Being a stylish man means staying on top of trends, and in the last fifty years there have been plenty of different styles in vogue
There are a few items of clothing that have and will always be classics, from brogue shoes to a well fitted blazer, but by the same token men’s style has changed a great deal over the course of the last 50 years.
Back in the 1960s, if JOE had been around there is a chance we would have been dressing in the skinny ties and well-fitted suits of Madison Avenue advertising men like Don Draper, but there’s an even bigger chance that we would have worn brightly-coloured flares and a silk cravate like Fred from Scooby Doo. Not the best look, although his monk strap shoes are still in style it must be said.
Anyway, our point is that there are plenty of trends that we’d love to forget happened, and many of them have gone in and out of fashion in the last fifty years. Let’s cast our minds back to the days of the late 1980s and early 1990s, the fashion era that time forgot. No one was quite sure what was happening, and if you remember Saved by the Bell like we do, then you’ll know that neon vests and high waisted acid wash jeans with elastic at the ankles were all the rage. If AC Slater couldn’t pull it off, it can’t be done.
Pic via Huffington Post
Of course, as the ’90s wore on, there were some even better trends that came and went, from frosted tips to wearing your clothes backwards in the style of Kriss Kross, which, if anyone asks, we never tried. Let’s not forget the style of wearing your jeans so low that your boxers were showing, displaying some over the top bling on your belt buckle that made wearing your trousers uncomfrotable and wearing XXXL t-shirts when you’re really only a medium.
Going even further back, the 1970s and ’80s had their own styles that should be forgotten. Let’s look at Kevin Keegan visiting Disneyland as a prime example, and possibly a picture that Kev himself would prefer to leave in the past.
Pic via retrocatch.com
That’s not all though, anyone who saw American Hustle over the last few weeks will remember disco chains, wide lapel suits, shirts that you only closed one button on, and, more than anything else, Bradley Cooper’s permed hair, which will haunt us for years, mainly beacuse we probably would have done the same oursleves.
There are some men who will always look cool no matter what decade they’re in; Steve McQueen, Marcello Mastroianni, Paul Newman. For the average man, reamining timeless while still staying on top of the latest trends is a serious challenge, but over the years, a good suit, some classic shoes and a quality jacket will never really change over the course of five decades.
While being a man has changed, Man Hunger hasn’t evolved over time, so satisfy your hunger by heading to McDonald’s and chowing down on some man-sized meals to satisfy your cravings.
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