Lowest Point in Men's Suits and General Fashion Since WW2?

[MrDaniels]

Been checking out the new show Swingtown while anxiously awaiting my current favorite show Mad Men, and it got me wondering: What really has been the lowest point in the last two generations of menswear? My guesses would be the mid-seventies with business suits being influenced by leisure suits or the mid-80s with the skinny ties and high-cut suit coats.

What do you guys think...especially those of you closer to retirement age that actually had to dress for business back then?

 

[j]

Are we talking about what are the business men of the era getting away with, or on average i.e. what can you expect on the street, on average? For the former I'd have to guess it dipped very low in the 70s, but for the latter I can't imagine it's done anything but decline since the early 60s or so.

 

[Matt]

the NBA draft is menswear's annual lowpoint.

 

[LabelKing]

I think we are in the lowest point now for general fashion. Never before have people been dressed so horribly--Crocs being a prime example. I wouldn't necessarily say casual clothing is an emblem of bad dress as casual clothing can be done very stylishly; but men in raggedy shorts and Crocs will never be stylish.

Neanderthals took better pride in their appearance.

 

[MrDaniels]

Originally Posted by j

Are we talking about what are the business men of the era getting away with, or on average i.e. what can you expect on the street, on average? For the former I'd have to guess it dipped very low in the 70s, but for the latter I can't imagine it's done anything but decline since the early 60s or so.
I would say looking at businesswear mostly.

 

[KObalto]

I would say the 70s. I was in high school then but my father was a trial lawyer then and wore things like wool suits styled to look like denims.

 

[sherwin]

Originally Posted by m@T

the NBA draft is menswear's annual lowpoint.
actually the (top picks, at least) players looked really sharp at last night's nba draft. I think they may have had a style consultant help dress them.

 

[vitaminc]

yesterday is always better.

 

[Tarmac]

I think around 1995-99 was worse than now.

 

[UserNameToronto]

Originally Posted by Tarmac

I think around 1995-99 was worse than now.

The satrorial sense of old "Friends"episodes - long pointed collars, green and tan 3 button suits, paisley.

 

[Comrade Lenin]

I'm going to second this current era-

Crocs, sweatpants, hoodies and flip-flops oh my.

Oh, and those odd curtain-shirt things women wear nowadays. I don't know what they're called.

 

[HomerJ]

Originally Posted by sherwin

actually the (top picks, at least) players looked really sharp at last night's nba draft. I think they may have had a style consultant help dress them.
Here's some pics. #1 Derrick Rose

#2 Michael Beasley

#3 OJ Mayo

#4 Russell Westbrook

#5 Mt_Spiffy?

 

[Gus]

Mid 1970's. The combination of synthetic fibers, out of scale tailoring, bad hair cuts, gold chains, high healed boots....the list goes on. The only good thing was that it was easy to get laid compared to previous years. And I doubt it was the fashions that had anything to do with that.

 

[JLibourel]

In defense of the 1970s, while a lot of the styles and fabrics seem pretty bloody awful by today's standards (and any standard of classic good taste, for that matter), I do think men in general tried to dress better. A guy in polyester bell bottoms, a wide belt, platform shoes and a floral print shirt may look pretty awful by today's standards, but a least he was striving for a "look." Most of today's males dress constantly as if they had just been doing yard work unless they are constrained to do better. My sense is that the growing acceptance of slobwear in public really kicked into high gear in the late '80s and early '90s.

As far as suits proper go, although they are enjoying a revival of sorts and have a sort of "Rat Pack Cool," I didn't care that much for the early '60s--the very narrow lapels and ties, the stingy brim hats and whatnot.

 

[Get Smart]

Originally Posted by JLibourel

As far as suits proper go, although they are enjoying a revival of sorts and have a sort of "Rat Pack Cool," I didn't care that much for the early '60s--the very narrow lapels and ties, the stingy brim hats and whatnot.

alas, we'll never be lobsters