by The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Clothing Through American History 1900 to the Present (pdf)
Washington Post. 1935. ‘‘Rows of Buttons Decline in Favor,’’ October 17, F4.
Watson, L. 2004. 20th Century Fashion. Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books.
Wilson, V. P. 1925. ‘‘Gowns,’’ Washington Post, December 20, X5.
8
Men’s Fashions
O V E R V I E W
The shifts in men’s fashions were not as dramatic as women’s and child-
ren’s during the period from 1900 to 1949. There were slight silhouette
changes each decade, but many of the popular styles, such as the trench
coat, the sack coat, and evening jacket, endured essentially unchanged for
most of the period. Even the fabrics and patterns used to create suits and
coats remained in fashion decade after decade.
The two world wars during this period influenced men’s fashion. They
popularized military styles, especially in outerwear. The trench coat
emerged from WWI as a favorite of soldiers and civilians alike. The navy
pea coat and Eisenhower jacket were styles that were used by the military
during WWII and gained popularity among both male and female
civilians.
Rationing during the wars had an effect on men’s fashion as well.
Restrictions on the fabric used in garments narrowed fashionable silhou-
ettes. The scarcity of natural fibers led to the use of artificial fibers, such
as rayon, which continued to be a widely used menswear fabric after
WWII.
After WWI, many men had more leisure time and fewer formal occa-
sions. As a result, men began wearing casual wear more often and to a
wider variety of occasions. By the 1940s, men had a wide variety of casual
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wear. At the same time, fashions in formalwear became stagnant. Other
than slight modifications in silhouette, the dinner jacket and tuxedo jacket
remained constant styles.
Athleticism became a desirable trait in men, and sports became a pop-
ular way to spend leisure time. The variety of sportswear increased, and it
progressively became more oriented to performance. Innovations such as
knit shirts, waterproof and windproof ski clothes, and raglan sleeves
enhanced men’s performance in a range of sports, including swimming,
golf, and tennis.
A greater emphasis was placed on the comfort and functionality of
men’s clothing. The starched shirts and hard collars of the first decade of
the century gave way to knit shirts and soft collars. For casual occasions,
sweaters were worn instead of jackets. Over the course of this period, the
silhouette of men’s clothing became looser and fuller, and it enhanced an
athletic physique. By the 1940s, men no longer wore garters to hold up
socks or suspenders to hold up their pants. Even underwear had been made
more comfortable, with breathable fabrics and less restrictive construction.
T H E
1900S
Men’s wear was far slower to transition to new silhouettes and cuts than
women’s wear during the 1900s.
FORMAL WEAR
Silhouette
During the 1900s, the men’s silhouette gradually became more fitted.
Jackets moved from a barrel silhouette to one with a closer-fitting waist
and less-exaggerated shoulder padding. Pants became narrower in the leg.
Jackets and Vest
There were three main types of formal suits for men during the first dec-
ade of the twentieth century. The Prince Albert suit was a style that had
endured from the previous century. It featured a doubled-breasted, knee-
length black jacket that was fitted at the waist and flared out at the hem.
Beneath the jacket, men would wear a five-button single-breasted vest
with a notched collar. The pants were cut full at the waist and more nar-
rowly in the leg. They were usually patterned.
Two more modern styles gained popularity and acceptance during this
period. The full dress suit featured a black jacket that was cut to the waist
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249
in the front and extended into ‘‘tails’’ that reached the knee in the back. A
low-cut black or white vest was worn beneath the jacket. Tapered black
peg-top pants were also worn. The dinner jacket or tuxedo suit, as it was
informally called, had a black hip-length jacket, which had lapels that
were faced with black satin. It was worn with a three-button, low-cut vest
and black pants.
Shirts
Formal suits were worn with a plain or pleated white shirt and tie. The
shirts usually had stiffened fronts. Black ties were often worn with dinner
jackets.
Pants
The prevailing pant style was cut loose in the hip and close fitting in the
leg.
Decorative Details
Formal suits were made from wool and worn with black patent leather
shoes.
BUSINESS WEAR
Silhouette
The silhouette of men’s business wear shifted over the course of the
1900s. Although the barrel-chested silhouette dominated at the turn of
the century, it gradually changed to a more youthful look with a narrower
waist and legs.
Jackets and Vest
Businessmen wore suits, whereas laborers wore sturdier pants and shirts.
Jackets were cut long and buttoned high, and they had small lapels. Early
in the decade, they were cut full through the torso and padded at the
shoulders. Suit jackets were dark colored, whereas vests were light or
colored.
Shirts
Shirts continued to be available with hard detatchable collars or soft
attached collars. The height of collars gradually decreased. White and col-
ored shirts were fashionable, and many men wore shirts patterned with
dots or stripes.
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President Taft in a day suit. [Library of Congress]
Pants
Pants were cut full in the hip and seat, and they were worn both with and
without creases down the front. For business wear, typically the pants
matched the jacket.
Decorative Details
Generally, suits were made from dark-colored wool serge, and dark blue
was an especially popular color. During the summer, suits were made from
lightweight fabrics, including flannel, linen, and lightweight serge.
CASUAL WEAR
Silhouette
For informal social occasions, men typically wore a sports jacket, pants,
and shirt. The jacket was a loose-fitting sack jacket that became more fit-
ted later in the decade. The pants were straight legged.
Jackets
At the races, men wore tweed suits and bowler hats at the beginning of
the century, unless royalty was expected. In that case, they wore a black
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251
frock coat and silk top hat. When Prince Edward of Wales showed up to
a race wearing a lounge suit, he singlehandedly and swiftly transformed
the appropriate men’s dress for that type of social event. Soon men were
seen wearing navy blue blazers, duck trousers, and boaters, which were all
casual garments, at the races.
As men’s dress relaxed, many more options became acceptable for
everyday dress.
White duck trousers worn with a black or blue serge jacket
was seen as acceptable morning dress. The Norfolk jacket was primarily
worn while traveling or in the country.
Shirts
In casual wear, shirts were exposed more than they were in business wear,
in which they were covered by vests. Casual and athletic activities allowed
men to shed their vests. Striped, dotted, and colored shirts were
fashionable.
Pants
Typically, pants were made of wool serge, cotton duck, flannel, and linen.
In the hip and seat area, they had extra room to allow easy movement.
Sweaters
Sweaters were popular casual garments in the 1900s. They were available
in lightweight and heavyweight styles, and both pullover and cardigan
styles were fashionable. Although most cardigans were single breasted,
there were some double-breasted styles. Most cardigans had V necks,
and high military collars were fashionable as well. Many cardigans had
pockets at the front hips. A popular pullover style had a high roll neck.
Knitted sleeveless vests were available also. Popular sweater colors
included navy blue, black, oxford gray, olive brown, maroon, and dark
green.
Decorative Details
During the summer, men would turn from suits made from wool to those
made from homespun, serge, light tweeds, and flannels. Grays, blacks,
and blues were the most fashionable choices.
OUTERWEAR
Coats
Chesterfields were a popular overcoat for men. The hem extended to the
knee, and the skirt of the jacket flared out from the waist. The collar was
typically adorned with a contrasting fabric. For evening coats, the
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contrasting fabric was usually velvet. The sleeves were straight and with-
out cuffs. Slit pockets were placed at the hips.
Other fashionable outer garments included the Inverness coat and
Macintosh. The Inverness coat had a wrist-length cape over the coat to
keep the wearer warm. The Macintosh was the name given to raincoats.
The name comes from Charles Macintosh, who patented a process for
making waterproof fabric by coating one side of the cloth with rubber and
affixing another piece of cloth to the tacky side of the rubber. His tech-
nique was so popular that all raincoats, regardless of how they were made
waterproof, were referred to as Macintoshes.
SWIMWEAR AND SPORTSWEAR
Swimwear
Men typically wore one-piece, knit jersey trunks. They had round neck-
lines and short sleeves, although some versions were sleeveless. The shorts
of the costume extended to the mid-thigh. This style of suit was either
solid colored or striped. Another style consisted of a pair of knit shorts
with a long knit tunic over the top.
This style was available in round and
V necklines and had either short
sleeves or was sleeveless.
Golf
Whereas some golfers wore knickers,
others wore white striped flannels
with cuffs. Flannel jackets or sack
jackets were worn with a sweater or
madras shirt underneath.
Tennis
Typically, men wore plain white shirts
and white flannel or duck trousers on
the tennis court. They rolled up their
shirt sleeves to their elbows. Some
men wore a combination shirt, which
consisted of a shirt attached to a pair
of underwear. This kept the shirt
tucked in no matter how vigorous the
Five men, including John D. Rockefeller at the far left, wear
player. They also wore white canvas
sports attire. [Library of Congress]
athletic shoes with rubber soles.
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253
A motoring costume, c. 1903. [Library of Congress]
Other Activewear
Horseback riding, hiking, and hunting required similar outfits. Men wore
mixed tweed suits with knee breeches. When yachting, men would wear a
double-breasted sack coat and a yachting cap. This ensemble was often
mandated by yachting clubs.
UNDERWEAR AND INTIMATE APPAREL
Undergarments
Most of men’s underwear was made of wool or cotton, but some brands
offered silk and linen varieties. Their underwear varied depending on the
season. In the summer, they wore short-legged union suits in lightweight
fabrics. In the winter, they changed to long-legged union suits. Advertise-
ments during this period touted the health value of different brands of
underwear. Companies proclaimed their underwear would reduce contact
with germs and would eliminate perspiration. Breathable fabrics were
prized during the summer months.
Sleepwear
Men usually slept in long nightgowns or pajama suits consisting of a
pajama coat and pants. The coat was a long- or short-sleeve shirt that
usually buttoned up the front.
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Other garments
Some men wore lounging or bathing robes made from terry cloth. These
ankle-length robes had long, full sleeves, a fold-over collar, and a cord
sash.
Smoking jackets were also popular. Men changed into these boxy,
easy-fitting jackets after they returned home from work. They were worn
over a shirt and tie, and typically they had a shawl collar, full sleeves with
cuffs, and patch pockets.
HEADWEAR, HAIRSTYLES, AND COSMETICS
Headwear
Men rarely went anywhere without a hat. In 1901, no self-respecting man
would be without a Panama hat, which had a shallow crown with a crease
pressed into it, a soft brim turned up in the back, and a ribbon band with
a flat bow. There were a wide variety of popular hat styles, and they were
made from materials such as fur, felt, silk, straw, and wool.
The homburg was a felt hat with a soft creased crown and a narrow
stiffened brim that was turned up at the edge. The black silk top hat was
required for formal occasions. It had a high cylindrical crown, a ribbon
band, and a brim that curled up on the sides. In the summer, most men
wore straw boaters, which helped keep them cool. Boaters had low, hard,
flat-topped crowns, narrow, straight brims, and a ribbon band and bow.
Bowlers were made of felt, had a hard rounded crown, and had a narrow
brim that curved at the sides.
Caps were worn for more active occasions. For boating, men wore a
blue cloth cap with a leather visor. It was trimmed with a gold braid
attached by two gold buttons. A less constructed form of cap in wool
tweed was used for most outdoor activities. In the winter, tweed caps
sometimes had earflaps that were pulled up and fastened on the top of
the crown when they were not in use.
Hairstyles
Typically, hair was kept short and parted in the center or on the side.
Some men wore their hair in a pompadour, lifting the front and top up
high. Other men would brush a thick mass over one eye. Until about
1904, most men were clean shaven because many doctors recommended
the practice for hygienic reasons. From 1904 to WWI, more men began
/> growing facial hair. Pointed goatees and mustaches were the most com-
mon forms of facial hair.
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255
Cosmetics
Men used pomades and hair tonics to style their hair. They also used
aftershaves.
FOOTWEAR AND LEGWEAR
Footwear
Men’s footwear during the 1900s generally falls into five categories: lace-
up shoes, boots, sport shoes, house slippers, and evening shoes. Leather
lace-up shoes were most commonly used with daywear and business wear.
They would have blunt or pointed toes and stacked heels, and sometimes
they featured toecaps. Brogue edges were a common decoration on this
type of shoe.
Many men favored high-cut sturdy leather boots. These usually fea-
tured button or lacing closures, but some had elasticized side gussets in
place of a closure. Boots had low stacked heels that were similar to leather
lace-up shoes. Some boots had toecaps or contrasting uppers.
The other types of shoes were specialty shoes. Typically, sport shoes
were made of canvas, had low heels, and had texturized rubber soles.
House slippers were made from leather and fabric that was more colorful
than the neutral colors used for everyday shoes. They often had pointed
toes, and stitched or embroidered decorations were common. Evening
shoes were black patent leather with pointed toes, ribbon laces, and low
stacked heels. Cloth spats were worn over the shoes to protect them. They
had a side button closure and a buckle that fastened under the foot.
Legwear
Men’s legwear consisted of neutral-colored stockings held up with elastic
garters that wrapped around the upper calf. The tops of the stockings
were ribbed and sometimes patterned with stripes.
NECKWEAR AND OTHER ACCESSORIES
Neckwear
Men’s ensembles were not complete without neckwear. For the daytime,
a four-in-hand in white or patterned silk was appropriate for most suits.
A four-in-hand was much like the modern necktie, but wider and with a
large knot. Sometimes an elastic extension was included on the band to
ease its restrictive quality. Small bow ties were common and came in a va-
riety of solids and patterns. Formal eveningwear required a black bow tie.
As the decade continued, narrower silk or wool neckties were another
option.
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