Men wore two or three piece suits – trousers, a jacket and maybe a waistcoat. They also wore spats over their shoes to keep them clean, but spats were also considered to be very stylish. For formal occasions, men wore a tail coat with a waistcoat and a white bowtie.
A photograph of a man in a three piece suit and a woman wearing a hobble skirt
Fashion also indicated importance and trade – hats in particular could show that you were in charge at work, or that you had a steady salary. For example, a foreman on a building site wore a bowler and was sometimes called ‘The Hat’. It showed everyone that he was in charge, but also protected him from falling rivets from the building work.
An illustration of a man wearing a bowler hat ©Shirley Hughes 2014