A Summary of Style: Menswear
Menswear is an incredibly broad subset of dress – some will argue that menswear tends towards Italian suits and silk ties, some will say that it revolves around chunky boots and flannel shirts, while others will simply say that menswear is dead. Each of these definitions contains some truth, since the style fell under each of these definitions at some point in time.
However, no matter what people believe menswear is, they cannot argue against the lasting impact it has had on the fashion industry. #menswear defined a generation of dress: with fashion idols like Nick Wooster leading the charge, the face of fashion shifted from the few to the many. More people were introduced to what supposedly makes a man look good and many took this introduction to heart. With time, menswear shifted through many shapes and forms through the influence of the mob.
Images via Pinterest
Unfortunately, the introduction of menswear to the many led to the alienation and subsequent failings of the style. The elements that led menswear to its success turned into its weaknesses: colorful and eye-popping suits turned into garishly overexposed peacock costumes, experimental accessorizing shifted into wannabe hipster dress, and subdued, gravelly fits morphed into the lumbersexual movement.
In this day and age, menswear as most people know it is dead. However, aspects of it live on in many other styles: Americana, Prep, Workwear, Streetwear, and many more. Although #menswear will never be anything more than a fond memory now, its impact lives on in the heart of fashion.
For more menswear inspiration, check out the following accounts on Instagram:
Featured image via Sartoriarially Inclined
