Reigning Men: Fashion in Menswear, 1715–2015

Exhibition Website

Apr 10 2016 - Aug 21 2016

Reigning Men: Fashion in Menswear, 1715–2015 explores the history of men’s fashionable dress from the eighteenth century to the present and re-examines the all-too-frequent equation of “fashion” with “femininity.”

Beginning with the eighteenth century, the male aristocrat wore a three-piece suit conspicuous in make and style, and equally as lavish as the opulent dress of his female counterpart. The nineteenth-century “dandy” made famous a more refined brand of expensive elegance which became the hallmark of Savile Row. The mid-twentieth-century “mod” relished in the colorful and modern styles of Carnaby Street, and the twenty-first century man—in an ultra-chic “skinny suit” by day and a flowered tuxedo by night—redefines today’s concept of masculinity.

Drawing primarily from LACMA’s renowned permanent collection, Reigning Men makes illuminating connections between history and high fashion. The exhibition traces cultural influences over the centuries, examines how elements of the uniform have profoundly shaped fashionable dress, and reveals how cinching and padding the body was, and is, not exclusive to women. The exhibition features 200 looks, and celebrates a rich history of restraint and resplendence in menswear.

Exhibition overview from the LACMA website


Whether you go or not, the fully illustrated exhibition catalog, Reigning Men: Fashion In Menswear, 1715-2015 explores the history of men's fashion in sections titled "Revolution/Evolution," "East/West," "Uniformity," "Body Consciousness," and "The Splendid Man." lluminates connections between history and high fashion, traces cultural influences over the centuries, examines how uniforms have profoundly shaped fashionable dress, and reveals that women aren't the only ones who cinch and pad their bodies!

  • Costume
  • History

Exhibition Venues & Dates