Art & Architecture Collection > Costume and Fashion History: A Guide to Resources

Men’s Clothing

Men led fashion from antiquity to our modern era, before ceding authority to the growing haute couture emphasis on feminine dress. As the literature of costume and fashion history grew through the twentieth century, studies of men’s wear remained considerably less numerous than those for women. Attempts at redressing this imbalance have begun over the last three decades, aided by the advent of gender studies. Many of these newer publications examine the traditional masculine diffidence about fashion, and some titles, in particular, look at the relationship between men’s clothing and popular culture. 

Bennett-England, Rodney. Dress optional: the revolution in menswear. London: Owen, 1967. (3-MME)
Anchors social history, popular culture and mass media awareness of men’s clothing, and how casual dress, including sportswear, make up modern clothing choices.

Chenoune, Farid. Des Modes et des hommes: deux siècles d’élégance masculine. Paris: Flammarion, 1993. (JFF 96-3454)
A fairly thorough survey of masculine dress with emphasis on upper class dress modes.

Flusser, Alan. Clothes and the man: the principles of fine men’s dress. New York: Villard Books, 1992. (JQF 04-260)
A primer for what constitutes contemporary fine male dress. Discusses garment types and how they should be worn, traditional uses of accessories, and principles of masculine clothing that are based on historical precedent.

Laver, James. Dress. London: John Murray, 1966. (MMC+)
One of costume historian Laver’s most far-flung approaches to the history of men’s dress is offered in concise, anecdotal form.

McDowell, Colin. The Man of fashion. London: Thames and Hudson, 1997. (3-MME+ 97-13412)
A historical examination of masculine attempts to lead fashion, with particular focus on dandyism and sartorial elegance as social goals.

Polhemus, Ted. Streetstyle: from sidewalk to catwalk. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1994. (3-MMC 95-9354)
Covers the development of a modern era casual menswear industry, along with anti-fashion trends. Follows influences from both the streets and haute couture houses.

Waugh, Nora. The Cut of men’s clothes 1600-1900. London: Faber & Faber, 1964. (MMC 84-684)
A classic study of exactly how men’s clothes were cut and shaped, right up to the dominance of the ready-to-wear clothing industry.

Zakim, Michael. Ready-made democracy: a history of men’s dress in the American Republic, 1760-1860. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003. (JQE 04-141)
Evaluates the historical conditions and events that led to changes in American masculine clothing, and how the New World provided leadership in mass tailoring techniques, and the introduction of a ready-to-wear industry.