n.d.c. “Sunday Mississippi”

The “Sunday Mississippi" of n.d.c. is a limited-edition shoe made for the “Cabinet of Curiosities” by Thomas Erber and to be presented from 29 November to 31 December 2010.

Inspired by the working class of the 1920s, the godillot[i] (combat boot) “Sunday Mississippi” is manufactured with the greatest respect for tradition by the finest craftsmen in Europe—experts in handcrafted shoes.

Mounted on a traditional construction Blake, the shoe combines the strength of calf leather as shown here in a range of khaki and brown to the refined exoticism of vintage alligator skin.

The patinated, aged aspect of n.d.c collections results from a process of manufacturing, which brings the brand special care.

The shoes are first soaked in an infusion of bark, minerals, and other natural ingredients and, then, are washed with natural soap and dried slowly before being coated with a balm specially designed by n.d.c. to give them an “already-made” appearance

Check out the boot here.

Photos Copyright n.d.c., Courtesy of Pressing.

[i] In the 19th century, Alexis Godillot manufactured military boots, and up until WWII the godillot was the military boot.

The Heritage of L.G.R. Sunglasses

Last year I spent some time on the island of Sardinia researching ancient menswear as I explored the ruins of the Phoenicians and Carthaginians.

This year—the second week of September, to be precise—I will fly to Tunisia to visit the ancient ruins of Carthage.

In preparation for this trip, I have been researching the history of menswear in Northern Africa, such as with the nomadic tribe known as the Tuaregs.

Recently I came across another Italian, born 1982 in Rome, who also shares an affinity with the continent of Africa.

Luca Gnecchi Ruscone has strong ties with the continent as he spent his childhood between Italy and Africa.

His father lives in Kenya today, while his mother was born in Eritrea, where his grandfather had been working since the 1930’s.

Interestingly, this grandfather imported optical frames from Italy. Several years ago, Luca was in Eritrea rummaging through his grandfathers warehouse of Italian imports. There, the young man came across an old model of sunglasses, which sparked his creativity.

This rich heritage has provided Luca with a source of endless inspiration behind every timeless frame of L.G.R. sunglasses, which are hand-crafted and name after geographical locations in Africa.

See the models here.

Photos Copyright L.G.R. Sunglasses.

Maharishi Spring/Summer 2011 ‘Theatre of War’

This season Maharishi presents a 1940’s North African Desert military inspired collection entitled ‘Theatre of War’.

With references to the forerunners of the SAS, the Long Range Desert Group (L.R.D.G.), the range features military inspired staples in distressed cottons and natural fibers including washed Irish linen and hemp, alongside more elaborate pieces in super lightweight voluminous voiles and recycled vintage parachute cord. A muted palette of washed vintage olive, sand and white makes up the main color theme of the collection.

Pink Panther jeeps transport the LRDG troops deep into the war torn Sahara. Fatigued by sand storms and lack of water, the soldiers go AWOL into deeper Africa, taking on elements of safari and indigenous clothing before disappearing even deeper into the desert, finally arriving at a heavenly watery oasis, where traditional camouflage and mud print colors turn into vivid blues on white.

Maharishi aims to convey a strong anti-war sentiment through its use of camouflage - reclaiming its symbolic value away from war, back to its roots in nature and development by artists and to highlight objections to continued 21st century desert warfare.

Maharishi literally translated means great seer, started in 1994 with the vision to create environmentally sound, fair-trade produced, long-lasting, high-quality, utilitarian clothing. The collection has always included hemp and natural fibers, organic cottons and recycled military clothing.

In 2004, Hardy Blechman, founder and creative director of Maharishi published DPM Disruptive Pattern Material, a 944-page encyclopedia of camouflage, which documents his theory to detach camouflage from its military associations and promote its natural roots and artistic influences. All production facilities are SA8000 and ISO9001 compliant.

Have a look at the collection here.

Photo & slideshow Copyright Maharishi.

Aertex—Since 1888

Today I was introduced to menswear label that dates back to 1888, which, according to Aertex, goes down in history for several memorable reasons:

Painter Van Gough infamously cut off his ear.

The first ever motion picture was filmed.

An innovative fashion brand was born.

In the 1800’s, there was a mill owner in Lancashire by the name of Lewis Haslam began experimenting with the theory of aeration as he trapped air in the warp and weft of fabric—hence, the Aertex company was born!

In World War II, the British Land Army was clad in Aertex uniforms, while the British 7th Armored Division wore Aertex bush shirts and jackets.

By the 1960’s, Aertex had established itself as a solid sports and school wear brand. Now with an online store, Aertex serves customers in 70 countries.

Watch the video and, then, see the collection here.

Spring/Summer 2010 Lookbook
(Collaboration with Manchester band, the Heartbreaks)

Photo & slideshow Copyright Aertex.

Alpargata Shoes from Paez

Here’s a fun, funky, fair-trade abiding shoe company called Paez (pronounced as ‘pice’), which specializes in a compfortable shoe named alpargatas!

Alpargatas, which are a lightweight shoe made out of canvas, are said to have been brought to Argentina about 1830 by Basque immigrants. (Paez alledges that alpargatas originated in Egypt as a sandal.)

Originally available only in black and white, Paez alpargatas now come in a rainbow of colors—as they are manufactured totally in Argentina.

Photos Copyright Paez.

Fromanteel: A Unique Style

When speaking about their watches, Alfredo and Martijn are very explicit: “Fromanteel has a style of its own and prefers to maintain this unique style.”

While designing their first collection, the limited edition ‘Day & Night’, Alfredo and Martijn discussed extensively every considerable and small detail in the design. This proved to be a very hard, though intense and successful cooperation. “Without friction, there is no shine.” Same as the fact that without ‘Day’ there is no ‘Night’—hence the name of the collection.

The two say rarely to be guided by the will of other people. They are inspired by the modern man, but deliberately choose not to base their decisions on what others think. They design watches according to their own taste. It has to be something they would like to wear and what they think will look good on them.

A Fromanteel watch is not some trendy, fashionable watch that is easily adopted by the masses. A Fromanteel watch has a story that only the wearer can tell: the story about the history of the name, its origin and the fact it is a limited edition.

It’s also not a conspicuous watch. Fromanteel watches are subtle, stylish and only the wearer himself knows it fits his personal taste and style.

In the end, it is the contrast and connection, found in the brand, its history and the characters of the designers that make the slogan ‘History is Now’ a perfect fit for the brand.

Before drawing our first packaging proposals we decided to first study how goods were packaged and shipped in the era of Fromanteel, some 400 years ago.

We discovered that the materials, which were used at that time, were made to withstand even rougher transport conditions than nowadays found with modern cargo transport.

The 2010 Collection
While designing the 2010 Collection we stood still at what motivates the modern man when it comes to watches and style in general. We discovered that men are very different in their style preferences. The motivation behind these different style preferences is what fascinated us and drove us to design the 2010 Collection.

To men, style is something personal and cannot be compared with a fashion statement or simply what is in trendy at the moment. Fashion has always been, and always will be dynamic. But style is timeless. Fashion is largely concerned with what is cool, or what trends are at what time, etc. While just a few men exhibit true style, timeless cool and display of good taste.

In our study we found three interesting style archetypes. One is the Dandy—or as we would like to call him ‘The Cultural Creative’ man. The Cultural Creative is our informal interpretation of the Dandy. Where the Dandy is cockney and expresses a foremost English style, the Cultural Creative is not. He dress and grooms himself every day by set of formal rules but knows how to play around, expressing a creative style of his own.

The ‘Johannes’ timepiece is inspired by the lifestyle of the Cultural Creative. The man that recognizes all the efforts and contributions that a single, well interpreted, detail, does for an outfit.

The ‘Rebel without a Cause’ is next archetype we studied in detail. An important era for the ‘Rebel’ – as we abbreviate him, was the 60’s of the last century. Raised in a very formal era (the 1950’s) the Rebel saw the world differently and defined freedom as one of his highest goals. Freedom to express and to live his life the way he wants. The Rebel lives by this credo and knows that the credo also implies freedom of movement. To be, to travel and to go wherever you want to, whenever you want to. The world as he sees it, is on the palm of his hands. The ‘Vintage1607’ is our interpretation of this style archetype.

Before designing the ‘Time MachinE’ we realized that the third style archetype we based our design on is actually not a style archetype pur sang. It might be the result of a transformation of any archetype.

This sub-archetype comes out at night. We call him the ‘Nightlife Smart Casual’ man. He is the self-confident cosmopolitan man. His playfield is the city at night. The night flirts and presents many temptations. The faith hearted obeys the night, however the strong seizes it and makes the night his own. The ‘TimemachinE’ is all about reliability and precision designed to fit this style ‘archetype’ .

The result of our study is the 2010 Collection. This collection is a stylish ode to the modern man.

The Generations Series ‘Johannes’ Named after the oldest son of Ahasuerus Fromanteel and limited at 1638 pieces in black & white, this first Fromanteel watch of the Generations Series represents in its design and detail everything the modern dandy, or as we like to say; the cultural creative man would like to see in a watch.

Johannes Fromanteel was born in 1638. As the oldest son he got to spend much time in the clockmaker’s workshop learning and observing the magnificent craftsmanship of his father. After years of practice and study, Johannes eventually followed in his father’s footsteps and became a master clockmaker.

The watch ‘Johannes’ is an ode to the passionate son and the first watch in the Generations Series.

The design of the watch is inspired by the lifestyle of the Cultural Creative man. The man that recognizes all the efforts and contributions that a single, well interpreted, detail, does for an outfit.

The Generations‘Johannes’ is a watch for the man who knows that life has to be lived by a set of informal rules. The ‘Johannes’, a proud son’s story about detail and craftsmanship.

Photos Copyright Fromanteel.

Parabellum—Built for a Lifetime

One of the most creative and eye-captivating collections that I was able to review at the Capsule Show in New York City last week was Los Angeles-based accessories label Parabellum.

Originally, the term parabellum was coined by DWM—the GermanWeapons and Munition Works—which was founded in 1896.

The term comes from the Latin phrase, si vis pacem, para bellum, translating as ‘If you wish for peace, prepare for war’.

Parabellum belts, pouches, cases, portfolios, and wallets are all handcrafted, using the rare hides of North American bison, which are raised free-range on small reservation owned ranches.

Instead of metal furnishings, buckles and other highlights are made with military grade ceramic, which is rugged enough for anti-ballistic plating in vehicles.

Inspiration of each Parabellum accessory is deeply rooted in military history, such as the WWII grenade pouch, which can be attached to a belt (photo top).

Photos Copyright Parabellum.

Asia Wysoczynska Exploring Space, Gender & Time

In a similar way to famous Polish astronomer, Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543), who explored the wonders and beauties of the universe, Polish designer Asia Wysoczynska is exploring the beauties and wonders of the human body.

Two years before graduating with honors from the International School of Costume and Fashion Design, Asia launched her eponymous label in Warsaw, in 2008.

Prior studies include the Psychology of Creativity and Art at Jagiellonian University in Kraków.

Asia’s most recent collection is “HEroSHE, The Warrior,” which narrates a story of hidden beauty and virtues.

Travelling through space, time, and gender, Asia draws her inspiration from the garments of the Samurai, alluding to the imperial dress of the Mikado or tennō—‘the Japanese Emperor’.

Items like the kataginu (bat wing vest) are combined with the hakama (skirt-like pants), creating the look of a kamishimo—the modern equivalent of a Samurai suit!

This 2010 autumn/winter collection is emotive in look , magnetic in feel, and energetic in style...just like its designer!



Photo & slideshow 2010 a/w collection “HEroSHE, The Warrior,” Copyright Asia Wysoczynska.

Mods, Menswear & Music

Mods is a shortened version of the word “Modernists,” a subculture that sprouted in London, in the 1950’s, reaching its height in the 60’s.

The movement was characterized by jazz, soul music, Jamaican ska, British beat, coffee shops, and Italian scooters.

The Mods eventually gave way to numerous subsequent movements and subcultures. In thime, therefore, the term came to stand for anything that was modern.

Interestingly, the Mods were obsessed with stylish clothing. They found their inspiration in the Beatniks and the Teddy Bears, who revived the dandy of the Edwardian period (1901-1910).

Tailored suits with thin lapels and narrow ties were the look. V-necks, button-down shirts, and leather shoes were their norm. Some men highlighted the Mod image with mascara and lipstick.

Often appearing in menswear today, the Royal Air Force Roundel was a symbol of the Mod male.

It is not uncommon to see the influnce of the Mods on contemporary menswear labels, such as Johnny Love.

Photo Royal Air Force roundel, Public Domain at Wikipedia.

Retro-futurism and Fashion

Retro-futurism has reared its head in the fields of fashion, art, film, and architecture for years.

It plays on the tension between past and future by taking what is “retro” and portraying it in the light of futuristic technology.

Typically retro-futurism refers to the imagined future that was projected by novelists, film writers, and artists prior to the Sixties.

In terms of fashion, we all remember the futuristic clothing of “old” movies, such as the body-fit outfits in the US series Star Trek or the Japanese series Ultraman.

Lloyd John Dunn of Harlan, Iowa, is accredited with coining the term in 1983.

For several years now, retro-futurism has been influencing modern designers and labels, such as Johnny Love of Norway.

Photo by Stefan Prohaczka, Copyright Free Art License at Wikipedia.

The Hutterites

For autumn/winter 2010, Antonio Azzuolo at a.a. drew some of the collection’s inspiration from the Hutterites.

The Hutterites are a communal religious group who find their origins in the 16th-century Reformation.

Tracing their roots to the radical Christian leader Jacob Hutter (1500-1536) of Tyrol, the Hutterites sprung up in Tyrolean Austria.

Pacifistic and communal, the Hutterites are Anabaptists, closely related to the Amish and Mennonites.

Eventually, the Hutterites spread to Moravia, Transylvania, Ukraine, and Russia. Finally in 1874, they found their way to North America.

Hutterites set themselves apart from mainstream society in many ways, one of which is their clothing.

Besides separation and difference, Hutterite clothing stands for equality and cohesiveness.

Hutterite men wear dark clothing to symbolize modesty. Belts are not allowed; pants are held up by suspenders. Simplicity is imperative; deviance is unpermitted.

Photo Jacob Hutter, Public Domain at Wikipedia.

Drinking as a Team with Lagom at Temporary Showroom

The brand Lagom stands for sophisticated street fashion: explorative silhouettes marked by deconstructive minimalism with pattern-rich details in unique forms.

Lagom was founded in Stockholm 2007 by Nette Sandström and Daniel Adams-Ray.

When the Vikings took time off from burning and pillaging, they used to gather around the campfire to down a horn of mead.

Though their thirst was great after all their exertions, it became a matter of honor for each warrior to ration his intake, so that the horn didn’t run dry before everyone had a swig.

In other words, one had to drink team-wise or “laget om,” which later was shortened to “lagom.”

Text & photo 2010 a/w collection, Courtesy Temporary Showroom, Copyright Lagom.

Digging Deeper into West Africa—Yoruba

Yesterday I described the men’s attire of West Africa: the main gown or robe known as the Grand Boubou or Agbada, which is accompanied by Sokoto pants, a Dashiki shirt, and the Aso Oke or Kufi hat.

These names are the common appellations from Yoruba—the largest ethnic group of West Africa, which numbers about 30 million individuals who live mostly in Nigeria but also in Benin, Ghana, and Togo.

The Yoruba are an ancient people that established the powerful Kingdom of Ife, which endured as an artistic center for many centuries.

The Yoruba language is actually tonal with 3 tones, and it possesses a wide assortment of sounds.

Interestingly, the Sokoto and Kufi garments derive their names from various cities in Nigeria. Moreover, Kufi means ‘crown’, whereas Aso Oke translates as ‘top cloth’ and comes in brown (the Sanyan), red (the Alaari), and blue (the Etu).

Of note, NBA basketball player Hakeem Olajuwon is of Yoruba origins, as is King Sunny Adé, who popularized Jùjú music of Nigeria, which is based on Yoruba percussion.

Now, Dupsie’s online store has made it possible to own your own West African attire! Have a look at the designs while you listen to some Yoruba rhythms.

Photo Courtesy & Copyright Dupsie’s.

Nomadic Men of the Sahara—the Tuareg

Of recent, nomadic tendencies have appeared within modern menswear trends, especially those of Northern Africa and the Middle East, such as with the 2010 spring/summer collection at CAMO.

In another article that I posted today on African menswear, I made mention of the nomadic peoples called the Tuareg, who were originally from the Sahara, most likely Libya, but migrated southward 2,000 years ago.

The Tuareg belong to the Berber peoples of North Africa, who call themselves Imazighen—‘free people’.

Many of us are familiar with the footballer Zenidine Zidane, who is an Algerian Berber.

Interestingly, prior to the 9th century most of Northwest Africa was Berber speaking but were slowly arabized.

Still, the Berbers are the largest minority group in Northern Africa.

Today, the Tuareg inhabit the central regions of the Sahara throughout North and West Africa.

In the Tuareg culture, the men cover their face with a veil or turban rather than the women.

Normally this veil (Alasho) is indigo blue and, hence, the Tuareg nickname—“the Blue People.

Photo top left Copyright CAMO.
Photo bottom right by Garrondo, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license at Wikipedia.

The Rich World of African Menswear

After Asia, Africa is the globe’s largest continent with 1 billion inhabitants, 54 sovereign states, 2,000 languages, and hundreds of ethnic groups.

Considered the place of origin for the human race, Africa produced the earliest Homo sapiens circa 200,000 years ago—hence, the oldest inhabited territory on Earth.

Prior to colonization, Africa was home to nearly 10,000 different states, ranging from small family groups to major kingdoms.

By the late 19th century, however, most of Africa had been divided up by European colonial powers. For this reason, a number of African countries speak European languages.

Although post-colonial Africa has faced a multitude of challenges, there has been a resurgence of traditional African cultures, some of which strive for economic and scientific revitalization.

Despite the challenges, the richness of the African heritage is undeniable, as the magnificence of the multicultural treasures is replete throughout the entire continent, including in then menswear!

Take, for example, the Grand Boubou (from mbubb or gown) found in West Africa—also known as the Agbada by the Yoruba and Babariga by the Hausa.

The garment found its way to West Africa in the 8th century through Berber nomads of the Sahara called Tuareg, who refer to the garment as K'sa.

The Boubou is characterized by intricate embroideries and can include tie-up trousers called Sokoto, a shirt known as Dashiki, and an opulent gown.

Finally, no Boubou would be complete without the Aso Oke hat!

Recently, I found a very cool site where you can purchase your own Bubu attire—Dupsie’s!

Photos Courtesy & Copyright Dupsie’s.

The Nuraghic “People of Bronze” Come Back to Life

Last year in September, I set out to explore the ancient colonies of the Phoenicians and Carthaginians, which have been unearthed along the coast of Sardinia.

At that time, I also visited many Nuraghi sites—the ruins of the ancient inhabitants of Sardinia, who lived 4,000 years ago in a honeycomb of structures that surrounded a central tower.

These Nuraghi dwellers have been nicknamed the “People of Bronze” after the numerous bronze mini statuettes, which have been discovered throughout the island.

During my travels, I picked up a fascinating book entitled the People of Bronze (il Popolo di bronzo in Italian) by Angela Demontis, who describes to minute detail the styles and fashion of the Nuraghic men.

As a fashion designer with an extensive knowledge of ancient history, Angela has succeeded in deciphering Nuraghic menswear, which she sketches throughout her book:
Nuraghic Fashion: Part 1
Nuraghic Fashion: Part 2
Nuraghic Fashion Part 3

Now for the next two months, the public will have the opportunity to see the bronze statutes in relation to the life-size mannequins, which have been reconstructed in the typical Nuraghic dress.

The exhibition will be held at the Archaeological Museum of Cagliari from April 15-June 15.

In Angela’s own words, “the People of Bronze have finally come back to life!”

Photos Copyright Provincia di Cagliari.

China During the Times of Marco Polo

The Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) was established by the Mongol leader, Kublai Khan, who was the grandson of Genghis Khan—founder of the largest and most contiguous empire in recorded history.

Kublai Khan rose to legendary fame in Europe, since he was the emperor who entertained Marco Polo (photo above)!

The clothing of the Mongols was simple, owing to a less-developed culture and economy. Instead of influencing the Han, therefore, the Mongols benefited greatly from their lifestyle.

The predominant garment during this period for Han men was the robe, which was a bit looser than the previous dynasty.

Besides the prominence of the dragon and phoenix on clothing, colors expanded into numerous shades. Brown totaled 20 in all with descriptive names like “onion white brown.” At times, a gold thread was woven through the colors.

The Mongols wore long robes with tight sleeves and a pleated, flared section from the waist down. They donned a very wide, corrugated belt at the waist, which was sown to the garment.

As for headgear, the Han men wore the fu tou, which, fashioned out of lacquered gauze, contained two tails that fell behind the head.

The Mongols parted their hair into the form of a cross, shaving the head in the back and trimming the front into various shapes. They wore rattan hats, which were either round or square.

Photo Public Domain at Wikipedia.
Photo by smartneddy, GNU Free Documentation License at Wiki Commons.

Focus on China—From Ming to Qing

In yesterday’s article, Menswear Before Mao, I mentioned how the Qing Dynasty imposed the “long shirt,” or chang shan, replacing the common menswear of the previous dynasty, which was the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

In turn, the Ming Dynasty had led massive reforms concerning dress—abolishing the traditional men’s attire of the previous dynasty, which was the Mongolian-led Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).

The Ming Dynasty spent 20 years restoring and codifying the traditional dress of the Han people.

Interestingly, the Ming Dynasty was the last dynasty led by the Han Chinese, whose attire was termed the hanfu.

Menswear consisted of loose robes with wide sleeves and a round neckline. The unique item, however, was the embroidered square patch across the chest, the design and stitching of which varied with rank and status.

The headwear of the Ming officials is of particular interest, consisting of 2 winged flaps on each side and called the futou.

Throughout both the Ming and Qing Dynasties, men’s attire not only marked a man’s social class but also ethnicity.

Photo of official Jiang Shunfu, Public Domain at Wikipedia.

Focus on China—Menswear Before Mao

Although there were periods in Chinese history when men wore pants, such as in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC) and the Southern and Northern Dynasty (420-589), Chinese menswear has followed an interesting pattern for millennia.

The key elements include a type of robe with lapel (sometimes adjoined by a collar), waistband or belt, and sleeves. The changes in these characteristics set the trends for each dynasty. The most predominant change occurred in the sleeves, which ranged anywhere from narrow to enormous wing-like flaps.

Picking up where we left off in the last article, Han Fashion, prior to 1912 Chinese men wore the chángshān, which can be seen by Sun Yat-sen’s attire (photo left).

The changshan was originally imposed on Chinese men by the Qing Dynasty, China’s last dynasty (17th-20th centuries), replacing the traditional male dress of the previous dynasty. Changshan simply meant “long shirt.”

Eventually the changshan became the formal dress of Chinese men, who sported it with the magua, or ‘riding jacket’. First called the “victory jacket,” the magua has also become known as the “mandarin jacket” (photo left).

As for grooming during the Qing Dynasty, Han men adopted the practice of shaving part of their heads, braiding the remaining hair into a ponytail.

The men then sported different types of conical caps, depending on the occasion. Color and shape, however, was determined by the man’s grade and social status.

Interestingly, the Qinq Dynasty was founded by the Manchu clan, which was actually not Han but rather Tungus. Manchu menswear differed entirely from that of the Han (photo top).

Today, the Manchu have been completely assimilated and are nearly extinct, although many Han can claim Manchu ancestry.

Photo Sun Yat-sen Public Domain at Wikipedia.
Photo Outu GNU Free Documentation License at Wikipedia.

Han Fashion—Focus on China

(Guizhou, China 1986) As you can see by the photo above, when I lived in China many Han Chinese still wore a traditional form of dress, whereas I dressed in what the Han men considered modern Chinese clothing. But, before we get to their clothing, who are the Han?

Most Chinese are descendants of the Han majority, which is actually the largest ethnic group in the world, sometimes referring to itself as “Descendants of the Dragon.”

The name Han comes from the Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD), which was preceded by the Qin Dynasty (221–206 BCE). Some southern Han Chinese even call themselves “the people of Tang,” referring to the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

Nevertheless, most Han Chinese today label themselves “the Hua people” (húarén) or “the Middle Kingdom people” (Zhōnggúorén).

As for dress, almost all Chinese Han men have adopted modern western clothing; but this was not always the case. As a matter of fact, when I was living in the more remote areas of China in the 1980’s, men were just beginning to make the transition from traditional to Western looks.

For decades, the attire for men was what Westerners have come to term the “Mao suit,” which was still being sported by the majority of men in Guizhou, where I was living. Despite the name, however, the Mao suit did not completely originate with Mao Ze Dong.

The original name of the Mao suit is the Zhongshan suit, from Sun Zhongshan or Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925), the revolutionary leader who pioneered the Republic of China in 1912 by overthrowing the last of the Chinese emperors.

Previously, Sun Yat-sen had worn the clothing of the Qing dynasty, the last dynasty of China. At that time, men sported the chángshān (‘long shirt’). But due to the unpopularity of the Qing Dynasty with the masses, the “long shirt” was already being combined with Western jackets and the like.

When Sun Yat-sen established the Republic of China, he united elements from both Eastern and Western fashion. He demonstrated Eastern sensibilities in the new suit by placing 4 symmetrical pockets to portray balance and 5 buttons, which later came to symbolize the branches of the new government.

When Sun Yat-sen permitted the Chinese Communist Party to join his Nationalist Party, Chinese communist men adopted the new look as a symbol of their adherence. Later under the leadership of Mao Ze Dong, the suit emerged as symbol of proletarian unity.

Although considered formal attire by some older men and a casual outfit by the so-called peasants, the Mao suit was largely replaced in the 1990’s by Western suits and styles.

Photo top center Copyright Men's Fashion by Francesco.
Photo middle left, Sun Yat-sen, by Militaryace, Public Domain at Wikipedia.
Photo bottom, Hurley, Zhang, and Mao, Public Domain at Wikipedia.