Men's Fashion Clothing

Men's Fashion Clothing History and Influences

Men's fashion clothing has only recently become a mainstream industry, but men's attire does date back as far as women's - it has just never been as thoroughly reported. Find out about men's fashion history from the 20th century, the influences that have shaped men's fashion throughout the last 100 years, and where men's fashion clothing is today.

• Menswear
• Fashion Wear

Men's fashion clothing has never had as high a profile as women's fashion - throughout the decades fashion trends have always emerged first for women, as they have traditionally been seen as the primary consumers. Throughout the twentieth century men's fashion clothing was not as distinguishable by decade as women's, and only now in the 2000s are we seeing men's fashion come into it's own.

However, if you look further into the history of men's fashion, you'll see it did become edgier as the decades went on. Read on for a run-down on men's fashion clothing, where it began in the modern era, and where it is now.

1920s
The 1920s were very much an era of formalwear, as casual clothing like we think of it today would not develop for several decades. While day and evening attire was quite distinguishable, daywear would still consist of collared shirts, baggy flat-front pants or knickerbockers, blazers or other smart jackets and leather shoes. Tweed and flannel were popular fabrics for men's daywear of this era. Eveningwear denoted tail coats and top hats, while anything more casual was seen strictly as underwear (such as t-shirts) or work wear, rather than street-appropriate attire.

1930s
With the market crash of 1929, fashion, like other industries, considerably downsized for the 1930s. Men's suits became more casual, and attempted to create a larger torso with enlarged shoulder pads and double-breasted buttoning. Plaid patterning became popular during this period, as did other textures such as herringbone and houndstooth. Blazers also become popular summer daytime attire with influences from university and sporting colours and markings.

1940s
For the first time in history, post-war fashion saw young men setting trends and older men following them. The coloured, casual button-down shirt was first introduced (initially as beachwear), and was quickly seen on men in every corner of the globe. Suits (especially the ‘Zoot' suit) were still popular, but the war surviving culture demanded a revolt from the uniformed look of matching pants and jackets. Ties featuring images or graphics become a popular vent for creativity in a man's attire, sparking a revolution in the way men would think about clothing in the coming decade.

1950s
Men's expression first was exerted through fashion in the 1950s, with bright shirts and office-friendly but casual narrow trousers. The short sleeved shirt also emerged as an alternative which could be worn without a tie on weekends, and the burgeoning youth culture saw streetwear take precedence in fashion with the rise of the denim jean.

1960s
Men's suits were highly renovated during the 1960s to create a modern, slim silhouette. Tighter fitting attire became the norm as did a more ‘feminine' approach to colour and pattern: with paisley and florals appearing in shirts. Velvet was also a key fabric introduction during this decade, often seen in jackets and pants, and many men's outfits were paired with pointier shoes than ever seen before.

1970s
Sportswear very much came to light in the 1970s with the rise of athletic clothing as daywear. Sneakers and t-shirts became the norm for the younger man, a look taken up by older men on weekends. Business wear only changed slightly in shape to offer a baggier of bell-bottom legged pant, coupled with shirts which only changed with fashion colours, rather than shape.

1980s
While fashion designers had been working on women's fashion collections for some time, the 1980s saw the first emergence of couture culture for men. Designers such as Vivienne Westwood, Anne Klein and Jean Paul Gaultier first presented a new type of business wear, the ‘Power' suit, which quickly moved into mainstream fashion.

Casual wear saw influences from women's fashion (e.g. the Madonna era), with leather, studs and deconstructed embellishment common in men's fashion. Pastel colours for the more conservative man were popular, while highlighter colours and prints were ever-present on the younger male set.

1990s
The 1990s was a mish-mash of fashion which changed almost yearly. The most significant era in the 1990s was the rise of the grunge influence, which saw men dressing like their favourite rock stars in branded t-shirts, jeans and leather boots or hi-top Converse shoes.

The late 1990s saw many revivals from previous decades, the mod of the 1960s, the 1970s colour fad and later, the khaki period, which saw men of all ages take tips from golfing and other sporting fashion with Dockers and cargo-style pants.

Fashion Today
Men's fashion in the 2000s is now as indefinable as women's fashion has been for the past few years. While certain trends have emerged, men's fashion is now on par with women's, running seasonal cycles which can change completely every six months.

Hip hop culture has brought many trends to light in men's fashion for younger males, while older males are increasingly aware of tailoring, and making a garment fit right for their body shape, rather than going with the fashion trend.

It must be noted that men's fashion is now something more than the clothes on one's back - it is an expression of personal style. The rise of the ‘Metrosexual' man of the early 2000s was a media creation which was spread onto men of all ages, in a bid to encourage men to start taking care of themselves and the way they looked. Queer Eye for the Straight Guy was an instrumental catalyst for this, and was the rise of men's fashion magazines such as GQ and Men's Vogue.

Fashion today is now a pastime for men, not a sentence. Fashion designers worldwide now create collections for men which are just as broad as collections for women, and recent years have also seen New Zealand fashion designers adding menswear to their collections.

For more information on men's fashion clothing, check out the NZS.com directory. For Spring Fashion 2008 tips and trends, check out NZS.com's fashion articles.

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Lifestyle images from Flickr: SmartStylist, Yoga and Wine.