American menswear: from the Civil War to the twenty-first century

Abstract

If clothes make the man, who makes the clothes and the trends they inspire? Fashion historian Daniel Delis Hill takes readers on a fascinatingly detailed tour of America s changing sartorial landscape, tracing menswear from the tailors and slop shops of the early nineteenth century to Calvins, tattoos, and the Armani tux. Each chronological section covers the full range of men's clothing by category, including suits and evening wear, outerwear, sportswear, accessories, sleepwear, swimwear, underwear, and grooming. Documenting the panorama of men s dress with 650 illustrations (many never before gathered in book form), Hill describes the social developments that contributed to and sprang from changing styles of masculine clothing. Additionally, he demonstrates how technological innovations as small as the inch measuring tape or as sweeping as the treadle sewing machine revolutionized the manufacture of menswear, and how mass production, distribution, and marketing democratized men s fashion. Examining evolving ideas and ideals of masculinity across two centuries of American history, Hill thoughtfully considers the societal implications of men s choices in dress. American Menswear contributes a much-needed resource to the fields of costume history, fashion design and merchandising, men s studies, advertising and marketing history, popular culture, and American history as well as a treat for the casual reader and an eye-catching addition to any art reference library.