The Man in the Suit: Jewish Men and Fashion in fin-de-siècle Vienna

Abstract

Fin-de-siècle Vienna has long been recognized as one of Europe’s centers of modernist culture, and Jewish men, as central participants in this cultural development. However, its role as a capital of fashion is often overshadowed by more well-known cities like London. This article explores the influence of English styles on Vienna’s men’s fashion milieu and the central function of clothing within Jewish acculturation. The adoption of modern clothing—in particular the suit—by urban male populations across the continent over the course of the nineteenth century corresponded to the broad period of Jewish emancipation in western and central Europe. Referring to contemporary fashion guides, hinged on a case study of the dress habits of Sigmund Freud (1856–1939)—arguably one of Vienna’s most renowned thinkers of Jewish origin—this article explores the complex issues surrounding Jewish men and dress in the context of one of Europe’s important capitals of modernist culture.