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| Men's daytime fashions |
Loretta reports:
Men’s fashion magazines are far less numerous than women’s. So you may imagine my excitement when I came upon some Gentleman’s Magazines for the 1870s, complete with color fashion plates.
Each month shows several sets of fashions, rather like the Victorian-era Godey’s and Peterson’s magazines I’ve featured before. Like the women's magazines, they include detailed descriptions. However, since they offer patterns, and men weren't likely to be making their own clothes, I thought these magazines must have been aimed at tailors. The fact that they include nothing but fashion seems strong evidence. Very likely, the elegant gentleman would not be caught dead reading a men’s fashion magazine. He'd rely on his tailor's expert's judgment, as well as his own taste, observation of other well-dressed men, and imagination. Or maybe he'd just follow the Prince of Wales's (later King Edward VII) lead. Of course, it could be that the tailor would keep the magazine on hand to show his clients the latest fashions.
Would a gentlemen buy the magazine and bring it to his tailor? I can't conceive of this happening in the Regency era, but the Victorians were different, and frankly, I don't know for sure.
Historical dress experts, please feel free to enlighten us.
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| Fashion description |
Clicking on the image will enlarge it. Clicking on the caption will allow you to read at the source, where you can learn more and enlarge images as needed.
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8 comments:
Those suits look much more attractive than a current man's suit.
Wonderful illustration. Where did you find the magazine?
Ah, but think of all those gents at the outskirts of the Empire who would need this kind of resource to take to the local tailors! Just as London's mantua makers and milliners perused the Paris papers so that their designs would be a la mode, so would those in Boston, New York, Williamsburg (you knew that...) Calcutta, Hong Kong and so many other places need clues as to how the fashionable Londoners dressed so that their clothes would conform to the ideal - whether meeting people newly out from 'home' or when they returned on leave....
Cathy, if you click on the caption, it will take you to the magazine online. GSGreatEscaper, you make an excellent point!
Did you notice how high the heels are on the shoes. Quite the dandy!
I wonder if the fashion plate is from The Gentleman's Magazine of Fashions, Fancy Costumes and the Regimentals of the Army published by John Browne Bell? The publication was a guide for tailors and contained the latest fashion styles from England, France and Germany. Published 1828-1894. The magazine contained specific reference to pattern cutting systems and tailoring techniques.
I queried your reference to the title of the publication because there is another well known publication "The Gentleman's Magazine" which I believe did not contain fashion plates or patterns.
Christina
Christina, if you will click on the caption, it will take you to the magazine online, and you can read the title page. It does not appear to be the same publication.
Ah... thanks Loretta got it. Okay so Louis Devere in the reference below started The Gentleman's Magazine in 1828 - interesting. The Gentleman's Magazine did change ownership several times I believe so that's probably what happened. I think that it is likely that the magazine was aimed at the tailoring trade.
http://tinyurl.com/pexgs5p
Christina
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