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2023 Author: Katelyn Chandter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 13:08
Despite the seeming indifference, the man, throughout the history of mankind, attached great importance to fashion.
Fashion changes and rushes forward rapidly. It is easier for women with inconstancy of nature and due to their "frivolity" to follow fashion news and trends. Men are more accustomed to stability and men's fashion is more conservative.
Fashion demonstrates a person's lifestyle, standard of living, belonging to a cultural group, position in society and status.
Despite the seeming indifference, the man, throughout the history of mankind, has attached great importance to fashion.
Photo: Shameless Men's Winter Collection from Suit Supply.
The history of men's fashion
Men's fashion began when ancient tribes began to paint and tattoo. It was these signs that told about belonging to a particular tribe, merit and status of a person. With a cold snap, the man threw on the skin of the animal he had killed in battle.
In ancient Greece, men's clothing consisted of two parts: a chiton and a himation. Hymatius was a piece of woolen cloth, reaching 1.7 meters in width and 4 meters in length, draped around the figure. The chiton is like a modern underwear. The men's chiton was made from a rectangular piece of fabric (about 1 meter wide and 1.8 meters long), which was folded in half vertically and chopped off at the shoulders with buckles (fibulae). The Spartans wore himation directly on their bodies without a chiton, and artisans and slaves were covered with a coarse woolen chiton or an ordinary loincloth. Women's clothing also consisted of a chiton and a himation, but was much more colorful and varied; it was decorated with embroidery, applique work and painted ornaments. Greek men's fashion sought inspiration from harmony and athletic build.
Men's fashion in Greece.
The culture and art of Ancient Greece had a great influence on Ancient Rome. The main clothing of the Romans was a tunic and toga, similar to the Greek chiton and himation. Toga is a piece of white woolen fabric (5 x 2 meters) draped around the body. The richer the citizen was, the more refined and more beautiful was the decoration of the toga. Foreigners and slaves were not allowed to wear a toga. Initially, it was worn by both men and women, but later the toga became only men's clothing. Tunic - clothing made of linen or wool, a shirt worn under a toga. Men's fashion of the Romans was more luxurious and sophisticated, despite the emphasis on beauty on the physical strength, endurance and severity of the then inhabitant.
Men's fashion of Ancient Rome. Romanesque medieval fashion is a mixture of ancient traditions and barbarian trends. Class differences in wardrobe have remained since Byzantium. The clothes, so beloved by both sexes, appeared in men's fashion - pants that came from the barbarians.
Men's fashion of the Romanesque period. In the 12th century (Gothic), a Romanesque dress appeared, similar to a monk's attire. New cloths appeared, and not wars, but pampered knights serving their ladies became the male ideal. Yellow was the most common and fashionable color for men in that era.
Men's fashion. Gothic. During the Renaissance, especially in Italy, men's fashion was represented by two lines: young people wore an antique tunic and eccentric multicolored pants. Another type of cloak, called a tappert, looked like a sleek church vestment. In the second line, a long cloak with sleeves, a wide collar was in fashion and was a continuation of the antique toga. The cloak became the hallmark of monarchs, nobles and intellectuals.
Men's fashion. Renaissance.
Men's fashion. The era of Louis XIV (1638-1715). During the transition period between the Baroque and the Rococo Regency (1715-1730), men's costume changed little. The men wear long vests, just-au-corps, short pants and wigs. Triangular hats and cocked hat appeared in men's fashion.
Men's fashion. Regency.
Men's fashion in the first half of the 18th century follows women's fashion and the same luxury and pretentiousness appears in it. In the second half of the 18th century, the appearance of a modern men's suit begins to form - a tailcoat, jus-aux-cor gets rid of unnecessary pretentious elements (flounces, lace and ribbons).
Men's fashion. Empire style. Men's fashion of the 18th century began to get rid of flashy elements of wardrobe and bright colors, and a tailcoat and a top hat became the main clothing. The man had to change his clothes several times every day to preserve the whiteness of his shirt. The German writer Prince Hermann Pückler-Muskau wrote: "That an elegant man needs twenty shirts, twenty-four handkerchiefs, ten kinds of trousers, thirty neckerchiefs, a dozen vests and socks every week." After this I would like to say that modern fashionistas are resting nervously, and you say "metrosexuals".
Men's fashion. Restoration (1815-1820). In the days of Biedermeier and Romanticism (1820-1840), France and England continue to rule the ball. Men's fashion is becoming even more restrained, and the tailcoat is becoming the main weekend and casual wear. With a tailcoat, they wear a coat on a figure, long trousers, a top hat, a tie and a colored vest. Checkered fabrics became popular, but men preferred them in dark colors. Tweed (tweed) appeared - a frock coat made of woolen fabric, fastened at the neck. Tweed has become a staple of modern clothing.
Men's fashion in the days of Biedermeier and romanticism (1820-1840). In 1829, the French inventor Barthélemy Timonier invented the sewing machine, which made it possible to produce fabrics on an industrial scale. True, for this invention, workers, fearing unemployment, burned down Timonier's factory and almost killed the engineer. In men's fashion, the transition to a modern jacket begins - without tailcoats. The workers dressed much more simply: belted shirt and trousers.
Men's fashion during the second rococo (1840-1870). In the period 1870-1890, men's fashion began to replace tailcoats with jackets, and top hats - with bowlers. Men's clothing takes on a completely modern look: a jacket, trousers, a vest made of English fabric. Men's sportswear appeared: long trousers and a shirt.
Men's fashion in 1870-1890. At the end of the 19th century - the beginning of the 20th century, casual suits were simplified, and a suit with a jacket or frock coat became the everyday men's clothing. For example, we can recall the famous literary tandem of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, created by the writer Arthur Conan Doyle.
Men's fashion late XIX - early XX century.
Men's fashion between the two world wars.
After 1945, men's fashion was influenced by the military. In 1965, Italian-born Parisian fashion designer Pierre Cardin fashioned a young man in a leather jacket. Rock and roll, silk suits, bell bottoms and jeans comes.
The 1960s saw the mass production of men's suits and the era of white collars. The 70s is the time of free love, disco, and hippies with Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll in colorful shirts and jeans. In the 80s, the craving for luxury and clothes in the style of pragmatic Americans were in vogue: "If you want to be a millionaire, look like a million!" In the 1990s - sportswear, extreme style and unisex. XXI century - fashion for metrosexuals, they are opposed by retrosexuals and, as a result, the golden mean of male predilections - ubersexuals.
Men's fashion
The general paths of development of men's fashion, in general, coincide with the tendencies of women's. Variations in men's fashion are due to local characteristics, color, sports and other activities.
Now the modern world of men's fashion begins to emancipate. Men try more daring wardrobes, take at least men's skirts (kilts) from such brands as Dolce & Gabbana, Kenzo, Nikos, Vivienne Westwood, Levis or the famous Indian harem pants "Afghani" (Aladdin's, Afghani pants) or Wishroom men's bras in Japan.
Often a man's wardrobe is determined by his work and often the dress code forces him to strictly follow the established framework. The imposition of a work imprint forces a man to either follow a style or try to express himself within the established norms. This is how a lot of business suits are produced, allowing a little shocking and rebelliousness in a business wardrobe. For example, the rebellious Swiss menswear brand Strellson.
Photo: Caliber Spring / Summer 2010/2011
If you take a dozen of men and women, then the fair sex is more influenced by fashion and sometimes we can say that men make bad fashionistas. The most fashionably dressed men are often the more liberated strata of the population - young students and teenagers.
Men's fashion does not call to blindly chase after it, it says: "You may not be fashionable, but you must be stylish!"
Used literature: L. Kibalova, O. Gerbenova, M. Lamarova "Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fashion".