At the weekend I attended the Fashioning Masculinities exhibition at the V&A, which I thoroughly enjoyed. At a time when ideas of masculinity are being questioned, the exhibition reminds us that these ideas have always been in flux, and throughout the centuries masculine ideals – reflected in fashion – have always been subject to change.
The show is divided into three parts: “Undressed” looks at the history of the male body ideal and how ancient Greek and Roman perceptions influenced eighteenth-century men on the Grand Tour and led to a concept of masculinity that still endures today. “Overdressed” explores the flamboyant styles of early modern menswear, while “Redressed” looks at more sombre masculine dressing, largely focusing on suits and uniforms. Rather than adopting a chronological approach, it looks at similarities across different epochs. So ancient Greek statues sit alongside modern underwear and Regency shirts, contemporary bright and embroidered suits are shown next to sixteenth-century capes, and suit styles from the last couple of centuries can be seen beside their modern equivalents, including those worn by women and non-binary figures.
Among the artefacts on show to illustrate these points are a video of Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures dance company, Calvin Klein underwear posters, Giovanni Battista Moroni’s The Tailor (1565-70), and Sofonisba Anguissola’s Portrait of Prince Alessandro Farnese (about 1560). In terms of actual clothes, we get some gorgeous examples from the V&A’s collection, with suits from the likes of David Bowie and examples of dramatic seventeenth-century dress.
It’s fascinating and freeing to be aware of the notion that masculinity is not fixed, and that our modern ideas and standards aren’t the only ones that can work. The exhibition ends with dresses worn by the likes of Billy Porter and Harry Styles, showing that even traditionally feminine garments can be given a masculine twist.