Fashioning Masculinities The Art of Menswear by Claire Wilcox & Rosalind McKever

At a time of unprecedented creativity in menswear and ongoing conversations about gender, contemporary designers are challenging established conventions, seeking to free wearers from traditional models of masculine dress. This book places fashion within broader artistic and cultural histories, examining the designers, tailors, and artists who have shaped and interpreted masculinity from the Renaissance to the present day. It traces connections within—and beyond—the history of European menswear, celebrating both rich traditions and bold individualism.

Divided into three sections, Undressed explores the role of the body and underwear in the fashioning of masculinities. Overdressed examines the dynamics of power and sartorial bravado, while Redressed deconstructs a modern masculine uniform: the black suit.

Drawing on an extraordinary range of cultural references—from Hercules to Virgil Abloh, Giovanni Battista Moroni to Jawaharlal Nehru, Yves Saint Laurent to Kehinde Wiley, Marcus Rashford, Marlene Dietrich, and even Captain America—Fashioning Masculinities challenges preconceived ideas about menswear, revealing the fascinating historical roots of the power, artistry, and diversity of masculine dress and appearance today.

Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear, edited by Claire Wilcox & Rosalind McKever. V&A Publishing, June 2022.

Format: Hardcover

Dimensions: 311 x 241 mm

Pages: 272

Illustrations: 208 colour

Publishers: V&A Publishing

ISBN: 9781838510114

Language: English