``Hot Sheet'' to Entertainment Weekly, begins with advice on how a sophisticated urban male should dress, then goes on to virtually every other aspect of his life. Rather than a collection of helpful hints, here is a series of ukases about skin and hair care, eyeglasses and scents, traveling, entertaining and being entertained, becoming a restaurant VIP, observing proper business etiquette and living alone or living with another. Some sample dicta: sneakers never look good; designer jeans are not really jeans; always shop alone; stand up straight; don't eat raw seafood anywhere; above all, remember that style is not fashion. But though $500 suits and $150 shoes are not within every male's reach, the book is consistently entertaining, even for those who can't practice what it preaches. (Oct.)