What Happened to Men's Clothing?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ธ.ค. 2021
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If you’ve ever seen videos of street corners in the late 19th or early 20th century, if you have a soul, you may notice how beauty is exemplified in so much of what is captured there; from the architecture, to the carriages, to the dress of the people. And, if you have a brain, it may have left you wondering, what changed? What happened to our culture that caused us to go from sensibilities that would inspire men to aim at a vision of masculinity like this to something more like this?
The first reason for the shift in our cultural sensibilities that I’d want to highlight is that as the influence of the Church and Christianity has waned over the years, we’ve been more easily persuaded to believe that external appearances do not convey anything necessary about internal realities.
We say things like, don’t judge a book by its cover. By that, we mean, there is some internal value that you can’t see when judging an object or a person by their external appearance.
Whereas Christianity has, predominantly, insisted that human beings are body-soul composites and that the material world expresses the spiritual reality of God’s creation.
All of which is to say, the external does tell us something about the internal or incorporeal. Just as a person’s words tell us something about the content of their thoughts, so too, does our appearance, tell others something about our mind and our soul.
For example, St. Francis de Sales said, “External cleanliness is a sort of indication of inward good order.”
But as we’ve slowly embraced this dualistic idea that external and internal are distinct and irrelevant to each other, we’ve, in theory, become more accepting of unconventional appearances.
I hear ya, I've been getting into classic menswear, and wearing suits and ties more often. Thankfully, I've been getting a lot of good remarks and support on the move. It's interesting how dressing how normal people did not too many generations ago is now the new rebellion.
How do you deal with the price. Its crazy how any decent piece of clothing is over 150 dollars. Ive also been getting into classic menswear and its beautiful
Antonio Garcia, one trick when you are on a budget is to own a tweed jacket and a navy blazer. They can be used with different slacks and generally cost less than suits.
@@antoniogarcia259 I found my favorite sport coat in a thrift store for like $10 or something. 100% wool. You never know what you’ll find.
@@antoniogarcia259 I thrift a fair bit of things (you can get some great deals there), also I get gifted some for Christmas and Valentine's and whatnot, but honestly, I deal with it by understand it's more expensive going in, but they will last you far longer than what's in fashion today.
So sure, maybe a suit will cost me 300 dollars, but if I wear it maybe once a week for five years (on average), the cost per wear is negligable, as opposed to an outfit that's a bit cheaper, but I only wear it a few times before buying another one, which is what most people do.
@@antoniogarcia259 you can get good deals, also figure out a way to make more money.
I’ve wondered this myself! We have gone so far away from that and now men and women wear clothes that are rarely beautiful or cultured.
Haven’t worn jeans for twelve months. I now live in the far north QLD and will continue to dress in feminine dresses or maxi dresses for modesty. It makes sense. I remember one bloke at uni that always dressed in a Victorian gentleman way, he was a real man with a real Victorian style tash. Great video.
I stopped wearing jeans in the 1990s after befriending an elegant Neapolitan woman who was extremely stylish.
She said (listen with thick Italian accent) “why you want to dress like a dock worker man?! Put on a pretty skirt or are you tired of being a woman?”
That was it. I realized that maybe I wasn’t tired of being a woman and it was clear that my young sons appreciated that mom didn’t pick them up at St. Phillip’s looking like she just got out of an exercise class (wearing sweats😞). Haven’t owned sweats or jeans in all those years. (Finally had to go to loose fitting pants after multiple knee and ankle surgeries but that’s a medical concession.)
Started wearing my suit to church at least every Sunday. Really does make the experience feel more important.
I thought I was the only one who wondered this. I wear the "workman's" uniform everyday. I have a closet full of very nice clothing that I never wear because it's too 'dressy'.
Same. I wore scrubs and clogs for YEARS as an RN. Promised myself I'd finally wear my gorgeous heels and beautiful clothes when I retired....so I retired last year. And guess what? Lol. No place to go now....
@@elizabethkraszewski6603 From what I have learned about previous women's fashion some of them were a torture to wear; I don't think anyone wants to bring that back! I'm sure there are thousands of ways for women to dress beautifully without being masochistic.
@@elizabethkraszewski6603 how many women back then had the luxury to have servants though? I don't think servants were ever the norm for most people. People still have "servants" today but they go by different names such as domestic worker. I think it's reasonable for people to dress in "workman's" clothes because aren't most of us working class.
That being said, it's possible for working class to have tasteful fashion.
@@pauls7863 torturous is not even close to being true. Check out videos by youtube dress historians like Bernadette banner and Karolina zebrowska
@@elizabethkraszewski6603 most women would dress themselves and most clothes, even the fanciest available, was possible to get on by yourself. It is just easier and more luxurious to have someone else (who is also highly trained in both clothing maintenance and hair styling) to do it for you.
It's not just men but the entirity of Western culture that has degraded. People just want to wear what is "most comfortable", and I think any rejection of a religious understanding of modesty will lead to a preference of near nakedness over being well clothed in glory.
There's been a point in history when that appeal to eccentricity was lost. It might have something to do with the european aristocracy being demonized and hunted down.
I remember a time when people wore their best for air travel. Now everybody dresses as if they are going to bed.
@@eduardogardin879 We should probably wear orange jumpsuits when we fly, since we’re treated like criminals.
For women, it can be hard to find skirts and dresses that are suitably modest to wear to church.
@@AnnInFL my fiancee has no problem finding nice maxi skirts and dresses
I think clothes used to favor form over function. The clothes I wear today tend to favor function over form. I usually avoid "dressing up" because my only purpose in doing so would be my own vanity. I don't want to judge people who enjoy looking nice, I just prefer to be simple
@@justinlukas5289 sometimes haha! Sweatpants are also very functional.
And what has happened to women's clothes??? Once upon a time women loved to look beautiful. Now they want to look"hot" wearing trashy clothing. I went into a store and asked where the skirts were, and instead of answering me, the sales lady just stared at me like I had 2 heads and FINALLY told me after staring at me forever, they haven't carried skirts for years and that women don't buy skirts.
I think deep down everyone still knows class is what should win, even though they settle for trashy ways. Kate Middleton is arguably the true fashion icon of this day and age. People marvel at her in a different way. People wanna buy what she wears (that style if not the exact item). They inherently know her style is valuable, but everyone settles for trashy and cheap to get what they want at the bars (trashy and cheap interactions aka random hookups)
That’s unreal :( I buy my skirts at second hand stores….. it’s rare I find them anywhere else.
One of the reasons I began sewing regularly was to provide really lovely clothes for my children and at a decent price. Plus make things of unique design.
That's surprising to hear and hard to believe! What sort of store was it that it hadn't carried skirts in years? I typically buy clothing secondhand but I have more trouble with finding skirts that are of a modest length. Even so, I gave up wearing pants about a year ago and couldn't be happier and more comfortable!
Where do they not sell skirts at?
I watched the new CS Lewis movie " the most reluctant convert". I noticed how well dressed and how well spoken people were in the pre 1960s west. My parents generation in WW2, everyone was so well dressed, polite, the music was so classy. It is interesting that those who now attend the traditional Latin Mass, are very well dressed, as in we realize we are walking into the house if God, and show respect by presenting the best of ourselves.
i think when rebel without a cause was made, it was not just hollywood that sympathized with communism but european actors as well, the likes of yves montand if i remember correctly. for some reason, those in europe continued to dress fashionably until more recent times compared to the north american counterparts.
that's nonsense, Jesus don't care if you wear jeans and a t-shirt to church.
@@MovieGuy666 no one said he does. We dress up for church not because failing to will somehow upset or offend God. We do it for us, because it elevates God above everyday things
@@MovieGuy666Nonsense? Really? To present yourself respectfully, the best way you can, in a house of God? I disagree with you absolutely. Showing up to Sunday Mass in a T-shirt, shorts and grimy tennis shoes, stopping in on your way to the grocery store would seem extremely disrespectful, as that assisting at high mass of our Lord is not worth you taking the time to put on decent clothes. I didnt say Jesus would expect you to dress in any certain way, you missed the point entirely.
@@MovieGuy666 With all due respect, there was nothing nonsensical about Carlos Gaspar’s point. It has always been the case that people “dress up” in special clothing as a way to show caring and respect about a special occasion/person. Who is more special than our Lord Jesus? He even told a parable in which one of the wedding guests was not dressed properly to greet the bridegroom at the wedding, remember? He did not denounce wedding guests for putting in special clothing! I always “dress up” modestly for Mass as a way of expressing adoration for Christ Jesus, as everybody once did. I think it’s one thing I’m getting right in life, lol!
What he is talking about is evident in architecture, transport and how.we dress. All we have to do is look around any city now and notice the novostroiki looking buildings passing for everything from.government offices to condos and apartments. The loss of a desire to make monumental architecture has turned out once beautiful cities into wastelands.
The same thing goes for personal style. I remember when service station attendants wore uniforms. Bus drivers and transit operators wore uniforms with a cap and a badge that gave them authority. People had a sense of looking as good and proper as possible. We dressed up to go to the movies and travel! Since the 1960s we have all dumbed down into polo shirts and earth tones with most people slouching along in baggy jeans and t shirts.
Even old men in their eighties and nineties who once were poor hard working men, usually wear formal trousers and shirts. Compare them to the next generation. No matter whether poor or rich. They shamelessly wear shorts in the summer and walk around the city in flipflops.
And of course the same happens to women. I've always loved dresses and old-fashioned clothing. But I don't wear them because I don't want people to stare at me and I don't want to be any more weird.
I think an overarching theme is transition from God-centered virtues to man-centered values. Truth, beauty & goodness replaced with sexiness, newness and utilitarianism. Brian has touched on this with architecture and fashion. I’m in product development and we (client) would never make ‘beauty’ a goal. Most consumers, who by the way, wear work jeans or spandex, do not (or could not) appreciate such transcendental virtues.
I sew all of my clothes and mostly wear historically inspired styles that are much dressier than most people consider appropriate. But I love beautiful fabric so that's what I do. My husband also joins me in dressing this way on the weekends when he's not working with IT clients. We get crazy looks!
Awwww 🥺🤍
@@dominicpardo4783 Hilarious. Someone opens up about how much they love beautiful clothing, and your response is to call them crazy. YOU need the psychiatrists. Not them.
@@dominicpardo4783 … You have an anime avatar.
@@dominicpardo4783 I'm not Catholic. I just love textiles and historical styles of clothing more than yoga pants and hoodies. I'm actually awful at cosplay because I'm not good at pretending to be something that I'm not.
I think that is awesome! I’m assuming you’re not both wearing costumes..lol..but even if you are I think it’s great that you’re creative and your husband is into it!
I mostly agree with this thesis, but I think we should acknowledge that some developments in clothing have been good. Modern clothing is better suited to actual weather conditions, for example. As an Australian, I see old footage of people dressed in European style suits and ties and long dresses in the hot Aussie summer and can only wonder at the impracticality of such attire. Function and elegance should go hand in hand.
yep ... back then everything was made out of wool and other heavy materials.
Spot on
In a way yes, in all others no. Look to countries with extreme weather conditions and look at their old clothing. Some even wear it to this day. there is an emphasis on beauty and cultural uniqueness. There is no excuse. Not even comfort. (which is THE excuse of someone who orientates his live around consumption)
Now everyone wears flip flops lol
Well that's why people wore cotton, linen and silk which ARE suited to hotter climates. Don't assume that everyone wore heavy clothing because they didn't. People also dressed according to the season. Much of modern clothing is made from acrylic and polyster (PLASTIC) which is NOT suited to hot climates all all.
Before and after ww2, the middle classes strove to emulate the upper classes. They dressed well and with a sense of decorum. They entertained, insisted the family eat dinner together around a table, and raised their children with a sense of etiquette. You know those middle and high school dances and formals? They were originally held as training for when the students were adults and would attend such events.
Around the late 60s, the middle classes started living more like the lower classes did previous to that time. Very little household rules, little decorum (after all, that's no fun!), eating in front of the television, and not having a structured social life that would involve a dress code. After all, caring how ones looks is considered shallow.
My daughter got a scholarship to a college that attracts "old money." Guess what? Her fellow students didn't curse very often, they dressed for the occasion and were expected to know how to dress at what type of event, and how to arrange receptions for visiting dignitaries (visiting professors, authors, prize winning scientists....) It occurred to us that the middle class was segregating itself from the upper class and that what was once common etiquette is now becoming the secret handshake by which the upperclasses can recognize each other.
At Sewanee (The University of the South), boys wear coat and tie to class. It's not required by dress code, they just do it because its tradition!
I agree with almost all of what you say (which is why, as a college professor, I always wore a coat and tie), but I must say that Rebel Without a Cause strikes me as a very perceptive picture of the disappearance of fatherhood. But, as I said, your argument strikes a chord with me.
One Saturday afternoon this past summer after visiting my son and his family, I was in the area of my former Parish and wanted to make it to Confession before I went home for the evening. I lamented that I wasn't dressed properly to stay for Holy Mass. I prayed about it as I was driving and heard interiorly, "come as you are." It was a joyful exception to my preference for dressing my best for Sunday Mass.
Some of us can’t always attend Mass in proper attire, but every effort should be made to do so. Matthew 22 alludes also (but not only!) to this.
@@JohnAlbertRigali I agree wholeheartedly.
A funny and sad story: Once we had been out on hike in the mountains with two nominal German Lutherans. We realized that we must get to Mass and I did not have time to change out of the short-shorts I was wearing. We went to Mass anyway, but the Lutherans both wondered aloud how my attire could be appropriate!!! At that time I had not awake to the Catholic faith.
I had never heard that theory before, but it certainly seems plausible.
One thing I would mention though is that fashion can become immodest in more than one way, and a balance has to be found. Dressing only for comfort and self pursuit is the more obvious one for our times. However, immodesty in dress can also come from caring too much about being decorated. Certain times in the history of Christendom have brought out a sort of ridiculous excess in fashion of the nobility; so much so that the stiff neck pieces used to make men and women stand out like peacocks were sometimes of one time use.
The Dinner Dress/Tuxedo offered a good balance for the upper classes. It allowed for a good looking masculine outfit that wasn't too uncomfortable and prevented people from dressing too individualistically and showing off. It allowed for slight individual features, such as the lapel and at times a different colour bowtie.
Likewise, the men's suit and/or combination piece for day wear.
I started to wear a tie more often a few years ago. At first I went a bit over the top. Now, I try to wear a collared shirt with a tie along with a waistcoat. And on occasion I will wear a sports jacket. I try to stick to neutral colours to prevent myself from standing out too much. I found that dressing better actually brings out a certain positive element - it effects how you feel somewhat and lifts your spirits.
I have made the decision to wear almost exclusively nice clothing. Actually, here in Canada, and extremely surprisingly, Costco is a great place to get good nice clothes. There I have gotten amazing dress shirts for only 23 dollars, and great... I don't know what to call them. Their like a kind of jean but there black and look very formal. Not something that I would wear to church, but still very classy. They were only around 20 dollars as well. Considering all of this, I am looking way more formal and at a cheaper price. Praise Jesus. P.S I find dressing well draws girls for some reason as a side note lol.
i don't have that many ties, but I will wear them to church always.
@@chromebook1794 I'm glad to hear it. I'll have to check out Costco. Sometimes thrift stores even have fairly nice clothing and only gently used.
@@CatholicK5357 Holy Yes! Cool story. My high school had a dress UP day. I go to a uniform Catholic school and once a month we have dress down days. And just to comment on that for a second, the amount of dress coding that could be one one those days is pathetic. However, on this dress UP day, I needed a new suit jacket since my old one didn't fit. Long story short, my Dad brought me to the thrift store and I picked up a gently used suit jacket that retails for around $500 for only $10! Yeah, thrift stores are the place to go. Costco is very interesting with their clothing, if you are already there then check it out but I wouldn't get a membership just for the clothing. However it is a nice place to go for clothes.
@@CatholicK5357 It also, I suppose, depends on your country what Costco stocks, but, I think it is still worth checking it out!
Amazing ,,, I was talking about this to my wife just the other day... As the west becomes more atheistic, literally everything becomes more ugly .... fashion, architecture , speech, art .... thanks for an interesting discussion
Yes, it goes hand in hand.
7:08 my parents lived in communist Poland and there were NO jeans here back then. People would kill for a pair of JEANS. Jeans specifically were associated with the west. I'm not saying that your argument is wrong but workers' pants used in Soviet states were certainly not made ouf jeans.
I've just scrolled down the comments to see if somebody poits this out. You are 100% right. How do you call in polish those blue working pants/overalls?
@@zuzaninha Ogrodniczki
There is a much simpler explanation for the decline in men's formal wear in the US and Canada: WWII. More men than ever before were sent out for years to live, work, and fight in harsh conditions and they did so while wearing simple, comfortable clothing. If one spent two years fighting the Japanese in the jungles of South East Asia and then come home to the South Carolina, would one *really* want to wear a three piece suit in that kind of heat? Or would one want to wear the comfortable, simple clothing they'd grown accustomed to during the war?
Also, men's formal wear is multi-layered for warmth. Central heat became widespread starting in the 50s, so there was no more of a need for men to wear jackets inside and hence the jackets fell out of favor.
And a note on blue jeans: in the USSR, jeans were actually pretty rare as the Soviet factories didn't make them and they had to be imported clandestinely from the West. A person wearing blue jeans was making a statement of having privileges and connections, as a pair of Levis costed about a month's salary on the black market.
My father, who grew up extremely poor, fought in ww2. That was not the generation that went casual. My father did not own jeans and wore worn out suit pants when making repairs around the house. He loved his suits and even his formal wear. They were a symbol of his position in society and how hard he worked and how far he came. It was the Boomers who eschewed proper clothing and wanted to make a statement with jeans.
@@mmthomas3729 Watch Gentleman's Gazette. They talk about this and they're literally experts in men's classic fashion. It was a combination of WWII, central heating, and the rise of car culture that causes the slow fade of men's suits outside of work and formal settings.
Given that the decline of fashion really started in the 1960's, I don't think WWII is to blame; it wasn't those who fought in the jungles of the Pacific who ultimately 'dressed down', it was their children. I do suspect the rise of central heating did play some role, at least with regard to men's fashion, but that doesn't really explain the simultaneous decline of women's fashion and it seems improbable that there were different causes for the decline of men's and women's fashion.
@@rumrunner8019Has it come to your mind that some mainstream channels like gentleman's gazette doesn't want to talk about controversial stuff that might upset their audience ? Hence why the absurd explanation about "central heating" and other non sense.
As a Christian Slav I agree. Somewhat... ( I love my Adidas ) Edit: I would add as well here in Europe's big cities we still like to dress nice, just not wear full on suits. Depends on the season too.
Hahaha I wonder if any commenters will get your mention of Slav and Adidas
Gopnik?
@@henrybn14ar Not all Slavs are delinquents Henry haha
I would propose that today formal clothing is more comfortable than ever in the past, with more elastic, lighter weight, performance fabrics available. And if you get the fit right, you can wear them all day and still be quite comfortable.
Not really, wool and linen (& maybe cotton) are still king. I have a wool greatcoat from the 1950s and it still beats out any modern 'performance' fabric coat that I have ever worn. Wool blends just make the fabric more durable. Look at channels like Survival Russia, he mostly wears wool during winter while living in Siberia. I have yet to find a fabric that beats linen for the summer heat.
@@handsomegiraffe yes wool and linen are gold standards in materials for men's wear still, however newer fabrics and construction have led to bringing the costs down and providing some more formal wear that is extremely comfortable. I have a couple of suits made from these materials that are stretchy, comfortable and look great. I could go for a run in them and would not feel constricted, and they are machine washable. Are they bespoke Martin Greenfields or Saville Row? - no way, but like I said: easy care, comfortable, machine washable. Would I wear one of those to meet the Queen? - no, but for so many other applications they are great!
This was beautifully stated! I've been trying to say things like this for years now, and have been wearing more "formal" looking clothes, especially for church, for years, but I could never come up with anything more like a good reason for doing so. But this makes me all the more excited to do what I already do, which is to wear something that reflects the values that I hold, and to learn to respect the image of God which I bear.
I love to see a little girl wearing a dress, with a cardigan, and a boy in trousers and a shirt. Both are almost a thing of the past outside of mass on Sunday, To my mind, nothing is more appealing than seeing children look like children, instead of mini versions of their parents, in track bottoms and trainers!
The problem begins when the parents look like bigger versions of their children.
On the other hand, wearing these formal clothes is like pretending to be of nobility, which 99% of us are not. And most of us also aren't workers. That's why I prefer nice clothes, but not too formal. Something in between 🙂
Interesting. I didn’t know much of that. I thought it had to do with the rise of “fast fashion” and sourcing our clothing from sweatshops in Asia rather than having higher quality, often homemade or by a professional tailor.
It's also seen in glorification of street fashion, which is basically just clothes that poor people wore because they couldn't afford anything else.
@@sumkindacheeto Not necessary. A lot of street clothing is more expensive than the average - see these millionaire youtubers dressing in hoodies and leggings, but from Gucci.What you say also conveys that to dress up well, a person must spend more money, which is not true, if you can mend or have second-hand clothing either by some family members or by thrift-shops
@@sumkindacheeto Nowadays it seems that "poor" people dress better than the rich.
@@marmor3957 Just because street clothing can be expensive does not make it upper class. Street clothing is fundamentally lower class. It’s literally called “street” clothing, it’s meant to emulate the styles prevalent in lower class inner city neighborhoods.
@@kingbaguette1843 I understand the origin, but it had evolved since then; it lost that meaning
I dress up everyday no matter what. It is a show of good manners and a show of self respect.
Its easier to sell people moderns Men's Wear then it is to sell them 3 suits and a pair of shoes that lasts for decades
It's everywhere in current culture, both men and women. I'm 27. 90% of girls I see my age are in yoga pants with fluffy boots and a coat. It looks horrible. Where are all the Audrey Hepburns and well dressed men? What happened to class?
@@xunqianbaidu6917 Yoga pants and fluffy boots are functional? Hahaha
Do me a favor and go watch videos of everyone in the early 20th century and tell me how they are all narcissists LOL.
It's about modesty and self respect, not ego.
@@xunqianbaidu6917 Ahh yes I forgot comfort = function. Makes perfect sense! I find thongs to be much more comfortable than swimsuits. Think I should start wearing them to the beach?
@@xunqianbaidu6917 You're either not Catholic at all, or are a very misguided one.
@@xunqianbaidu6917 No no no, it's not a different matter. See unlike you, I don't judge others.
@@xunqianbaidu6917 You don't get to pick and choose what you can and can't judge somebody on. Don't you understand how modernism works?
Funny this video should come out now. I've spent the last couple of years getting rid of all of my plastic clothes (i.e. polyester, nylon, etc.) and switching to 100% natural fibers like cotton and wool. I'm tired of cheap clothes that don't breath and are caked in anti-flammable toxic materials.
As a chemist, I approve this message (and the feeling) 👍
Blue jeans started in America. They were perfect for cowboys and miners. I would like to wear a suit every day. I don't because it would be impractical at my work and I can"t afford them. I wear jeans.
Sounds legit though there is one problem. Today, the classical suit is no more a uniform of nobility, but of politicians who are maybe even worse than worker class if we talk about values and imitation. Plus, the classical uniform itself is a product of modernization of the world, and particularly G. K. Chesterton pointed that out in his essays (don't remember which exactly), that medieval dressings were far more bright. I'd add that they also were more practical than a classical suit. So yes, maybe we should dress more like Lui le Roi, though it'd be quite a challenge, but give up jeans for the blank modern XIX century suit? No, I am more of a medieval guy. Let's dress up like musketeers or cowboys maybe?
And also, girls should review their fashion too, though that's obvious even for girls (even for those who would deny that).
Check out that video of people walking in the streets of various cities in 1890. There's a clip from that video at the beginning of this video. You'll see, especially in Moskow, you can dress nicely without looking like a politician or corporate businessman, and without looking eccentric. A long wool coat, collared shirt, sweater, wool pants, and leather boots and bam you already look leagues better than the status quo.
You could probably get away with dressing like an actual cowboy from the 1800s though in parts of America.
suits & ties are incredibly impractical for most ppl ...i honestly have no idea what benefit they serve beyond a class or status signal. They are less comfortable, less mobile, require more babying, look terrible if even slightly blemished or wrinkled, dress shoes make you slower and stress your feet more. The only purpose they serve is vanity. I still wear them on occasion, and like the look in some respects, they help a "classy event" feel classy, but for the most part, i find them absurd & hate wearing them lol
If we go a bit further back throughout most of human history, i get the impression most traditional & ancient cultures actually had really comfortable, practical clothes. I'd gladly embrace plenty of those fashion traditions.
@@pickenchews Suits back then (1800s-1950) were much better quality and had more variations than most suits nowadays (I think the price difference is exaggerated too). Although, if you just go back to the 1700s you can see much more variety in men's clothing (see portraits of Sir Isaac Newton). Same thing goes for dress shoes, to get dress shoes like the ones worn by men in 1800-1950 is going to cost you a lot more now than it did back then even when adjusting for inflation. If can get your hands on good quality dress shoes then you'd know they are very comfortable (it's a very similar construction to that of many good quality military boots). Also, a lot of men in the 1800s up until the first world war wore oxford style boots which would have been even more comfortable and protect your feet better from the elements.
Much of the garments sold to us in our modern times are just terrible imitations of the real thing.
this explains so much, thank you for sharing this!
Very insightful video! Thanks for uploading!
This is all very interesting. Thank you for this information.
This video felt really personal to me, as I have been thinking about this for a long time now. Keep up the good work!
Brian, this was very well done. Thank you for the good information. You’ve given some points to ponder that I hadn’t considered previously.
It seems to me that there are several causes. To wear formal clothing one needs to have plenty of time to look after it, or servants. We are also fussier about not wearing dirty clothes that need to go in a washing machine, which is not the place for quality tailored items.
We also tend to engage in activities that require unrestricting clothing. And don't want to stick out as odd.
It doesn’t necessarily mean “expensive.” There are modern wash-and-wear materials used in more traditional styles. Even khakis are a big step above dressing like a punk.
@@stephenjohnson7915 that's right, today your can even get suits and dress shirts in very breathable, performance fabrics that are quite comfortable, and not terribly expensive either.
Stephen Johnson he is giving jeans to communist and the world has handed over the rainbow bow symbol to gays and LGBTQ’s.
It’s a damaging argument sadly this time. Brian is normal well thought out
D M Immekus Brian is giving jeans to communist as the world has handed over the rainbow bow symbol to gays and LGBTQ’s.
It’s a damaging argument sadly this time. Brian is normal well thought out
@@stephenjohnson7915 But many "punk" types ironically wear formal clothing, the "Goths" in particular.
Wow this was very Enlightening thank you very much For sharing your research. What was the name of the song at the end?
I grew up in the 60s and I do remember hearing people say that beauty was unjust, hence the rush to build ugly buildings, to make everything utilitarian.
I've been attending a Latin Mass church during Advent, and it's gotten me interested in dressing up again. I feel better about myself when I put on a button-down, slacks, and a jacket and trenchcoat. My daughter suggested I should wear a bowtie, so those are on the way. We really have lost something in recent generations.
There is another part to this story, the part that involves the time of the powerful Church and nobility. What we call classic men's style today was only really fashionable for less than a hundred and fifty years, from the rise of Napoleon's French Empire to a few years following the end of World War II. Before 1789, menswear was really quite gay, so to speak, sometimes to ridiculous proportions (Macaroni anyone?). The classic style arose in the aftermath of the Terror of 1793, as Europe went to war against the First French Republic, and that series of wars only ended in 1815. So basically, you had reaction against the aristocratic flamboyance, plus years and years of major warfare to the point where a full restoration was rendered impossible.
Thank you. This was so interesting and informative.
Wow. Fascinating! Perhaps your most interesting video yet. Looking forward to the next one!
I think dressing nicely and the arts might make a comeback. The "Dark Academia" aesthetic is trending with the kids nowadays. :)
This is so fascinating to me. Thanks for an interesting concept to ponder. I'm going through a bit of a process regarding the idea of femininity and beauty for myself and I'm intrigued by what you've discussed as it applies to both men and women. The comments are interesting too, extrapolating this idea out into architecture, design and the notions of beauty in general.
You said a thought that I knew I had but didn’t know fully what it was, and you contextualized and developed it. Thank you Mr. Holdsworth
I only found this channel an hour ago but it’s been so enlightening
I really enjoyed this video. My sister-in-law gave me a book called Dressing with Dignity and it's now a favorite book of mine. Last fall I began only to wear skirts and slowly dresses, though I feel awkward in dresses, and blouses. Though, I admit I still wear sweatpants, t-shirts, and I love sweatshirts, but I see that for only at home (unless it's cold, then I will wear sweatshirts or a good modest tee lol). But I feel more confident in dressing more modest. I carry myself differently, which is more respectable than before. I gave up jeans, and I miss it, but I give it up, allowing it to be a small penance, especially lately since it's been a little over a year since I started it's been tough. I recommend trying to take more time in how you dress, especially for Mass, it changes and it helps.
I got paint on my favorite jeans today, now I hear this message. Good video, thanks
AAAAAAMEN brother!! I've been saying this for a long time now. We are de-volving in every sense. Men dress like kids, act like kids, look like kids...meh. Seeing the old footage from the turn of the century, I shed a tear to see how the world once was. Deo Gratias!
The old film clips are all the more startling when you consider that, "way back when", there was NO wash-and-wear clothing. Everything had to be washed BY HAND (no washing machines!) THEN starched, THEN ironed!
@@cp2410 I remember my grandma hand washing stuff and the smell of freshness in the air. Ah the days...
@@cp2410the overall population was much slimmer then too. Everyone looked very smart in their suits and dresses (hats too).
Awesome topic! And room for a LOT more comment and discussion. Keep going!
I can still remember my grandfather would always put on his dress khaki pants, shirt & polish shoes when he went to town. He was a small truck farmer.
I have always enjoyed dressing nicely and as our culture grows more and more casual I find it difficult to shop for clothing because the options that I enjoy seem to be dwindling, at least in the big stores I go to. I think there's also something to be said about how dressing up makes one feel. I remember when I was in high school I read that if you dress formally for a test you are more likely to do well because when you are dressed up it tells your brain that something important is happening. I wore a suit and tie for my ACT tests in high school and did very well (I'm also just a good test taker but I think the suit helped). I think dressing well is a sign of self respect and people tend to respect those who respect themselves. I wonder if there is any correlation between the way we dress nowadays and the lack of respect there is for one another and for ourselves. Thanks for this video, it's given me a lot to think about.
Love your work.. great job!
i like your backround in the video. Makes it look like your home has a homy feel to it.
Very interesting! As a filmmaker, I find the influence of film on culture (and vice versa) worth thinking about.
I've been in fancy dresses for years, albeit with my goth aesthetic. I can say one thing for certain, aspiring to a higher ideal does wonders for one's psyche.
Wow. Good information, well said and well spoken.
Very interesting. Thank you
What is the song that plays for your introduction
A decade after the opening film clip was made, the men were in the trenches, dressed in military uniforms. That could be something to do with why things changed.
Wow, this was an actual lesson for me. I lived most of my life in denim clothing, but I only have a few such items now and wear them as needed on rare occasion. As for dressing formally, I began wearing my “Sunday best” to Mass after returning from lapse and getting a proper catechesis. Now I want to revamp my entire wardrobe, but financial responsibilities and charitable givings keep me almost perpetually broke and in debt. Brian, I’m hoping to live vicariously through your formal dress… 😉
I have practiced architecture for twenty-four years professionally; and prior to that, studied it since the late 80s... The same spirit of anarchy exists in architecture, where formality is frowned upon. But what many fail to see is that, anarchists are also conformists to chaos in art -- if that makes sense.
Modern architecture is a war against beauty, because they know that's a war on God.
My brother is an arch intern. He argues basically most architecture since 1950 is a mistake
@@jakefelty It is _extremely_ rare for such a young man to have such an insight, and I agree with him... There was some redemption in the 70s, I think.
Are you familiar with the channel Enes Yilmazer? He's a realtor and tours homes in the10 million and above range.
Some of the homes he tours are modern, as in recently built, but have that classical style look which are amazing. He toured a mansion in the mountains of Colorado which was styled as an old Victorian style castle.
Then there's others that he tours in Beverly Hills which are the "modern era" type of homes. They are very ugly and some are monstrosities.
If you haven't seen his channel check it out some time.
Architects are some of the most pretentious, conformist people on the planet,and generallly have bad taste and are culturally illiterate. I've never met an architect who impressed me
The prevailing fashion culture has changed in the West, plus as time has gone on the classy clothing has increased in value thus making it unaffordable for the average American. Most people don't even own a sports coat.
I love your videos. These are eye-opening. Cheers from Mexico 🇲🇽
Fantasic video, wow, so enlightening, I am going to do something about my way of dressing ( mostly jeans ...) and try to embrace skirts instead !!!
I am delighted to hear your message.
Interesting 🤔. I'm still trying to figure out how to implement this seeing as I am indeed a factor worker though.
As a seminarian, it is somewhat easier to go unnoticed while doing it, but wearing black “dress” pants and shirts in Brazil does draw many stupefied gazes.
Thank you for the great reflection, Mr. Holdsworth, and please pray for us. Our hot weather makes everything you mentioned fairly worse around here.
This is something that has been of interest to me for the past couple of years. Today popular clothing is all "athlesiure" or in other places it's beach wear all the time. Which is vastly different than yester-year.
Brian, if you think there was/is a link between nobility and virtue you have a little bit of history studies ahead of you. There has never been anything virtuous about the position of nobility. Regardless how much they want to portray it as such.
As for the issue of clothing, I'm equally comfortable in a Canali suit as I am in shorts and flipflops. I used to happily wear either a suit or shorts and flipflops at mass. But I would never wear a suit every day, ever. I need a bit of both.
And don't get me started on the topic of how 'murican men wear suits. 😟
Hi Brian, just found your channel and I like what you do. It occurred to me as I was listening that the societal ethos of the past that you outlined as a unified moral vision - which somewhat paradoxically was paired with decentralized government under a loose federal system and greater control of a community's affairs within the community - has been inverted, so that we see a decentered moral vision paired with a very powerful, centralized federal government. "We don't agree on what to do, but we'll all do it together" - can't see how that genius move could go wrong!
Thanks for watching. Good observation!
Without watching just by the cover: as a woman at least they are dressed comfortably compared to non modest women clothing.
I think the idea of the 'workman's uniform' was also inspired by the serge battledress uniforms worn from the late 19th and early-mid 20th centuries. They were designed to be more hardworking and also camouflage with the environment, unlike the bright but impractical uniforms of the Napoleonic and mid-19th century period. This shift in military fashion happened to coincide with the rise of socialism and later communism. Also the bravery and importance of the common soldier started to be recognised just as much as the officer class and, in America, the rise of the cowboy or prospector as a cultural figure.
(I'm no communist and not denying their ideology was influential during the 1950s and 60s; just saying there was more happening at that time).
Very interesting perspective.
¡Excelente video! Muchas gracias por tu aporte.
Excellent video, and very compelling. Not too many people are taking about this and I think it's a shame.
It seems like you have a lot of good things to say here, Brian, but I have some concerns. There seems to be some merit to “don’t judge a book by its cover.” For instance, are people with deformities morally corrupt, as often shown in old stories? The bad guy is often portrayed as ugly. But we can’t control things like facial symmetry or other concepts of beauty despite being loving, morally upright people.
And what does it say about people who do work in these kinds of labor jobs where they wear jeans? It is not “noble?” But we as Catholics affirm the dignity of work, and we can’t imagine the world functioning as it does without these people’s essential jobs.
Now, I’m not going to deny the desire even I myself have for us to return to the classic formal attire, and I see there is a natural desire to aspire for the good, beautiful, and true in our outward appearance, but I am just thinking out loud as I grapple with my own internal competing thoughts.
Yep, for sure. There's a lot more that could and should be said that my 10 minutes didn't allow for.
The story of "Captain von Köpenick" (1849-1922) also comes to mind.
The shoemaker disguised himself as a captain and stole the city treasury. Conversely, this means that one should not dress as something that one is not. And let's not forget that for many centuries there were strict rules as to which fabrics and colors one could wear in one's "respective class" (beggar, farmer, craftsman, knight, nobleman). In the 18th and 19th centuries, the desire to imitate the nobles with their clothing may have arisen, but this has less to do with the Christian background, but more to do with the previous revolutions and the emerging humanism and, yes, Engels and Marx wrote at this time, (around 1848), their communist manifestos.
The last picture kind of ruined the whole argument. Why would men want to be dressed in tights and high heels just because the nobility and royalty dressed like that. I'm hoping it was a joke on Brian's part... But it still ruins his whole argument. Secondly... What would you say about St. Benedict Joseph Labre, St Mary of Egypt or even Mary and Jesus? Because Jesus and Mary hardly would have dressed like the nobility of their day... And the saints i mentioned who lived a life of intentional poverty didn't dress like that either. I still think we shouldn't judge people by their outward appearance alone (with obvious caveats, like if the outward appearance is intentionally meant to convey an internal reality.). I do think there should be a middle way. The amount of virtue or the greatness of the soul of a person cannot always be judged accurately by their outward appearance (Mary Joseph and Jesus being prime examples) but sometimes it can... And it is worth talking about this very interesting topic with a little more nuance.
@@njtom105 The thing is that even the clothes that poor people wore in the past were more beautiful, modest and respectable than what many people wear today. And it also has to do with how much you can afford and what activities you do. I don't expect a gymnast to compete in a suit, for example.
That said, I don't think every fashion in the past was beautiful. There were certainly gaudy times too.
You brought up a very good point. My solution to that would be, as in everything else, to judge others with much leeway acknowledging extenuating circumstances while holding oneself to a higher standard.
The weird thing is people are dressing like poor and homeless people meanwhile looking down on poor and homeless people. 🤔🤦
They are definitely in on it. 😐
I think clothing itself has transcended class now meaning wearing anything clean should be good. 👍
I'm curious what your opinion of non-blue jeans is
Bravo. This convinced me. Now, I think I'll also try to wear jeans less often in the future...
Thank you!
Excellent, Brian. You put another piece of the culture puzzle into place, to help answer the question of how we got here.
Good work on this channel. Keep it up brother.
Regards from Sweden
It's funny. Ever since my father-in-law retired, he won't wear a necktie. Even for church, he often wears jeans.
I've learned that despite graduating from college and becoming a Navy officer, followed by a lengthy career in business, both as an executive and a consultant, he never aspired to a career that required a suit and tie.
I figured, as a kid, since my father wore a suit and tie to work, I had to follow in his foot steps. He was a corporate executive. I became a lawyer.
But, I later became a stay-at-home parent. Yet, I like wearing suits. Wear a suit to an expensive restaurant or on an airplane, you get treated better than someone in a t-shirt and jeans, even if they are from an expensive designer.
I teach public high school in Louisiana. I brought up a similar topic with my 11th graders. One boy in the class said he thought men were more masculine/ put together back then because they had to be, there were challenges. He said something like We have nothing to do. We have no reason to be like that. Of course I followed up with “If challenges presented themselves like back then do you think men would rise to it?” He said he thought so. That’s just one 11th graders opinion. We were talking about WWII for a frame of reference.
Interesting! Reminds me of the saying "hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men & weak men create hard times."
Jeans, to my knowledge were invented in the U.S. as sturdy clothing for riding and working in gold mines. Much later they were marketed in the USSR and there they became sign of "western" clothing, not the other way round (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeans). Having grown up in Germany, jeans to me always signified the ruggedness and comfort of western clothing, never that of communist way of materialistic lifestyle. The fact that they are common all over the world shows to me much more a sign of export of "western" culture than that of broken down communism. The latest revival of socialist thinking not included, of course.
Cowboys and gold miners were the same things that came to my mind
0:38 we slavs are athletic people who train all the time. Suits would be very impractical for training :D
Based and Adidased.
SLAVS or SLOBS
your open lines have strike me to the heart, yes this is exactly how I felt when I see those old photos from the past, although some may say the social pressure is there repressing individual characters but I personally like the old ways, everything was meant to be decent!
And Brain please do dress like Louis XIV as you said in the last bit of the video. As for myself, I have always adore men's wear of the 18th cent. Yes, with wigs and coats and heeled shoes.
I agree with your points, I would also add that increase in wealth of the working/common (vulgares) man (which is ironic to Marxism) allowed them to be targeted in marketing. Given the numbers of the common folk (proletariat) increased their purchasing power which turned culture, more popular (populares-plebians). Coupled with media now entering the homes, first through radio and then to TV in the 50's, marketing was framed to ply the money from the common folk. Additionally, in America, people at the lowest level of income spend more of their discretionary (which is non-existent therefore high debt) income as a dopamine dump. So over time, marketing went to the lowest level as it became easier to ply them from their wealth. As you see in modern popular culture, the vulgares dominate culture. And it is not solely western anymore, you have Gopniks in Russia, Hooligans (yes the OG of the name) of India etc. that have embraced the vulgar. Much of it now influenced by Hollywood.
I do not know if we could call it a conspiracy since it is overt. Much of the population willingly accepts their various forms of Soma. Aldous Huxley called it years ago. He was coming up at the same time Edward Bernays was beginning to influence marketing.
A fair stab at the problem. From a nonexpert to another nonexpert, my own thesis is not so much based on the agency of particular human parties, but rather on the general _Zeitgeist_ of the late '50s and early '60s, because you had then a bunch of unique ingredients: basically, you had the youths devastated by the horrors of WWII, who got back to their homes only to raise their kids under the existential threat of the Cold War, plus the (already mature) development of a scientimistic outlook from the wonders of the Atomic Age to the evergrowing public acceptance of secular doctrines such as macroevolutionism, together with the advances of consumerism which by the time of _Modern Times_ (which I saw like before yesterday, still a classic 👍) were already trope-ish; as you can see (with the power of hindsight), leaving all this to marinate for a generation was a recipe for the hitherto unseen generation gap that lead not only to the great reviling of tradition (religion inclusive) we see to this day, but also to the death of fashion, taste and style (try and imagine an era more campy and kitschy than the '60s and '70s - go on, I dare you), as well as the enthronement of pop culture over not only its predecessor, folklore, but also other more perennial forms of culture (be it music, literature, etc.), in lieu of the spiritual significance that was trashed by these defranchised rebels raging against the machine almost as if by a sort of allergic reaction. By the late '90s, I think, most of the steam of all the Roger Waters in the world was already vented (specially after the fall of that other Wall), but now the genie was out of the bottle and there was no coming back, so here we find ourselves today, playing PCness for virtue and other miscellaneous stupidities 🤷♂
Excellent yet again! 👊🏻
Women wearing exercise clothes shopping is the female equivalent.
People used to have style. It's time to revive it :) Thank You Brian, for another amazing video!+
Those old videos at the start were from downtown cities and what looked like parties. How many of those people do you think were working class?
How many working class people dressed like that even back then on a day to day basis?
I am interested in fashion and I think people should dress up more in general. But I don't really understand what the issue is with dressing like a working man is.
I get the a tone of talking down to the working class from this video.
@@elizabethkraszewski6603 That is really interesting. I am not surprised that working people wanted do that. Maybe they hoped to achieve that prestige one day.
Yeah I definitely agree on the part about looking presentable and having pride in our appearance. The thing that I found questionable was the implication that working class clothes are less dignified than a professional looking suit. I think there can be beauty in the fashion typical of the lower classes as well. I should rewatch the video but my impression is that Brian is saying that the fashion of the working class is not beautiful (ie look good).
I can definitely see how marxism is relevant to this conversation.
I wholeheartedly agree with everything. When I was a seminarian, I was taught about the Revolution and Counterrevolution. I have been wearing three-piece suits with white shirts and sensible ties, even suspenders, almost everyday for 9 years. I own two pairs of jeans, which have a very specific context in which I wear them, and one pair of non-leather shoes.
It seems to me to be an attack on "rules" in general, with dressing in rebellion to "the rules" of what to wear and when. I was very happy when my sons' school stressed that rules are there to protect people, and paying taxes is a way to be a responsible member of society. Not judging a book by its cover has largely given way to how to make the best first impression and (visual) identity politics and moral signaling. The ideas of "breaking rules is so much fun!!" falls along the lines of rebel without a cause.
... and they totally ignore the sensory pleasures and durability of natural fibers in clothing, in favor of "fun" and "sexy".
Thanks for this video. I've been thinking about this for a while. I teach in a public school. The majority of teachers, male and female, wear t-shirts, hoodies, and jeans on a daily basis. Reflects a general loss of our sense of human dignity.
LOL NICE ENDING :)
Fascinating. I've had the impression that the late 18th and 20th century Magisterium also nodded their head towards the working class, especially in the favor given to the Opus Dei movement and the establishment in the Feast of Joseph the Worker. How would you distinguish between those Catholic developments and the idolization of the factory worker?
Super interesting video!