A History of Men's Fashion (Hardcover)

by Farid Chenoune (Author), Deke Dusinberre (Translator), Richard Martin (Preface)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
A History of Men's Fashion is divided into four parts that follow the sartorial evolution of the male wardrobe from the era of Beau Brummell, which created the model of the gentlemen and the dandy, to the "anti-fashion" trends of the early 1990s.

Part One (1760-1850) traces the era of tails and the frock coat, the emergence of the pantaloon and the influence of Anglomania on European fashion. Men's fashion in Europe's fin de siecle climate, and the impact of ready-made garments are discussed in Part Two (1850-1914). Part Three (1914-1940) introduces the aesthetic of the sweater and the variations on the suit and vest as part of the post-World War I moral liberation and economic euphoria, and traces changes all the way through to the New Deal and the new American elegance. The post-World War II fashion revolution is described in Part Four (1940-1990) from zoot suits, spurred by the black American jazz scene, to London's Mod fashion of the 60s, Pierre Cardin and the new French style, the emergence of Italian chic, and the hippie and punk styles of the 70s. The book is completed by a perceptive discussion of contemporary designers such as Jean-Paul Gaultier, Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren, Comme des Garcons, and Yohji Yamamoto.

Farid Chenoune's lively and accessible text is filled with amusing anecdotes about male dress and grooming. He vividly places style transformations in the context of contemporary fashion criticism, history, social etiquette, manufacturing and marketing revolutions, and highlights public and private responses to fashion trends. By analyzing fashion's symbolic, social, and economic frames of reference he lays before us the entire fabric of the intellectual, spiritual, and material forces of the modern era. The copious illustrations for this book, many reproduced here for the first time, are drawn from fashion designs, paintings, drawings, cartoons, tailor's model books, magazines, and rare, impromptu photographs of masculine style in city streets.


Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Flammarion (June 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 2080135368
• ISBN-13: 978-2080135360
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,447,237 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent overview of 1760-1990, August 14, 2000

By	S. J. Goodwin (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This weighty book is a wonderful source of primary research-- paintings, drawings, period designs & photographs, even political cartoons of the time. Unmarred by drawings-of-paintings or other unhelpful secondhand images, it details Western European and American fashions, with a well-written emphasis on the connections to status, politics, & other issues of the day.

While you understandably won't see exhaustive material devoted to each of the 230 years, the coverage is consistent and connectable. There are also substantial forays into fun things like Zoot Suits & pinstriped gangster chic, yet there's room for esoterica; buttoning up one's gloves to indicate anger fashionably, why striped shirts were low-class & shirt ruffles were not, & the late-Victorian way of exhibiting a gentlemanly manner (gently wrinkled clothing, little signs of wear, & a stammer!)

Rather touchingly, it also shows that nothing is truly new under the sun...did you know that bell-bottoms, called "Oxford bags", were a hot look in 1925?

This is a great depiction of men's fashion evolution, broad without being simple.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely the best history! , January 28, 2006

By	Beatrice Izzey "Nanny Dog" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This is a masterpiece of social history. Wonderful illustrations, by paintings, drawings, and photographs. I actually read the text cover to cover because the socio historic context of the clothing was so fascinating, and well written. Until I read this book I had no idea that men's clothes had so much meaning. Also, kudos to the author for being expansive and inclusive about the class context and the class consciousness of clothing, and covering what working men wore.

My only regret that there isn't something as well written about women's fashion. The only books seem to be about haute couture, about what the top 1 or 2% wealthy society women wore (Chanel, Vionnet, Charles David, ad nauseum) at a given time in history. Who cares. What did real women wear, and what were the class differences, that is what I would like to know. Mr. Chenoune, it's up to you, if you are interested at all in women's fashion.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book, May 20, 2000

By	Rachel (The Emerald City, OZ) - See all my reviews

Although I did not purchase this book, I checked it out for a project I was doing in History class. This book contains hundreds of pictures, along with them there are details on the history of them. I would suggest this book to anyone interested in fashion and in need of a book for a project!