Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear

From V&A curators Rosalind McKever and Claire Wilcox, Fashioning Masculinitiesisa visually stunning exploration of how fashion shapes ideas of masculinity.

At a moment of unprecedented creativity in men’s fashion and continuing reflections on gender, contemporary designers are questioning established forms, seeking to liberate wearers from traditional models of masculine dress.

This book combines fashion with artistic and broader cultural histories —looking at the designers, tailors, and artists who have constructed and performed masculinity from the Renaissance to the present day. It traces connections across and beyond European menswear, celebrating both rich traditions and daring individualists.

Divided into three parts, “Undressed” reveals the role of the body and underwear in fashioning masculinities. “Overdressed” explores the power dynamics of sartorial bravado, while “Redressed” deconstructs a modern masculine uniform: the black suit.

Featuring a staggering range of cultural touchstones from Hercules to Virgil Abloh, Giovanni Battista Moroni to Jawaharlal Nehru, Yves Saint Laurent to Kehinde Wiley, Marcus Rashford, Marlene Dietrich, and even Captain America, Fashioning Masculinities challenges our preconceptions about menswear, revealing the fascinating historical roots beneath the power, artistry, and diversity of masculine attire and appearance today.

“Billy Porter’s hot pink Golden Globes cloak and Harry Style’s embroidered Gucci suits are set to have a fashion face-off with the Belvedere Apollo and Auguste Rodin in the V&A’s upcoming exhibition dedicated to the evolution of menswear.” —Guardian on the exhibition

“Key looks worn by fashion icons will also be interspersed throughout, from Harry Styles, Billy Porter, and Sam Smith to David Bowie and Marlene Dietrich, highlighting the multiplicities of masculine sartorial self-expression, dressing beyond the binary.” —Women’s Wear Daily on the exhibition

Includes color illustrations