As we worked to cut the list by half, the goal was to identify a collection’s impact — whether that was reinventing the shape of the suit or challenging what it means to “dress like a man” in the first place. For much of contemporary history, male dress codes reflected a rigid and increasingly outdated notion of masculinity. In 1950, John C. Wood, the president of Brooks Brothers, one of America’s oldest apparel companies, said to a reporter, “They call us conservative, but we think that our styles are simply lacking the bizarre.” Even into the 1960s, it seemed like men had two basic style options: Savile Row-style tailoring or a pair of jeans.
But as the definition of manhood expanded, Menswear Fashion became less predictable and more complex. In the 1970s, Vivienne Westwood’s tattered shirts and spiky leather jackets epitomized the nonconformity of the punk movement; the following decade, Jean Paul Gaultier put men in skirts when such a thing raised eyebrows. This shift signaled a significant change in menswear fashion, moving away from traditional constraints and embracing individuality.
But it wasn’t until 2001 that the French couturier, who noticed his male clients getting pickier and more provocative about how they dressed, said, “The fashion world is now claiming that men are becoming more like women when it comes to clothes. … I like that idea.” This statement further solidified the evolving landscape of menswear fashion, acknowledging the growing desire for self-expression through clothing. For the most part, so did the panelists. — Nick Haramis
