In my last post I showed how to date a photograph by looking at women's clothing styles for each decade from 1850 - 1940.
This post will give you guidelines for dating photographs based on men's clothing.
After you have noted the type of picture (carte de visite, cabinet card, picture postcard, or a print made from film) you can make a guess as to a date range. To further confirm the decade, take notice of men's clothing. Note their collar, tie, jacket cut, lapel style and hat (if present).
Here are some picture collages and lists you can use when inspecting the clothing of ancestors in your vintage photographs
1850s -
Narrow silhouette with narrow sleeves and trousers in the early 1850s
Higher waist and looser legs in mid to late 1850s
Dropped shoulder seam by the end of the decade
Longer straighter jackets
Frock coat or morning coats were common, with a seam at waist
For casualwear, a sack or lounge jacket offered a comfortable and relaxed alternative
Waistcoats (vests) were usually worn
Shirts were white with separate or attached collars
Collars were mid height on the neck, Folded down in points over a tie
The tie was thin and tied in a flat bow at the beginning of the decade and then moved to a wider ribbon with long tails that lay flat
Typical bow tie with shorter tails by the end of the 1850s were wide and straight across
Top Hat was dominant choice for men
Felt dome crowned bowler hat was introduced
1860s -
Oversized appearance marked much of the 1860s for menswear
Loose cut jackets, retained dropped shoulder seam of the 1850s with roomy sleeves
Wide tubular, even billowing trousers
Wide lapels
Jackets remained long for the first part of the decade and began to shorten by the mid 1860s
The sack or lounge jacket was straight and loose and gained popularity
Waistcoats (vests) were often single breasted with a shawl collar
Coats and Jackets were high buttoned, often only the top was buttoned and then left open and fall away
The top hat reached new heights in the early 1860s but came down in height by the end of the decade
The bowler remained a popular hat choice
Shirts were white with high collars, turned down with sharp points
A wide bow tie in an asymmetrical shape or a cravat was common
1870s -
Sober and understated style marked the 1870s for men
Frock coat was long with a waist seam as in the 1860s although by mid decade the length of coats rose above the knees
Morning coats came into style with a cutaway jacket and waist seam
Single or double breasted coats and jackets
Sack Jackets lacked a waist seam and were often buttoned high up on the chest
The Chesterfield coat, edged with braid and silk velvet was a popular form of outerwear
Some outer coats had attached capes
Shirts had a turn down collar and four-in-hand tie
Four-in-hand tie or bow ties were worn
Bow ties were usually simple and straight across with some tie styles held over from the 1860s
Top hats and the bowler remained fashionable for men
A pocket watch and chain was commonly worn by men
1880s -
Suits were cut closer to the body, lines were slim and straight
The tuxedo was invented providing another formal dinner option with a continuous (non notched) collar
The blazer, a single breasted version of a sack jacket was worn for leisure and casual activities
Jackets were buttoned up high and waistcoats (vests) weren't always worn
High collars, either stand or fold over were fashionable
Bow ties continued to be worn and four-in-hand neck ties became more popular
Top hats and bowler hats continued to be worn
Bowler hats become taller
1890s -
Tall and slim look for men continued but trousers had a more relaxed cut
The longer frock coat remained in style until the turn of the century
The shorter sack coat or blazer took on more popularity
Tail coats, tuxedos and pleated white dress shirts were fashionable for evening formalwear
Shirts were heavily starched and stiff collars remained fashionable
Collars with turned down wing tips became the norm
Top hats and tall bowler hats stayed in style
The fedora hat, a soft hat with brim and crease down the middle from front to back, came into style
The straw boater hat also began to be worn in the last decade of the 19th century
Caps began to be seen but didn't really take off in popularity until the turn of the century
Sportswear came into style with tweed jackets, loose breeches and gaitors which were popular for sports and hunting
1900s -
The long formal frock coat came to be worn less and was reserved for Sundays or for formal evening events
Neck ties were essential and most often a four-in-hand tie or bow tie
Collars remained tall and stiff
The most common collar style in the first decade of the 20th century was a tall white collar with curved tips
Cardigans, knit vests and wool sweaters became popular for mens sportswear
Flannels and linens, tweeds and wool fabrics were common for mens leisure and sportswear
Top hats, bowlers (later called derby hat), fedoras and straw boater hats remained popular
Caps were very common with sportswear and mens leisurewear
1910s -
fashion continued much as it had in the previous decade for menswear
Small changes were seen, such as cuffs on pant legs
Jackets weren't buttoned quite so high by the end of the decade
High stiff collars remained in fashion
Bow ties were worn
Four-in-hand ties were commonly worn but slimmer than in previous decades
Top hats for formal dress, and bowlers or fedoras for every day
Straw hats with wide ribbon bands or caps were very popular
The Homberg hat was a new hat came into vogue during this decade, it was similar to a fedora but the brim was flipped up
Men had quite a range of suits and jackets during this decade
The trench coat was introduced during the 1910s
Utilitarian clothing was more common, especially after the first World War
Wrist watches became fashionable by the end of this decade due to their use in WW1 Invented to keep soldiers hands free they were first called trench watches
1920s -
Menswear adapted to the simplicity and comfort that womenswear did
There was a marked departure from stiff tall collars
Collars were softer and lower, with folded down points at the neckline
Jackets often only had one or two buttons and could be worn with or without a vest
Vests may have no collar at all
The trench coat continued to be worn as an outerwear option for men
Oxford pants and plus fours were a trend in this second decade of the 20th century
Oxford pants were very wide and usually 22 - 44 inches wide at the bottom and worn mostly by young men
Plus Fours were wide knicker style trousers, cut short and gathered at the knee
Sweaters and knit vests continued to be popular
The cap, straw boater and fedora remained popular
The trilby became popular in the 1920s and resembled the fedora except its brim was fixed and it was fashionable to wear this hat low and down on the face
Pocket squares became popular
1930s -
Casualwear and utilitarian clothes were more popular in this decade
Overalls and trousers were worn with casual shirts
Sweaters and lightweight jackets were popular
As fashion was more influenced by the common man than the social elite, canes, gloves and top hats were virtually extinct among regular society
The tuxedo remained as an option for formalware
Suits continued and often sported checked or pinstripe patterns
Suits were looser and more comforable than in previous decades
Pants were high on the waist and then bulged at the thigh and knee, tapering down to an ankle cuff
Shoulders were often padded
Pocket squares gained in popularity
Shirts took on color and collars remained low with folded points
Four-in-hand neckties were predominately worn
Ties were short during this decade and often stopped four or five inches above the waist
The trench coat trend continued and bomber jackets were introduced and quickly gained popularity
Mens hats continued as with the previous decade, with the added walker hat
The walker hat was stiffer and had the back brim flipped up
1940s -
Mens fashion continued as it had in the 1930s with very little change
Due to the Great Depression and need for rationing, clothing became more sensible
The trench coat trend continued
Utilitarian clothing continued as before
Shirts could be open at the neck and no tie worn for a working blue collar man
Suits were comfortable with collars and ties worn as in the previous decade
Single breasted jackets eventually replaced double breasted jackets
Pockets and lapel size were restricted so that less material could be used
One trend that menswear introduced in the 1940s was the Zoot Suit
A zoot suit was an oversize jacket and baggy trousers and was an early example of streetwear - w++ide shoulders, wide legs, high waisted pants and wide ties characterized this controversial suit that faded away in the 1950s
Military men returning from Asia and the Pacific brought back what we know today as Hawaiian shirts, brightly patterned short sleeve button down shirts
I hope you have enjoyed this look at one hundred years of menswear fashion. Noting the new trends and changes in each decade can help you date photographs. Remember, as I mentioned for women's fashion, these are guidelines but not a hard rule. Many men wore outdated fashions especially if they lived in rural or poorer communities. It will be more helpful to you to note what trends and clothing items were invented or got their start. Then you can take note of the earliest estimate that your ancestor's picture was taken based on that trend.