Tom Ford on Fragrance
“The way you smell can make as much as an impression, if not more, as the way you look.”
“Every time I see someone do that silly thing where they spray their fragrance in the air and moving through it, I laugh.”
“My method is to wear a lot of fragrance. . . why smell only a little bit good when you can smell great?”
“I always spray on a little fragrance before I go to bed. I find it incredibly relaxing.”
“Every time I’m feeling fabulous, well. . . I’ve got a fragrance for that too.”
“Just choose a great fragrance, and nobody will complain you have too much on. Rather, they will want to get near your neck and take a deep breath, which can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on who you’re with.”
“Once, I tried to make a fragrance that was vodka and cigarette breath because I used to find that quite sexy. It didn’t really work.”
Tom Ford on Style
“First relax. Style and fashion should enhance your life and not cause you more stress.”
“A good, white, popping shirt is something every man should have in his closet.”
“I think all men should own a beautifully cut black suit.”
“I think a suit should make you feel younger and trimmer. It should make your shoulders look broad and your waste and hips look smaller.”
“I have two looks really: an urban look, which is almost always a black suit and black boots, and then a country look, which is usually in tones of dark brown.”
“I love this dark brown suede jacket. It’s a classic and it’ll last you forever—provided you don’t gain weight.”
“Wear a proper tuxedo. I believe being overdressed is better than being underdressed.”
“When I see people dressed really poorly, I think ‘My god, you have got to get a full length mirror.’ That sounds really terrible but you have to be brutal with yourself. You have to assess yourself in a kind of architectural way.”
Tom Ford on Grooming
“It’s not about changing the way you look. It’s about being the best version of yourself.”
“Cover any blemishes with a light concealer.”
“Perfect your stubble. Perfectly maintained stubble is one of the fundamentals of masculine beauty.”
“Take care of your brows. But don’t overdo it.”
The best part of living in LA is the small chance that I might run into Tom Ford and say hello.