Men'S Trend: Is Gentleman'S Suit Fashion At An End

Goldman Sachs is one of a number of companies that have recently issued new rules for more flexible work attire. Male employees in the company can take off their suits, change into slacks and loosen their ties, as long as they can "show good judgment". Does this mean that the traditional image of men's suits and leathers began to disintegrate? If so, how does this reflect the change of male identity?

Suit has always been the pronoun of male gentleman image, but what does "gentleman" mean in today's era? The word is always associated with polished Oxford Shoes, a three piece suit and masculinity. The so-called gentleman always has the feeling of "superior", but now the word seems to be out of date. Gentleman's quarterly, an American men's fashion magazine founded in 1931, was renamed GQ in 1957. At that time, traditional masculinity and male authority were being criticized. The Vietnam War, violent protests and cultural upheaval were the hallmarks of the United States in the 1960s. In 1963, President Kennedy, the brilliant knight and legendary leader, was murdered in front of the world.

Kennedy wore a stiff single breasted suit, a crisp white shirt and a low-key tie. His hairstyle has never changed. He has short hair. He looks smart and sophisticated. All the details are under control. Kennedy in a suit was dazzling, but for most men, a suit was just a uniform.

Masculinity should also be uniform. In the 1960s, there was serious friction in American society. Think of the anarchism and hippie images at that time, all about freedom of expression. People began to despise the male stereotypes in grey suits and what they represented. Comfortable, simple and cheap blue jeans became popular from then on, a small step towards today's street style revolution.

At the Academy Awards ceremony, of course, many men wear suits and leathers, but the color and tailoring have changed a lot. Chadwick boseman, who starred in the superhero film the Panther, appeared in a richly decorated Givenchy haute couture. The suit looks more like a dress. The most striking is Billy Porter, the star of the TV series "posture" (a multi gender scene in New York's upper class in the 1980s), who wears a wide robe designed by Christian Siriano but a tuxedo like jacket from the waist up. What's the development process from versatile men's suits to tuxedo gowns?

Don't argue about what "gentleman" is. The problem we are facing now is what "man" is, or more importantly, what kind of man he should be. "He" is less and less important than "I" and "we". The group we live in defines who we are, and "he" is just one of us.

Let's take a look at the recent transformation of GQ magazine in the United States. Will Welch, the former creative director of GQ, has been appointed the new editor in chief of the magazine to keep the magazine up to date. Print media has been competing with the explosive growth of Internet media for a long time. GQ faces more complex problems because it targets millennials and post millennials (people under 40). This group is hard to please and hates being positioned. The definition of "man" has gradually become blurred. GQ has transformed from "gentleman" magazine to "male" magazine. Who knows what changes will happen in the future. Welch seems to be shouldering an impossible task.

When Welch took office, he attached a photo of himself in the first issue of "editor's letter to readers". In the photo, he sat cross legged, wearing sports shoes and casual shirt. His shoes were not laced, and his shirt was unbuttoned. Inside was a T-shirt. The hair is still on the side, but there are two tattoos on the hand. The image of men is no longer as noble as before.

　　 Anything is possible

This photo is intended to show the intention of the magazine, which previously had a column devoted to the width of the tie and the shape of the pocket of the suit. "I don't follow people's opinions about the dress of GQ editors," Welch told BBC culture. My understanding of GQ is to know yourself, trust yourself and be the best you can be, not to pursue some kind of imaginary ideal or wear a special shirt. "

There are only a few suits in this issue of GQ, and the most conservative one has not yet been paired with socks. The rest were a group of people with their own style of dress, including Frank ocean, St Vincent, John Mayer and James Baldwin. It feels like a certain way to dress is highlighted. As Welch said, "I think it's good for culture and society to wash away the dualistic structures of men and women, male and female, black and white. It means that we should always be clear headed, open our hearts, recognize and respect the dignity and uniqueness of individuals."

Mr Porter, the men's online retailer, is another example. Nowadays, men think deeply about their identity and who they want to be. What reflects this change is the rapid growth of men's wear industry. Take a few minutes to browse websites like Mr. Porter, and you'll get a general idea of a wide range of clothing and accessories, only a small part of which are suits. Luxury clothing, such as Tom Ford and Ermenegildo Zegna, has always been Mr Porter's core market. Fiona Firth, its purchasing director, said: "in today's era, casual clothing has become the mainstream, people's daily life is more casual, and the traditional ready-made clothes are not as good as before. But there are always occasions in life where men need to wear suits, such as weddings, company activities, and for most people, it is an office, so suits do not completely leave people's lives." But fields added: "things are changing. Suits that follow the trend will become more casual and more in line with modern men's dress standards. I think suits have a future and will adapt to the changing lifestyle of men."

Only three of the eight men on Mr. Porter's list of best dressed men wore suits. As expected, only Prince Charles was wearing a traditional suit. These eight people come from different races and have their own personalities and styles. Footballer h é ctor Beller í n appeared in silk pajamas and fluffy Gucci slippers at London Fashion week. He seemed completely indifferent to all this. By contrast, the best dressed men may be low-key, but obviously, they also put a lot of thought into dressing. Four of the eight candidates were in suits (the list was skewed by the Oscars). Bosman, dressed in a pink suit, once again caught the attention of the public. The people on these lists are risk takers, loyal to their preferences and not afraid to be themselves.

It can also be said that the suit itself is changing as much as the man in the suit. In the past, wearing a suit required strict rules. Now it seems that everything is possible. For example, people often see fashionable suits with sneakers, as well as suits in various colors, including purple and soft pink. Suits are being absorbed by a bigger, more sophisticated fashion. As Welch said: "When I'm in Los Angeles, New York, London or Paris, everything in front of me merges. You can wear suits or limited edition sneakers. You can take a retro route back to the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s or 1990s. The same person can try out a variety of different styles in a week, formal, punk, modern, disco, hippie or Hip hop. That's why fashion is so unique today. "

As far as human identity is concerned, we live in a golden age. The male culture that gave rise to strict dress codes may be dying out, but other things are also taking shape. Grey or black suits are always classic. I look forward to the future "tuxedo Robe" can also become a classic clothing.