Frances Ross: ‘Suits me’; a critical reflection of 25 years representation of men’s business dress in fashion journals
Principal Lecturer
Since the 1980’s menswear has undergone a retail revolution (Nixon, 1996; Edwards; 1997 Mort; 1996, Spencer, 1992) but according to many fashion writers and academics ‘the suit’ for men is still paramount in terms of societal acceptance in the business environment. (Amies, 1994; Cicolini, 2005; Hollander, 1995; Lurie; 2005; McDowell; 2005) However, despite this retail expansion Neil Spencer when writing on menswear in the 1980’s considered little had actually changed from the 1950’s type of formal attire worn to the office.
“The suit still rules absolutely as what a man must wear to be taken seriously in society…while outside of bohemian circles a man is still not considered fully dressed without a tie.” (Spencer, 1992: 40)
Over the last twenty-five years Britain has become a more accepting multi-cultural society and designers of many nationalities have appeared bringing with them different concepts of men’s formal dress. This includes the internationally celebrated British-Ghanaian ‘bespoke couture’ Ozwald Boateng, ( www.vam.ac.uk/collections 31/07/2006) who considers himself responsible for the ‘gentrification of color’ in the suit. ( www.cbsnews.com 31/07/2006) Ozwald and other fashion designers have managed to push the boundaries of what is acceptable in menswear. Men can now be flamboyant and colourful in their suit choices and enjoy fashion and dressing up. Some style-conscious men have re-appropriated a contemporary version of Brummell’s ‘Dandy’ style which to an extent also legitimises the return of the male ‘Peacock’. (Amies, 1994; Breward, 2003; Cicolini, 2005)
A visual culture analysis based on photographs of men’s suits and or/formal business wear in circulation during this era will be undertaken using an aesthetic, semiotic and gender studies framework. Key study criteria will be the style of the suit, the mise en scene utilised and the choice of male model/s. The main research question posited will be ‘How has men’s formal dress changed over the last 25 years as viewed through the lens of the printed media?’
In visually charting the evolution of men’s business dress style via printed media representation, a content analysis of two key journal archives will be undertaken spanning the period 1981-2006. These will represent visual and textual documentation of trade and consumer fashion press from an advertising and editorial perspective. ‘The Drapers Record’ is considered the trusted editorial voice of the fashion industry. ‘Face’ was the leading style magazine of the 1980’s and 1990’s, launched in1980 and finishing publication in 2004, therefore covering almost all of the 25 year profile of this research study.
This study aims to achieve a better understanding of how men’s business attire has been referenced in contemporary and past advertising and editorial material through a combination of visual theory and archival research. The research also covers stylistic changes evolving since the 1980’s considered acceptable in the current 21st century working environment.
References
Amies, Hardy (1994) The Englishman’s Suit Quartet Books, London
Breward, Christopher (2003) Fashion Oxford University Press
Cicolini, Alice (2005) The New English Dandy Thames & Hudson, London
Edwards, T (1997) ‘Men in the mirror: Men’s Fashion, Masculinity and consumer society’ Cassell, London
Hollander, Anne (1994) Sex and Suits Kodansha International NY
Lurie, Alison (2000) The Language of Clothes Owl Books
McDowell, Colin master-class lecture at London College of Fashion November 2005
Mort, Frank (1996) Cultures of Consumption Routledge, London
Nixon, S (1996) ‘Hard Looks: Masculinities, Spectatorship and Contemporary Consumption’ UCL Press
Spencer, Neil Menswear in the 1980’s: revolt into conformity in Ash, Juliet & Wilson Elizabeth (1992) Chic Thrills Harper Collins, London