(De)Constructing Tailoring Norms
Europe took a new approach to fashion following the French Revolution. Lavish designs and eccentricity – fashions which were almost exclusively associated with the aristocracy: A.K.A enemy No.1 to revolutionaries – were out and more practical forms of dress were in as the new spirit of rationality constricted masculine style into a one-size-fits-all model: the suit.
An epitome of masculine sophistication in contemporary popular thought, the familiar evening-wear ensemble has come to reek of classist, patriarchal overtones despite its origins as a stark deviation from the elite and aristocratic.
Its predecessor, the coat frock, was the staple for European gentlemen in the 20th century while the well-known ‘tuxedo’ receives its name from a New York country club – put simply, the suit is a complex visual embodiment of both patriarchal privilege and suppression.
Its beginnings are what ties the classic tailored suit to our ideas of formality and convention and while those associations persist today, the power that accompanied those wearing suits is less perceivable now.
As the suit became a global export in the 1900s, it unsurprisingly transformed into everyone and their fathers’ wardrobe mainstay. While the Don Drapers of the world were perceived as impressive, the omnipresence only served to deplete any kind of individuality among men.
To preface the exhibition, Gucci’s Creative Director, Alesssandro Michele, repurposed a statement from the brand’s Fall/Winter 2020 collection:
‘In a patriarchal society, masculine gender identity is often moulded by violently toxic stereotypes. A dominant, winning, oppressive masculinity model is imposed at birth. Attitudes, languages and actions end up progressively conforming to a macho virility ideal that removes vulnerability and dependence.
Any possible reference to femininity is aggressively banned, as it is considered a threat against the complete affirmation of a masculine prototype that allows no divergences. There is nothing natural in this drift. The model is socially and culturally built to reject anything that doesn’t comply with it.’
Men as a gender have never been uninterested in fashion at all. Social prejudices and historical factors have unfortunately led to a whole gender who feel constricted when it comes to fashion, with any androgynous or perceivably-feminine looks explicitly outlawed.
Luckily, that fear is beginning to wane, leaving a gap for brands who can build up bravery in masculine style as more and more men are finding freedom in fashion again, reminiscent of the exuberance, fun, glamour and joy that defined menswear historically.
As this freedom filters through our culture and men get intimate with their identities again, brands need to design for the personal, the particular and the unique.
‘Subculture is the new pop culture’ – David Fischer, Founder of Highsnobiety
Like music, fashion became a defining feature of subcultures from post-war periods to our present.
One of Britain’s most famous subcultures, the rock’n’roll Teddy Boys, took inspiration from Edwardian romanticism, becoming modern day dandys in an ironic, rebellious way while jazz, ska and soul-loving Mods adopted mass-produced Italian tailoring styles as their uniform.
Today, subcultures are far less clear cut but specific music genres still have immense influence on fashion. Hip-hop in particular has come to dominate the world of high-fashion despite its historical resistance to the elite or the mainstream.
Born in early 1970s New York City, the genre arose in the streets of The Bronx as young men rebelled against austerity and uniformity, producing a distinctive style that popularised tracksuits and chains – two styles which continue to centre many high-fashion outfits in modern day.
A handful of luxury brands have brought on designers who stem from streetwear backgrounds; Kim Jones for Dior, JW Anderson for Loewe and the late Virgil Abloh for Louis Vuitton have given high-fashion a streetstyle makeover that doesn’t seem to be fading and has contributed towards the ongoing unshackling of masculine style.
Comfort concerns as well as vested interest in quality and durability is now the rule rather than the exception. The COVID-19 pandemic catalysed the deterioration of traditional workwear while the climate crisis has encouraged more sustainable and ethical consumer choices.
Many luxury streetwear collections, whether collaborative or from a single brand, have catered to these interests. Among them is Louis Vuitton’s SS21 capsule collection. Inspired by rapper 21 Savage, the collection is almost an homage to West Coast skaters and artists and made with sustainably-sourced cotton.
Before his untimely passing, Artistic Director Abloh made waves with a statement he made to Dazed claiming that streetwear was dead. Later clarifying to Vogue ‘I didn’t say it to be polarising… if you speak to anyone that’s been in streetwear the past fifteen years, it’s always had this sort of nine lives, dying and coming back, dying and coming back.’
He wasn’t wrong. As demonstrated by the exhibition, fashion in all its iterations and classifications has transformed in generations. Abloh believed streetwear’s regeneration is happening now inside the haute couture and luxury space.
Fashion and style no longer need to be squeezed into separate boxes but rather viewed spectrally, acceptance for individuals to adopt vastly distinctive styles into one wardrobe has entered the mainstream.