Male Body Image Appearing on the Western Men's Costume in the Baroque Era

Abstract

This research seeks to analyze western men's costume in the Baroque era in relation to men's physical beauty from its most detailed and interesting perspective to fomulate a plausible reasoning related to the aesthetic sense of body as expressed in men's costume. This research used national and international books, theses and internet data upon which to base a literature review for a correct understanding of Baroque style and at the same time empirical research to analyze the body image expressed in men's costume. The Baroque style expressed in the 17th century costume offered a dynamic feeling through wavy curves, and its brilliant and colorful decorations created a passionate and charming mood resembling a flame. Accordingly, this research studied the body image as it appeared in the form of 17th century western men's costume by dividing it into the contact beauty of the human body and the manner of hiding the architectural beauty of the human body. First, the exposed silhouette by clothing coming into contact with the human body could be found mainly in upper-class men's costume in the first half of the 17th century. The shorter and tighter doublets and knee breeches could be analyzed in terms of erotic imagery that emphasized masculinity, aristocratic imagery that stressed a distinctive status, and geometric imagery that expressed a triangular pattern. Second, the constructive expression by hiding the human body could be found in upper-class men's costume starting in the mid-17 century. The wearing of the justaucorps could be studied in terms of how it came into contact with the beauty of the human body but also how this clothing style the hid the architectural beauty of human body.