Over the last hundred and twenty years or so men’s workwear clothing has altered out of all recognition. Factors affecting this have included new materials becoming available, the ever changing styles and fashions, conflicts and economics, but what were the styles way back when? Here are a few examples from across the years with a break in the middle

As the Victorian Age was coming to a close the typical businessman would be seen dressed in frock coats, striped pants, vests and top hats, a style which had been introduced from mainland Europe. The distinctions between classes could be seen in the quality of the materials used in the garments manufacture. Shirts had detachable high, rounded wing collars, which were stiff and attached to the body of the shirt, normally by studs or pins. The material used for the main body of the shirt was thinner for businessmen than that of labourers, and was white. The material used fro the lower classes was normally coloured and thicker as it had to more durable for the hardier work environments they had to face. It is interesting to note that at this point shirts were still not being mass produced so it was very unlikely to own a weeks worth.

It wasn’t until the 1920s that softer attached collars became more popular, although the detachable versions were still more common. In addition this period saw major advancements in the way textiles were being manufactured, and this affected styles allowing suits and shirts to become more form fitting in comparison to the shapeless garment it had been previously.

The next decade saw a plethora of glamorous styles take there place in the spotlight, as even being faced with the Great Depression, businessmen dressed in check and plaid suits. The jackets featured wider shoulders and trousers became double pleated for the first time.

All good things cam to an end with the outbreak of The Second World War, which saw the restricted use of cloth, +which in turn limited the types of clothing that could be produced. Under the restrictions you were not even allowed to have a suit made with two pairs of trousers!! As a result styles became slimmer fitting and shorter in length. The bright colours seen before the war were replaced by dark suits and stripes. The detachable collar all but disappeared too. Material shortages and limitations also led to shirt tails becoming shorter and waistline of trousers becoming lower

In the second part of this we can look at the post war period, but until then you know that whatever your requirements today for workwear clothing, here at Brookes we can supply the best quality products at the best prices.