It actually wasn't until the early 19th century that Western men stopped mixing bloomers, skirts and long shirts with their wardrobe of breeches and stockings, and adopted slim trousers as standard masculine attire .
It wasn't until 19th-century dandy fashion, pioneered by fashionable English aristocrats, reimagined masculine style through the emphasis of suits.
Skirts were effeminized. "Henceforth trousers became the ultimate clothing for men to wear, while women had their essential frivolity forced on them by the dresses and skirts they were expected to wear".
The Great Male Renunciation (French: Grande Renonciation masculine) is the historical phenomenon at the end of the 18th century in which Western men stopped using brilliant or refined forms in their dress, which were left to women's clothing.
They were only invented to facilitate horseback riding. Both men and women wore roughly the same clothes without them defining the aesthetic standards of their sex. For example, in Ancient Greece, the skirt symbolized virility and youth, as did the kilt in Scotland.
The floor-length gown became an exclusively feminine item in the early 16th century. From 1530 female costume was composed of the bodice and the skirt or 'kirtle'; the one-piece outfit remained as a long undershift. This form of dressing was worn for ceremonial occasions until the 18th century.
Ancient Egypt
Curiously the first 'skirts' were actually worn by men. These simple garments were similar to a wraparound skirt that was belted at the waist, called the Shendyt.
Although skirts are now commonly associated with womenswear, men have worn them at various points in history. Pleated fustanellas, for example, can be seen on ancient Greek and Roman statues, while more contemporary versions have since been worn in Balkan countries like Albania, which considers them a national costume.
Pants-wearing became an everyday affair in Europe during the eighth century, after the fall of the Roman Empire, "when the continent fell under the rule of warriors who fought from horseback — the knights," Turchin explained. "So wearing pants became associated with high-status men and gradually spread to other males."
It's thought that all young children – boys and girls – wore dresses to make nappy changing and toilet training easier. Some toddler gowns also had practical features, with fabric or ribbon ties sewn to them, as a kind of “lead” to keep them close and support them as they learnt to walk.
Victorian era boys clothing shared similar characteristics as the girls'. Boys would commonly dress according to their age. They commonly wore knickerbockers as a standard, casual piece of clothing. Young boys wore frocks, blouses, and tunics with pleated skirts up until the age of three or four.
Over time and with new technological advancements, seamstresses and tailors began to focus more exclusively on “womens” and “mens” clothing, creating distinct aesthetics for each sex. Thus, as gender became a more important societal construct, dress became a gender marker as well.
The oldest known trousers, dating to the period between the thirteenth and the tenth centuries BC, were found at the Yanghai cemetery in Turpan, Sinkiang (Tocharia), in present-day western China. Made of wool, the trousers had straight legs and wide crotches and were likely made for horseback riding.
But by the 1800s, men were moving away from stockings and breeches into trousers and the industrial production of stockings from around 1860 made them more available.
As we moved into the 1960s and 70s, colors and patterns went into overdrive; with some examples aging better than others. But, beginning in the late-20th century and up until more or less today, we've seen a desaturation through most of menswear with monochromatic looks being on Vogue instead.
Trousers were first invented because robes are uncomfortable to wear on horseback. In fact, those who wore trousers in battle had the upper hand over those who wore robes. For this reason, civilisations all over the world adopted this form of dress to survive battle.
There used to be a time when men wore skirts and dresses. It was part of fashion, especially among noblemen. Until this fashion trend started to change in the 14th and 15th centuries. The European culture created shorter tunics for men while women were "draped" in "unshaped garments."
Formerly a standard item of Western men's clothing, they had fallen out of use by the mid-19th century in favour of trousers. Breeches are still worn as livery for special occasions in several European courts.
The oldest pair of preserved trousers ever discovered were dated from about 1200 to 900 BC and were thought to have been worn by both male and female horse riders. In the 1700s women like Hannah Snell donned pants and took on secret identities so they could fight alongside men in battles.
“As gender norms continue to evolve and blur, we are seeing more and more men embracing traditionally feminine styles and clothing,” explains supersonic Scottish designer Charles Jeffrey, who has long been a stalwart of gender-fluid designs.
Men wearing skirts is becoming the new stylish trend in 2023. Here you will find how men can wear skirts in different styles to flaunt their looks.
Until the end of the 18th century, bifurcated European garments took forms such as breeches, knickerbockers, and pantaloons. By 1820 trousers as they are known today had come into general use among men.
Men wearing skirts is commonplace in certain countries including Fiji, Myanmar and Bhutan. In Greece, it's an integral part of the military dress uniform. However, nowhere has a skirt been of more cultural significance than the Scottish kilt.
And Pitt also isn't the only high-profile skirt-lover in Hollywood as a number of male stars, including Harry Styles and Oscar Isaac, have also recently started incorporating the garment into their red carpet style.
Most school dress codes do not have specific rules that stop students from wearing clothes usually worn by the opposite gender (think of how many girls wear 'traditionally-male' clothes like pants, ties, men's dress shirts, men's sneakers, or heavy work boots).