Male Fashion's Great Renunciation

Beginning in the late 18th century, a cultural shift known as the Great Male Renunciation caused men in the Western world to abandon the lavish, colorful, and ornate fashions once common in aristocratic circles. Sparked by Enlightenment ideals valuing reason and equality, male clothing became more sober and utilitarian, emphasizing dark colors and simplified styles that persist in modern menswear.

Previous Fact Next Fact