How Has Men’s Wear Evolved over the Years?

Like many other things in human life, men’s fashion is also ruled by tradition and history. All men’s wear you will see today has evolved from the past, taking its inspiration from many things. Interestingly, every era of humanity has impacted the evolution of men’s wear.

To understand the extent of this evolution, it is necessary to take a critical look back at about one hundred years ago and track the development of men’s fashion. This will give a clear insight into how much men’s fashion has changed. It will also inform decisions when it comes to upgrading our wardrobe with new accessories.

Digging How Men’s Wear Has Evolved over the Years

Fashion is more than just clothes. It has a functional impact on confidence and personal style. As a result, distinctive styles depict different atmospheres. Going back in time to know the different clothing styles is a fascinating experience. Seeing the styles dominating different eras shows us how far we have come. So here’s a dig at the evolution of men’s wear over the years.

The Period between 1900 and 1919

At the beginning of the 20th century, the “middle-class men’s suit” was in vogue. This clothing style came from England, and it was a strong detachment from the frock coats in the 1800s recognized for their knee-length. Suits in the early 1900s came in three pieces of clothing. We had the jacket, trousers, vest or waistcoat. Men wore morning coat-like jackets with curved asymmetrical tailcoats from front to back in the morning. The style is completed with matching or striped trousers. In the evening, men used evening suits with dark colors. The rich during this period would change clothes as many times as possible during the day as their social status dictated.

Later, lighter fabrics were used, and simple suits became popular. Morning suits became a straightforward single-breasted jacket. This jacket had narrow lapels and high buttons paired with plain matching trousers. A club collar or round-edge tie is attached to the button-down shirts, which were pastel or striped. This is to make the collar easily removable for washing since they got dirty easily. The basic knowledge of men’s fashion during this period is the attachment it had with propriety and formality.

The Jazz Age or the Period between 1920 and 1929

We would have added fashion during this time with the early 1900s, but there was a major evolution in men’s wear. The Jazz Age came and had a strong print on man’s fashion. The post-war (World War I) reflected on the whole clothing style for men. Suits were simpler, slimmer, and the whole outfit became brighter – reflecting optimism and new life. The deep black and charcoal colors were replaced by light colors. Shoulder pads were no more, and tight jackets became the style. Then along came bow ties.

In the next 10 years, button-down shirts and detachable collars became popular. The wear was made with softer fabrics. The striped, white shirts were replaced by shirts of many colors. Men tied Windsor knots, replacing the club collars. The style represented excitement, life, growth, and the birth of Hollywood. Men used belts and not suspenders with cuffs and front creases getting attached to the trousers. Hats were in abundance for us. Here was to “post-war optimism,” jazz music, Hollywood, and dressing to the nines.

Roller-coaster Years

America was beginning to be the center of fashion of the world. It should, however, be noted that much of the style inspiration was coming from England, France, and Italy. The world became accustomed to the world of modern fashion, an idea that changed “a gentleman” from hunting jackets to business suit jackets. The tuxedo became the night jacket, and the suit ruled the day. The 1950s rolled in as America embraced more contemporary styles. The idea that men no longer live to work but work to live dominated the clothing styles.

Ivy League campuses also helped shaped men’s fashion with the emergence of “trad style’ among students. The trad style was traditionally a suit but rebellious against the style of their fathers. Although the dresses before the trad style were relaxing and comfortable, the students still felt fashion revolt was needed. After a slow start of the trad style, it became brazen and eventually relegated the casual outfit.

In 1962, the Hawaiian Fashion Guild created a new fashion movement by introducing their Hawaiian shirt in mainstream workplaces in New York, Los Angeles, and Washington. After strategic adverts in a bid to make young businessmen adopt the new counterculture revolution, “Casual Fridays” was introduced, similar to when sailors did in Aloha Week in 1942. Wall Street buzzed with excitement after shirts were introduced to the workplaces.

Men’s fashion continues to evolve. And that is the beauty of it. In recent years, we have had the emergence of contemporary brands which you could call the 21st-century deciders of fashion. Brands like Armani, H&M, Lacoste, Gucci, Levis, Nike, Hugo Boss, and a host of others are directing the fashion world as we speak. However, one thing is sure. Trends will come and go. It should also be noted that many of these brands continue to follow the trends by leveraging the past to build the future. Between the 1900s and now, manufacturers have modified the cut of suit hundreds of ways, but the suit has continuously dominated the business environment.

Lastly, while you should be fascinated by the new and modern trends, buying timeless quality accessories is the trick to creating your personal style. Looking sharp classic is always easy with FancyBoy Signature Shirt Stays. Keeping up with the new trends requires that you spend more money on clothes you cannot wear for long.  

Final Notes

Clothes are part of our personality and a visual representation of who we are. The kinds of clothing accessories we use can say a lot about us. That is why it is advisable to create a personal style that we can stick with. Against the evolving modern trends, you can use personal preferences to build a personal style in clothing that lasts.