The book Dress and Morality by Aileen Ribeiro has some interesting insights into why some clothes are considered moral and others aren’t. For those trying to learn some background, I recommend it.
I have included 2 plates which appear in the book along with their captions. I believe they indicate some of the effect that time has had on men’s fashion.
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| Detail from a fifth-century diptych depicting scenes from the life of St. Paul. This is the kind of dress which many Roman patricians found abhorrent – the long hair, furred mantles, sleeved tunics, and above all, the trousers. |
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| Weeper from the tomb of Edward III c 1377-1386. Westminster Abbey. There is a considerable time lag between the first scandalized references to the short, tight male tunic, and its appearance in surviving art. By the late 1370s, the tunic is very short and tight, the body shape being emphasized by the large buttons down the centre front, and on the sleeve, and the elaborate jewelled belt on the hips. |