American Menswear from the Civil War to the Twenty-First Century, Second Edition

Book excerpt: In a glance at American menswear over the past 150 years, change has been sometimes glacial in its evolution, sometimes regressive and nostalgic, and other times abrupt and revolutionary. In this study of American menswear from the Civil War to the twenty-first century, that evolution is chronicled and documented with more than 700 illustrations. In addition to the main categories of suits, sportswear, and outerwear, each era also includes a detailed examination of sleepwear, underwear, swimwear, hats, neckwear, footwear, and accessories. Further, Daniel Delis Hill examines not only American men’s dress and the structures of the menswear industry, but also the historical and socioeconomic drivers that affected men’s style—particularly the shifting conventions and iconoclasms of American ideas and ideals of masculinity.