The Man of Fashion: Peacock Males and Perfect Gentlemen (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The Man of Fashion is an exuberantly designed and illustrated celebration of men through the ages who have dressed extravagantly in order to show their power, to express their sexuality, to set themselves apart from the conformist herd--or simply out of sheer joie de vivre. Throughout history, the peacock male--memorable, magnificent, or assertively confident--has strutted through the pages of men's fashion. Top fashion writer Colin McDowell charts this self-confident course, from the medieval knights, with their lavish heraldic dress, through the stuffed and codpieced Elizabethans, the fops, incroyables, bucks, dandies, and swells, right up to the aesthetes, zooties, mods, hippies, and punks of the twentieth century. McDowell discusses the influence on later generations of sports, class, the movies, and popular music, and he focuses on those iconic figures--including royals, cowboys, and screen idols--who have provided role models for our century. The metamorphosis of late-twentieth-century fashionable man is considered in detail, with special reference to the power of fashion photographers, the influence of gay culture, and the rise of the new generation of menswear designers, in particular Lauren, Armani, Versace, and Gaultier. Entertaining, informative, and endlessly surprising, this will be an indispensable volume for fashion historians, students, and enthusiasts.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson (October 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500017972
• ISBN-13: 978-0500017975
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 8.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,481,966 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Witty Decadence, March 27, 2005

By	Mark (Minneapolis) - See all my reviews

I picked up a signed copy of this while living in London and was thrilled to finally find a book that addressed exuberance in masculine attire. Since then, I have discovered the extensive exuberance of male costume throughout the World and this book seems less impressive. It covers male clothing from Christian cultures, and is heavily influenced by the anti-luxury and anti-sex stance of Christianity. In other words, much of the clothing in this book comes across as naughty and scandalous rather than fun and life-affirming. There are some interesting pictures, but the overall feeling is one of cynicism.