Men's Fashion
Colin Firth as Mr Darcy in his wet shirt – men’s fashion in Georgian England was key to one of the most memorable TV moments of the twentieth century. But there is so much more to the fashions of eighteenth-century men than breeches and white shirts. Take a look at these articles to discover how Georgian men dressed across the century.
Introducing the Suit
The three-piece suit was born on the 7th October 1666 by declaration of King Charles II, ending a long era of the doublet and hose.
Display, Simplicity & the Macaronis
Considered effeminate and vulgar, the once brightly coloured men’s garments of the early eighteenth century were replaced by simple and modest fashions from the 1760s.
Clothes Make the Man: Georgian Waistcoats
The waistcoat was the foundation of the three-piece suit ensemble. An increasingly contrasting and colourful element, the waistcoat became the focal point of a gentlemen’s outfit.
All in the Detail: Style & Trends in Men’s Fashion
Male fashions changed radically in the late eighteenth century. With increasingly tailored garments and sombre colours, men sought to project an image of rational sincerity.
Tartan: pattern of resistance
In the aftermath of the Battle of Culloden, the British Government banned the wearing of tartan, a potent expression of Scottish Highland identity that conveyed a powerful sense of clan loyalty, allegiance to the Stuart royal line and commitment to the Jacobite cause.