Men in the Mirror : Men's Fashion, Masculinity, and Consumer Society

In recent decades, the myth of fashionable women and sartorially challenged men has been overturned not least through the proliferation of men's style magazines such as GQ and the emergence of masculinity as a marketing tool. In this engaging book, Edwards applies a sociological approach to our understanding of men's fashion, which he argues is significant in the nexus of masculinity and society, past and present, rather than a narrow artistic or aesthetic interest. Rejecting an essentialist or 'natural' origin, Edwards explores how masculinity and men's fashion are constructed, particularly in relation to consumer society. It is the growing commodification and aestheticism of everyday life, alongside developments in marketing and advertising, that Edwards identifies as the catalyst in the emergence of men's fashion, rather than an abstract 'crisis of masculinity' or 'new man' identity. Concurrently, in the 1980s, changes in demography, economics and ideology gave certain men greater freedom and spending power than ever before. Edwards investigates how these men, clearly distinguished by age, class and sexual orientation, were seduced by advertisers with sexualised images of suited city gents and body-beautiful boys in Levis, and how the resultant process of consumption was facilitated through developments in the practice of shopping itself, such as easy access to credit. He examines the influence of the advertisers' message in creating a hierarchy of masculinity in which some men are valorised and others are denigrated. Starting with a historical review of men's fashion and a discussion of its importance and meanings, Edwards goes on to analyse the contemporary marketing of menswear and masculinity in advertising and in the media, and considers the politics of fashion for men in terms of gender, class, race and sexuality. Cover Half-title Title Copyright Contents Acknowledgements Preface Introduction: Men in the Mirror 1 His Story of Fashion Fashion interpretation Costume histories Costume dramas Act One: Medieval and Renaissance Men Act Two: Romantic Masculinity and Industrial Man Act Three: The Twentieth Century and Postmodernity Critical review The history and sexuality of the suit Conclusion: his story of fashion Notes 2 The Classical Tradition From here to (post) modernity: perspectives on the development of fashion The economic perspective (fashion as consumption) The psychological perspective (fashion as communication) The modern perspective (fashion as contradiction) Contemporary developments: postmodernity Conclusion: the classical tradition Notes 3 Private Investigations: Interpretations on the Theme of the New Man Images of masculinity Interpretations Implicating and impacting masculinities Imaging masculinity: unfastening Levi's 501 advertising Conclusion: private investigations Notes 4 The Marketing of Masculinities Marketing theory and practice The market for men's fashion Retailing masculinity in the UK Male to order: a case study of Next For Men Conclusion: marketing masculinities Notes 5 Consuming Masculinities: Style, Content and Men's Magazines The contextual development of men's style magazines The style and content of men's magazines From New Man to New Lad: analysing men's magazines Interpretations and intentions Conclusions: consuming masculinities Notes 6 Just Looking: Masculinity and the Contemporary Shopping Experience From markets to malls: the historical development of shopping culture I shop therefore I am: shopping and identity The shopping paradox: expression or exploitation? Masculinity and the contemporary shopping experience Conclusions: just looking Notes 7 Express Yourself: The Politics of Dressing Up Butch, femme or lesbian: fashion and feminism Drag, camp and macho: gay men and fashion Subcultural style Consuming passions: meanings, myths and the gay male consumer The politics of looking, masculinity and men's fashion Conclusions: the politics of dressing up 8 The Sting in the Tale: Social Policy and Social Divisions Social policy and consumer society Social policy and shopping Social policy and pricing Social policy and spending Social policy and consumer crime Social policy and social divisions Fashion, masculinity and consumer society Conclusions: the sting in the tale Notes Conclusion: Men's Fashion, Masculinity and Consumer Society Notes Epilogue References Index In this book, Tim Edwards applies a sociological approach to our understanding of men's fashion, which he perceives to be significant in the nexus of masculinity and society, past and present, rather than simply an artistic of aesthetic interest, usually denoting effeminacy or homosexuality. Rejecting an essentialist or 'natural' origin, Edwards explores how masculinity and men's fashion are constructed, particularly in relation to consumer society. If is the growing commodification and aestheticism of everyday life alongside developments in marketing and advertising, that Edwards identifies as the catalyst in the self-conscious emergence of men's fashion, rather than an abstract 'crisis of masculinity' or the 'new man' identity. Concurrently, in the 1980s, changes in demography, economics and ideology gave certain men greater freedom and spending power than ever before. Edwards investigates how these men, clearly distinguished by age, class and sexual orientation, were seduced by advertisers with sexy images of suited city gents and body-beautiful boys in Levis, and how the resultant process of consumption was facilitated through developments in the practice of shopping itself, such as easy access to credit. He examines the influence of the advertisers' message in creating of hierarchy of masculinity in which some men are valorized and others denigrated. Starting with an historical review of men's fashion and a discussion of its importance and meanings, Edwards goes on to analyse the contemporary marketing of menswear and masculinity in advertising and in the media, and considers the politics of fashion for men in terms of gender, class, race and sexuality