Men’s Fashion

The Ascot (A Fashion Manual, 1906)

Illustrated herein are the five necessary steps needed to tie the perfect ascot knot.

Up until 1974, it was believed by many of the old salts in fashion history circles that the earliest surviving example of men wearing neck-cloths could be found on Trajan’s column (113 A.D.); but then the Terracotta Army (221 B.C.) was unearthed in China which altered much of the thinking as to how old tied neck cloths actually are. Our era is one in which the future of the tie is unknown, but the attached file dates from 1906 which serve to illustrate for the average Joe, how best to tie an ascot.

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History of the Necktie in America (Men’s Wear, 1950)

This illustrated column points out a number of interesting historic facts about ties in America; most notably that up until 1865 the preferred form of neck wear in the U.S. was a pre-tied bow that fastened in the back. In the 1920s the United States became the premiere manufacturer of men’s neckties – a record that was comfortably held for some time afterword.

Click here to read about the fabric restrictions imposed on
the American fashion world during the Second World war.

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The Revival of the Norfolk Jacket (Gentry Magazine, 1953)

During the early days of 1953 some of the young men of the World War Two generation looked into their grandfather’s wardrobes and came away with a new friend – the Norfolk jacket:

There has been some talk concerning the possible revival of certain Edwardian fashions. In the renewed acceptance of the Norfolk jacket, which takes its name from the 15th Duke of Norfolk, we have the revival of a style which is even older, having first come into being during the Victorian era….In 1910 it was so well accepted that few small lads of that era were content unless they had a Norfolk coat just like their fathers’.


Buy an Original Pattern:

1870s-1900s Norfolk Jacket Patternstyle=border:none

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The Pajama Ascendency (Literary Digest, 1923)

The pajama is ascending to glorified heights. Long the black sheep of polite private life, this garment has been elevated to the four hundred…Men are drugging their senses with batik designs in sleeping apparel and inhaling the stimulation of contrasting shades in underclothes.

What the well-dressed man will wear when going to bed is one of the burning topics of the immediate future…By and large, the thirst for color permeates the accessory field from linen to lingerie. The picture might be said to be complete. Man has achieved his zenith.


Read about a pajama fashion innovation that never quite caught on…

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That 1960 Look for Men (Pageant Magazine, 1960)

Some call it the Mad Men Look, others may simply label it that late 50s/early 60s look – but either way high praise should be dolled out to costume designer Katherine Jane Bryant who so skillfully brought these fashions to the attention of millions of men through her work on the T.V. show Mad Men (AMC).


For those lads pursuing an advanced degree in pulling-off that look in their daily attire, we recommend this handy list of fashion’s Do’s & Don’ts from 1960.

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