1930s: The Height of Elegance
The begining of the 1930s saw the great depression. Although the average man couldn’t afford to partake in the world of fashion, many often enjoyed observing the style choices of those who could. Hollywood films on the Silver Screen became a beacon for hope for the working class man living in this era. Men and women alike looked with admiration and aspiration to elegantly dressed stars like Fred Astaire, Clark Gabel, Cary Grant, and Gary Cooper.
In the 1930s the American taste level was at its peak, rivaling that of any European country. It was a time when American men took pride in the clothing they wore and the image they projected. It was a time when men dressed by certain codes of conduct and etiquette. The “menswear rules”, which we often reference, were written in this period.
“For the first time American men realized that clothing should not be worn to hide the natural lines of the body, but, rather, to conform to them, thereby enhancing he male physique. At the same time, clothes should not be too obvious. Instead, they had to become part of the man who was wearing them. The idea of clothing was not to set the man apart (as had been the case for centuries, when kings and noblemen dressed primarily to accomplish just that) but to allow him to be an individual among individuals…. Americans had finally learned that the goal of good clothing was to flatter rather than be conspicuous.” – Alan Flusser
credit: Dan Trepanier
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