The Men's Fashion Reader

摘要

The common perception of men's fashion reduces the subject to an extremely uniform, functional domain. In particular, the men's suit seems to havernrelegated men's fashion to an uninteresting, one-dimensional manifestation. This garment is only a recent historical invention, however, and it has not always been as comfortable and inconspicuous as it now seems. Padded shoulder and breast, stiff collars, narrow armholes, extremely close-fitting cut and corset-like restraints have conditioned the movement of men much as analogous elements restricted that of women. Sobriety in dress has been equally combined with the use of luxurious adornments and rich fabrics. From a historical perspective, men's fashion presents itself as located at the intersection between functionality and beautification and between sobriety and adornment.