Mens 1800's Wear

Men’s 1800's wear changed drastically from the beginning of the century to its conclusion. The one consistency was that clothes for the wealthy remained formal and specific in their details and styles, which would permanently change come the 1920's.

At the beginning of the century, the standard for men’s wear still adhered to the styles of the 18th century, with knee-length breeches being worn over stockings, tail coats that were cut high over the top of the breeches, collars turned up and ruffled cravats being worn at the neck. The hat of choice was usually a top hat and most men carried walking sticks.

Soon after, however, mostly in tandem with the rise of the Napoleonic Empire, trousers became long for the first time in history and were to remain so – it became a mark of a boy’s adulthood to step out of short pants and into long trousers. The shoe of choice was often the knee-high boot favored by Napoleon. Although it can be surprising, given the formal look of men’s 1800's wear, clothes were actually more leisure-based, as they were influenced by what a man wore when he went out riding. A man may have to work in town, but he wanted to look like a man of leisure.

A huge change in men’s attire was made in terms of his outerwear. Cloaks were still being worn during the early part of the century, but by 1820, most men preferred the more practical and manageable overcoat.

Frock coats and cutaways were still popular, but these were gradually considered more formal, and gave way to slimmer, shorter coats for business wear. Cravats too gradually became less fussy, giving way to ascots, bow ties and eventually four-in-hand neckties. By the end of the century, despite the overall rigidity and formality in gentlemen’s dress, the stage was set for modern wear.

The Napoleonic Empire spread throughout much of Europe, and the British Empire was also vast and powerful, so it was no wonder that a military look was felt in men’s and women’s fashions alike. Men at all levels of the economic spectrum were proud of their nations’ achievements and wanted to seem a crucial part of it, even if they had never been to war. Gold military braiding accessorized many men’s coats, and shoulders were cut to have a look similar to a uniform. The walking stick was in place of a rifle or bayonet and the boots echoed soldiers’ footwear.

Colors and fabrics also bore some resemblance to the military uniform, with dark red being a very popular color choice in British gentleman’s coats, similar to the red coat worn by soldiers.

Even in America, which was not yet a world power, the look was fashionable – although in this instance, it was more due to the habit of taking fashion cues from Europe. For men as well as women, Europe was still the standard bearer in most aspects of culture, such as art and music, and this was true for fashion as well.

Perhaps nothing changed all aspects of society, including fashion, like the Industrial Revolution. Men’s 1800's wear took a turn for the more practical and ultimately more modern with the rise of factories. The change was far more radical for women’s clothing, which took on more male characteristics, such as ties and frock coats, but factories also meant the beginning of mass produced clothing. Men, especially fashionable men, would continue to go to tailors and have their clothes custom-made well into the 1930's, but now it was possible for men at lower levels of society to buy clothes that suggested a higher station.

Mass production meant a compromise in quality, but it saved women a lot of time in sewing and gave rise to something unexpected – the growth of designers. An individual could never become a world-famous designer without the ability to factory-produce the clothing. It would still take a few decades, but by the end of the 19th century, men’s fashion had taken a turn and there was no going back.

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