Men's Fashion Through the Ages
When the topic of fashion is brought up, most people associate it with something that is only relevant to women or something only women care about. Though it is true that this industry is predominantly women, that does not change the fact that it is something that affects anyone and everyone, no matter the age, gender, or background. Fashion also gives us insight as to what society’s ideals were at the time. Looking at trends that occurred on the male side of things can help us identify what the principles and standards were for men in that specific time period.
In the 18th century, the clothes that men wore will seem almost ‘feminine’ for today’s culture, however, at the time, men would dress just as boldly as women. This means that they wore voluminous dress coats and powdered wigs (the curly, white hair wigs). Typical attire was the 3-piece suit, breeches (the pants that go up to the knee), sleeveless waistcoats, and dress coats. Nothing really changed when it comes to what men wore in the 19th century, however, men’s clothes had incorporated some elements of the women’s gigot sleeve. The fact that men in this century dressed in such audacious apparel shows that ‘masculine ideals at this time were to mark your presence.
In the 1900s and 1910s, men’s fashion didn’t change that much, but there were changes in some of the details. In the 1910s WW1 definitely had an impact on men’s clothes, for example, the rise of the trench coat. This specific coat was part of many of the men’s military uniforms. A military uniform catching on and becoming part of everyday attire can mean that men at this time had to be tough and strong, in other words, they had to be soldiers.
As the 1920s came around, all fashion (both men and women) became about simplicity. Trousers, or pants, is what was most changed from the previous decade to this one. There were two types of popular pants, the Oxford bags, and the plus-fours, both of which were ‘baggy’. Both of these styles were developed by young men. In the 30s, trends started to come from movies, and not as much from what the ‘elites’ wore. Menswear became more democratic, so, clothes were more defined by what was absent than what was present. Men’s fashion continued to become less and less formal. In both of these decades, fashion was also influenced by sports, specifically golf. The movies in which fashion took influence, included men who had an ideal ‘strong figure’ meaning that the ‘men need to be strong’ idea was still popular.
Moving on to the 1940s, WW2 slowed down the change in fashion for both men and women, rationing affected everyone and it was directly tied into what people wore. Men used utility suits/attire, and when making these suits the basic principle was ‘the less fabric used the better’. However, it was uncommon to see a man not wearing a military uniform, meaning that they were still expected to be soldiers. After the war, sporting styles became more popular. Brightly colored Hawaiian shirts were brought from overseas and started to catch on.
In the 50s men’s fashion continued to move towards informality. The youth were really the people who defined fashion during this decade. Fashion influences continued to come from movies but also from people like James Dean. Styles started coming from the working class and not so much from the upper classes. Popular clothing consisted of leather jackets, jeans, and a white shirt, this was very different because jeans were previously only used by farmers. Boys would also slick their hair back into quiffs. Perhaps the biggest change that occurred in this decade was the presence of color, and the Hawaiian shirts continued to be popular. Once again, the figure of the actors in the movies that inspired trends shows us that the muscular man was still ideal. Fashion in the 60s became more colorful and casual. Unlike before, trendsetters started to become rockstars like Mick Jagger, The Beatles, and Jimi Hendrix. Men’s fashion was influenced by military elements (rockstars would wear military jackets during performances). In the late 60s, stores that sold leftover navy/army uniforms became popular, along with thrift stores. Futuristic clothing also became relatively popular.
1970s men’s fashion continued to get even brighter and bolder. The Peacock revolution made it acceptable for men to wear bright colors and bold prints, along with having long hair. Now the ‘male ideal figure’ shifted to a tall and lean man. Men would wear wide belts with larger buckles because it made the eyes focus on the center of the torso, making broader bodies appear slimmer. Shirts and trousers were the tightest they’ve ever been, and men’s fashion became more gender-neutral, specifically when it came to informal wear. T-shirts, jeans, shirts, and sweaters were worn by both men and women, and a few skinny men would even choose to wear women’s clothes instead of men’s. Informal looks were more acceptable, but suits were still required by many, they did, however, come in more various choices of patterns and materials. In the mid-70s the ‘punk’ style became very popular, especially in London, and menswear (like women’s) saw a rise in athletic leisurewear. Towards the end of the decade, the ideal male figure started to widen.
The 1980s showed a craze for fitness wear. Other styles included classic American workwear, peppy styles, and power dressing. Popular designers started designing clothes for men too and not just women. Jean-Paul Gaultier (a designer) even decided to play around with gender roles and designed skirts for men. Thierry Mugler designed suits with wide shoulders, and Butterick-styled clothes to showcase bold patterns and colors of men’s sports coats. Along with this, many subculture ‘street styles’ made their mark on both men’s and women’s fashion. The concept of street style is a style that emerges from the 'bottom' (from a subculture/individual), rather than going from 'the top-down' (like from a designer). This includes styles that emerged from the dance culture. The 80s also brought the rise of goth fashion. Later in the decade hip-hop and rap also came into style. Based on fashion, we can tell that men in this era were still expected to be strong, but the idea of men still being men while wearing ‘feminine’ clothes started to rise.
The 1990s carried on the trend of informal clothing, jeans and untucked shirts became casualwear. Music genres like grunge, hip-hop, and brit-pop were what influenced fashion. Grunge music artists wore oversized flannel shirts, jeans, beanies, band t-shirts, knitted sweaters with patterns, converse shoes, cardigan sweaters, all of which were often bought in second-hand thrift stores. Although this style of music lost its popularity as the decade progressed, some of the trends it introduced influenced other styles. Hip-hop influenced the use of sportswear, and flannel shirts (which came from grunge). With brit-pop came the revival of the 60s mod style, and rave/clubwear included retro sportswear. Preppy wear (khaki pants, navy blazers, oxford shirts) also became a thing, and the idea of ‘dress casual’ rose. The 90s were really the first time were also really the first time that African American men (like Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Dr. Dre) influenced the fashion world.
The 2000s meant a rise of a new century, and fashion definitely changed. The industry continued to see influenced by music. A basis for men’s attire was leather/jean jackets, dress shirts, and chunky shoes. Leisure or casual wear became the biggest trends, and denim was considered a staple for both men and women. Other popular clothes were cargo pants, polo shirts, tracksuits, oxford shoes, flip-flops, and sneakers. The style from this time period was based on a mix of the one from the 1920s and the 1980s.
The 2010s was when men’s fashion finally started catching up with women’s in terms of creativity and clout. Throughout this decade, there wasn’t really one single style that dominated. The internet made things so accessible, so it was as if everything was cool. That being said, there were some very popular trends. For example, skinny jeans, minimal sneakers (like stans smiths), and Yeezys. In this decade, big brands realized that they could keep making luxury clothing, while still making cheaper clothing with their logos on it so that they could reach a younger audience (Millennials and Gen Z). In the 2010s, high and low fashion became a blur, people would wear blazers with sneakers and joggers with overcoats. At the basis of this blur was hoodies. Hoodies became one of the most popular items of clothing. Before, there was no way hoodies would cost as much as they did, because now, depending on how they were styles, hoodies could be considered ‘high-end’.
One of the most significant things to happen in the 2010s happened towards the end of it. Young men were deemed as ‘cool’ if they wear clothes that their grandfathers would originally wear, thrift stores became big again. Along with this, some iconic celebrities started challenging the idea of ‘manly’ or ‘masculine’ clothes. Men like Harry Styles, Timothée Chalamet, Chadwick Boseman, Tyler The Creator, and Jaden Smith stopped worrying about what men ‘should’ wear and started just having fun with clothes.
These trends continued in 2020. Harry Styles was now the first man to appear alone on the cover of American Vogue, and he did it while wearing a dress. And men continue to style themselves with vintage clothes bought at thrift stores. This year, the idea of masculinity being defined base on clothes was challenged perhaps more than ever before. Although for most people the ‘ideal male figure’ is still a strong, physically and emotionally wise, man, things are slowly straying away from that.
Fashion is one of the most common and arguably the most important form of self-expression. It is something that every single person has crossed paths with, no matter who they are or where they come from. It can symbolize a heritage, a religious belief, and ideals. Because of this, humanity as a whole needs to move on from this idea that fashion is only for women, and allow men to also make their mark in the industry.
