On show from the 10th April to the 21st August 2016, the exhibition “Reigning Men: Fashion in Menswear, 1715–2015″ explores the history of men’s fashionable dress from the eighteenth century to the present and re-examines the all-too-frequent equation of “fashion” with “femininity.” Drawing primarily from LACMA’s renowned permanent collection, “Reigning Men” makes illuminating connections between history and high fashion. The exhibition traces cultural influences over the centuries, examines how elements of the uniform have profoundly shaped fashionable dress, and reveals how cinching and padding the body was, and is, not exclusive to women. The exhibition features 200 looks, and celebrates a rich history of restraint and resplendence in menswear.

For more information about the exhibition, pleasevisit LACMA.

Photo: Coat (detail), France, c. 1800, gift of B. Rich; Vest (detail), France, c. 1800, purchased with funds provided by Suzanne A. Saperstein and Michael and Ellen Michelson, with additional funding from the Costume Council, the Edgerton Foundation, Gail and Gerald Oppenheimer, Maureen H. Shapiro, Grace Tsao, and Lenore and Richard Wayne. Photo © LACMA.