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Sa****

Hi! Classic menswear enthusiast here! The suit popularized by Beau Brummell has undergone a number of changes since Beau's time, but the overall structure and silhoutte still has remained largely in tact. There are a few reasons for this. Throughout history much of men's lay fashion has been influenced by military dress for both functionality and uniformity. When meeting for business, a standard of dress is important to ensure equal perception and cooperation to come to agreeable terms. Also the traditional men's suit was largely meant to uphold dignity and provide a powerful strong image. A great suit helps to build a man's frame particularly the upper body portion (shoulders most notably). This is why most suits have structure that improve the width of a man's frame. There are suits that lack this, but ideally this should only be worn (in a high fashion sense) by already wide framed men that don't need the padfing to build their shoulders. As to why women do not have an equivalent, we must remember the cultural needs were different for women through much of history. The military component is most notable here as well. Today many women participate in business, but you will still find a wide variety of appropriate office wear, like pencil skits, blouses, conservative dresses, pants with a modest top, even a female styled and cut suit can all be seen in offices from the past and present. Women also tended to vary more greatly in body shape and size, so standardizing was a bit more difficult. The US even attempted to provide reccomended standards for female apparell, but fashion designers mostly ignored it. The desire for personal expression and variance from a standard (being unique) was of higher importance to women trying to define their place in the modern era after years of being limited to mothers and caretakers. This is reflected in the diversity of their clothing. Hope this helps and happy to follow up with fashion advice or historical information.

Sh****

Yeah, I complain about this a lot. Easily accessible male fashion is extremely limited to like 4 things.
Basic t-shirts/slacks/sweaters. Suits/formal. Activewear. Business casual.
I tried to even find some earth tone formal wear pieces last year and was told everywhere basically no one carries more interesting colours/patterns. I had to order it online.
Even thrift stores, the "men's" section is like an aisle. So there's not a ton to even look at unless you already know where to look.

ph****

Ya, I love fashion and dress up, for a mostly straight guy. Options are very limited ^ as sharkly1 ^ says. Found a few things here and there (kinda into punk aesthetic) but, have to resort to online shopping for lots. Which is hit and miss. Dressier stuff is easier. But even then, most suit jackets are cut for old men with no taste. Found a few things thrifting. But not as easy for men, in that regard (which is why I have some women’s clothes).

Ma****

Are you kidding? Check out the style on Mad Men compared to almost any style today. I know weather doesn’t permit us to “suit up” daily, (especially for those of us in the south.) But damn I’d love it if we went back to that being the norm as opposed to a “special occasion” type look. 😃

Ro****

Fashion is a statement, be unique 👌 find your personal flavor 😋

Sa****

@MagnificentBastard Even in the summer you can look stylish and stay cool in a tropical cotton or linen 2 piece suit, skip the tie and vest, get a Panama or Pork Pie hat, and keep it loose fitting and flowy and you'll be cool, stylish, and avoid sunburn! I agree though, suits are most versatile and best for the cold weather!

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