A Rakish History of Men's Wear
From September 8, 2006 through April 7, 2007
Edna Barnes Salomon Room (Third Floor)
New York Public Library Humanities and Social Sciences Library, 5th Avenue and 42nd Street, New York, NY 10018-2788
This exhibition surveys men's dress from antiquity to the present, noting how through the centuries male style has swung from ostentation to restraint and back again. Masculine clothing has changed over time owing to a multitude of social, economic, and attitudinal transformations. At first, individuals chose garments that proclaimed their rank or special status as warriors and leaders. Later, sumptuary laws (restricting what could and could not be worn), chivalric codes, and the rituals of royal courts played a role in the development of masculine garments. By the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods, male fashion leaders were admired both overtly and covertly. The growth of a new bourgeoisie in the late 18th century further influenced the outward expression of modern masculinity, as dandies took upon themselves the role of fashion leaders.
Link: NYPL, Exhibitions at the Humanities and Social Sciences Library.
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