The (Surprisingly Rich) History of Casual Style

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VIDEO CREDITS:
→ Script: Jack Collins & Tyler Domecq
→ Camera: Graham ZIma
→ Editing: Jonathan Oster
→ Visual Supervisor: Jack Collins
→ mrcsends
→ Warner Bros. Pictures
→ Eon Productions
→ Paramount Pictures
→ NBC
→ 20th Century Studios
→ Lionsgate Films
→ Def Jam Records

IMAGE CREDITS:
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→ Men's Fashion Magazine
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→ LIFE Magazine
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00:00 Casual Style Origin Introduction

Casual clothes have been around since civilization began. But across cultures, the biggest determining factor separating formal and casual garments was the class divide.

01:45 1880s-1910s

The Late Victorian/Edwardian eras look extremely formal compared to the 21st Century. But casual style very much existed. Practical solutions were a huge part of clothing in these decades.

03:24 The 1920’s

Following WW1, more technical fabrics in workwear gained popularity. Niche items, like leather jackets, were used as hard-wearing options for more laborious jobs or exposure to the elements.

04:35 The 1930’s

During the Great Depression, many men simply couldn’t afford to replace their clothing often. While suits were still extremely commonplace, workwear items like overalls were also seen.

05:15 The 1940’s

Cloth rationing in relation to WWII had a major influence on style. Dress shirts were now seen as acceptable when worn unlayered.

06:15 The 1950’s

Following the war and the relaxation of rationing, people were aching to try out new styles. While many people were content to slowly evolve their style, the various youth counter-culture movements came to the fore in the 1950s.

07:24 The 1960’s

The Counterculture movement exploded in the mid-1960s. Mod fashions seemed incongruous with traditional items like stingy brim fedoras. Celebrities like the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix & The Rolling Stones also promoted a more egalitarian, casual style of dress.

08:26 The 1970’s

If the 1950s and 60s were about style experimentation, then the 1970s pushed things into overdrive! Cheaper construction methods and fabrics (in particular, a heavy focus on synthetics) meant that more people were able to change their wardrobes regularly.

9:19 The 1980s

While the 1970s created a clear divide between formal and casual styles, the 80s was the decade that made them polar opposites. As typified in popular stories set in the 1980s such as Wall Street and American Psycho, the power of tailoring returned with a vengeance.

10:55 The 1990s

The 90s showcased the continuation of how people experimented with casual clothes. Oversized clothing was somewhat popular in the 80s, but the 90s took it even further.

11:45 2000s-Now

Now that we’ve seen how casual style has grown in prevalence over the last 150 years or so, it’s no surprise that casual is king in the 21st Century. With a more modern version of “athleisure” continuing to be a sign of luxury for many.

13:55 Conclusion

With that said, we’re curious: what do you think of casual style overall? How do you incorporate it into your wardrobe? And which era of historical casual style is your favorite?

14:09 Outfit Rundown

#casual #style #notsponsored

[nelly]

As a university student on a budget, focusing my (very small) wardrobe on classic casual style has been invaluable. Most of it exists somewhere between corduroy jacket and pea coat formality wise, but 90% of it can be combined with 90% of everything else.
I'm particularly a fan of 30s/40s workwear and aviator styles- a half decent flat cap is at the top of my shopping list.

[jonstern]

Excellent and comprehensive history. And without judgement, as it should be, because a true style aficionado will appreciate all those style trends

[johnnie]

Long time Gentleman's Gazette fan. You're rockin' the beard, Preston. Thanks for the content.

[sptownsend]

It is so validating to know that at least one person at GG wears Old Spice on occasion. It was my first fragrance, and first fragrances are like first cars; I probably wouldn't daily my first, but I sure would love to have it for a day again -- the smell alone brings back so many memories. The first car or fragrance isn't usually the favorite, but it's almost always the first favorite 😉

[originaluddite]

The pandemic and growth in working from home has further pushed casual wear forward. A lot of my friends never wear a suit unless they _feel like it_ and, in a way, that will only make more formal items fun again. In my case, however, I've become slightly less casual in everyday life, but for practical reasons. I still work face-to-face, and a collar is a great way of keeping a lanyard from annoyingly touching my neck, while having one or more shirt pockets is really useful for quick access to a mask, getting on and off a busy train.

[craft-o-matic]

Thank you gentlemen for the continued excellent content! Happy Friday, and have a marvelous weekend!
Lisa

[GenX]

Casual clothing does have its place. But I think society as a whole tends to overdo it. It's sad that people don't even try to dress nice anymore for occasions like church, wedding, or funeral.

[Ingrid]

Like your brown boots Preston! Casual style is nice, I like a mixture of casual with elegant, new with vintage

[JosephMoore-gcme]

(1) Love the rugged elegance of the outfit, Preston. The leather jacket is king, and combined with the flannel shirt, jeans, and flat-cap it all flows together.

(2) It's hard for me to pin down which period had the best casual dress, BUT, my favorite casually-dressed figure in the video is Ernest Hemingway. Like his prose, his casual dress had a refined musculature about it that complemented his physical/facial features while creating iconic photos.

[sPrestonDuncanPoetry]

I, too, have a weakness for Western snap shirts, and in cooler weather am perpetually clad in a brown tweed Kerry cap from Mucros Weavers. I could probably be described as a shawl collar cardigan enthusiast, and, as a leathercrafter, am almost always echoing brown leather shoes or boots with a hand-dyed belt with subtle tooling details, and a watch with a brown leather band. For me, a substantial share of the magic in dressing formally derives from its relative rarity and my regular practice of curated casual style... which I would describe as somewhere between Southern Literary Chic and Traditional Irish Poet Attire.

Solid video. As usual.

[atorasucodm]

Still love the classic menswear style tho!

[darrenbeachy]

Thank you for the history lesson Preston. I like the sport coat with a waist coat and a button down oxford look.

[jirisykora]

I love that beard of yours! It looks really good on you

[platformproductions]

I dress smart casual for school but I typically don’t go much lower in formality than that. Depending on the outing I will throw on a polo and some jeans with a windbreaker or a sport coat but if the temperature really climbs you’ll likely see me in some linen pants and a polo or a Hawaiian shirt.

[Rudey]

Yes, OLD SPICE. It's my every day splash for a few years now (I save my more expensive stuff for occasions) and i'm asked at least once every few weeks what aftershave i'm wearing. It gets a bad rap in history, but its mild and pleasent, not over powering like Brut and it gets more compliments than the big hitters, Creed, Tom Ford & Floris in my collection.

[BadMotivator]

i've been pondering this recently, especially as the weather has been warming up! I recently acquired a bomber jacket and a harrington. much casual style when paired with a turtleneck :) you fellas read my mind

[shiboomi]

Excellent video, GG! Found this one really interesting and enjoyable. Cool to see how the evolutions of casual and formal style intertwine.

Also 10:58 is a sleeve length nightmare across the board. Jus' sayin'.

[stan]

I stumbled here from a working-class parallel universe and had a good laff. Soon I was taken in by the artistry and dry humor enough to drop some preconceptions. You have been subbed by this fashion-backward peasant.

[theovonsilvatici]

I love late 1940s to mid 50s clothing, those fedoras, colorful ties and nice baggy pants, it is the best period in my opnion.

[IrishShea]

A good video this, I do like a good vintage along with some modern flair, I rocked a bomber jacket with a tweed baker boys hat, a herringbone waistcoat over a grandfather shirt, black jeans with a brown retro inspired laced up boots.
Mix and match lads, tis fair class. ☘