Advertising Menswear: Masculinity and Fashion in the British Media since 1945 - Paperback

Explore how British menswear advertising shaped cultural perceptions of masculinity from 1945 onward in this scholarly examination. Drawing on extensive archival research, the book analyzes print, television, and cinema campaigns for men's clothing, tracing the evolution from the "peacock male" aesthetic through the concept of the "new man."

It investigates how market research, consumer psychology, and design choices influenced brand positioning, while examining the intersection of fashion with gender, race, class, and age dynamics.

From iconic campaigns featuring y-fronts and Levi's to Austin Reed's tailored approach, this work reveals how menswear advertising both reflected and reinforced shifting social values during a transformative era.

An indispensable resource for academics and professionals in fashion history, media studies, sociology, cultural studies, and gender analysis.

Author Biography

Paul Jobling is Researcher in Arts and Architecture, University of Brighton, UK. He is the author of Man Appeal (Berg, 2005).