Men in Black

Explore the fascinating evolution of black in men's fashion through this scholarly examination.

Tracing a millennium of sartorial history, this paperback investigates how black transitioned from ecclesiastical vestments to courtly elegance, eventually becoming the defining color of modern masculine dress.

The author employs visual evidence from Renaissance paintings to contemporary photography to illuminate the cultural forces that transformed black from a rare luxury into fashion's most authoritative hue.

Discover how political upheaval, religious movements, and social constraint shaped this chromatic revolution, and why black continues to dominate contemporary style despite its associations with austerity and formality.

Joe: "I tried that once, it don't work. You get four guys fighting over who's gonna be Mr. Black."

— Quentin Tarantino, Reservoir Dogs

Author

John Harvey