Icons Of Mens Style

Description

Womenswear progresses in leaps and bounds, fuelled by the readiness of women to wear what may at the time be perceived as the radical or outrageous. Not so with menswear menswear evolves, slowly. But from what? Behind nearly every item in the modern male wardrobe is a first of its kind the definitive item, often designed by a single company or brand for specialist use, on which all subsequent versions have been based (and originals of which are now collector items in the booming vintage market). The T-shirt, for example, may now be an innocuous, everyday item, but was created by American company Hanes for US Navy personnel at the turn of the 20th century and was subsequently adopted by sportsmen and bikers. Other items have been designed for sport, farm work, protection and made their way into everyday usage. "Icons of Men's Style" examines, garment by garment, the most important and famous of these products their provenance and history, the stories of their design, the brand/company that started it all and how the item shaped the way men dress today.

Author description

Josh Sims is a freelance style writer, contributing to the likes of The Financial Times, The Independent, The Independent on Sunday, Mail on Sunday, Channel 4, the BBC, Esquire, GQ, Wallpaper and i-D. He is one-time style editor of Arena and executive editor of Arena Homme Plus. He is also author of Rock/Fashion (Omnibus), A Dictionary of Fashion Designers (Collins), Mary, Queen of Shops (BBC Books) and contributor to several fashion books from Taschen. He has extensive contacts within the style and mainstream press.

Table of contents

The Outerwear Department: The Mac * The Flight Jacket * The Navy Pea Coat * The Biker Jacket * The Utility Jacket * The Waxed Jacket * The Trench Coat * The Car Mac * The Western Denim Jacket * The Farmhand Denim Jacket * The Battledress * The Covert Coat * The Fishtail Parka * The Harrington The Trouser Department: The Combat Trousers * The Khakis * The Five Pocket Western Jeans * The Dungarees Tailoring: The Bespoke Suit* The Dinner Suit* The Blazer* The Sack Suit* The Ready-to-Wear Suit* The Tweed Jacket The Shoe Department: The Brogue * The Basketball Shoe * The Original Desert Boot * The Work Boot * The Loafer * The Oil Resistant Shoe * The Sandal Underwear and Hosiery: Diamond Socks * The Y-front * The T-shirt * The Panama Hat * The Boxer Short * The Braces Shirts and Sweaters Department: The Button-down Shirt * The Guernsey Sweater * The Breton Sweater * The Polo Shirt * The V-neck Sweater Accessories: The Fountain Pen * The Classic Lighter * The Windproof Lighter * The Dress Watch * The Action Watch * The Aviator Sunglasses * The Leisure Sunglasses