Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear, Claire Wilcox, Rosalind McKever

Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear is a bold and visually arresting exploration of how the male body has been adorned, shaped, and performed across centuries. The volume accompanied the V&A’s groundbreaking exhibition of the same name, weaving together historic garments, contemporary fashion, photography, and classical sculpture to interrogate what it means to dress—and express—masculinity.

From powdered elegance and military tailoring to queer subversion and avant-garde silhouettes, the book traces shifting ideals of male identity through fabric and form. With contributions from designers, artists, and scholars, it challenges binary narratives and celebrates the fluid, often theatrical nature of menswear. Richly illustrated and intellectually layered, it invites readers to see menswear not as a fixed tradition, but as a site of constant reinvention and cultural dialogue.

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About the Author
Claire Wilcox and Rosalind McKever are curators and writers whose work bridges fashion, art, and cultural history. Wilcox, longtime Senior Curator of Fashion at the Victoria and Albert Museum, is known for her landmark exhibitions and nuanced approach to dress as a medium of identity and expression. McKever, a curator at the National Gallery, brings a keen eye to the dialogue between fine art and fashion. Together, they offer interdisciplinary insight into how clothing moves through both aesthetic and social spheres.

Publication date: 2022
Publisher: V&A Publishing
Pages: 272
ISBN:  9781838510114