Description
Book SynopsisIn recent years, menswear has moved decisively center stage.
Menswear Revolution investigates the transformation of men's fashion through the lens of shifting masculinities, examining how its increasing diversity has created new ways for men to explore and express their identities. Harnessing sustained market growth and creative dynamism on the runway, ground-breaking designers from Raf Simons and Hedi Slimane to Craig Green have revolutionized the discipline with their bold re-imaginings of the male wardrobe.Analysing the role of the media in shaping attitudes to men's fashion,
Menswear Revolution studies how competing narratives of masculinity are reflected in popular discourse. Taking us from the mod and peacock revolutions of the 1960s to the new wave aesthetics of the 1980s, the book explores historical precedents for today's menswear scene and looks at the evolution of the ideal' male body, from the muscular to the lean and boyish. Combining interviews with fashion
Trade ReviewMcCauley Bowstead’s talent lies not only his is deft handling of an enormous quantity of material, but also in his ability to write coherently with sophistication. His work is like a bespoke suit compared to ready-to-wear. You know—and appreciate—the difference once you slip it on.
Menswear Revolution is quality craftsmanship. -- Andy Reilly, University of Hawai`i, USA, Editor of Critical Studies in Men's Fashion
Bowstead’s book is an excellent contribution to the growing menswear bookshelf. Articulating his own experiences of searching for and wearing fashions that were at the edge of acceptability, and the blurring of gender conventions in his dress, is an important facet in the success of this book, along with his ability to succinctly summarise historical precedents and theoretical perspectives. The work is sophisticated yet accessible and I, for one, would heartily recommend that this takes its place in key reading texts for students of fashion, design, history and cultural studies and academics’ Christmas wishlists. * Journal of Dress History *
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Introduction
1. Disciplinary Discourses · New Markets · New Men? · Hipster Hate · Performance Anxiety · Fearing Femininity · Reverse Discourse · Contested Masculinities
2. Historical Resonances · Fashion and Modernity · The Birth of Consumer Culture · The 1980s · Authenticity and Irony
3. Body Language: towards a phenomenology of masculinity · Embodied and Disembodied Masculinities: the male body in the twentieth century · The Liberated body · Holding out for a hero · The 1990s and its legacy · The Fourth Sex: Androgyny and Objectification
4. Millennial Men · Subculture, Music & Fashion · Queering Men’s Fashion · Millennial Men
5. The Shock of the New · The State of the Art: menswear since 2010 · Androgyny in Contemporary Menswear · Workers of the world unite · Athleisure · Deconstructing tailoring · The New Monasticism · The Shock of the New Conclusion Bibliography Index
