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Was Designer Menswear In The ’50s Edgier Than Today?

Oh, what? Were you expecting Mad Men or something? Sorry, you got dudes in hot pants instead. Actually, this film found by the Pathé Fashion Archives (God bless their souls), isn't as straight up silly as it may seem. Not only does it display how — sigh — intimate fashion shows used to be, but it reveals evidence that menswear designers were attempting the same feminine silhouettes and challenging cuts that Jean Paul Gaultier and John Galliano would delve into 50 years later. It may also mark the menswear runway debut of John Cavanagh who — despite those swim trunks — went on to some acclaim in (surprise) womenswear (note that the narrator calls him "Dale Cavanagh" in the film). Finally, check out that punk nailhead belt. We wonder if Vivienne Westwood was a Cavanagh fan... (Pathé Fashion Archives)


Video: Pathé Fashion Archives

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