OK, I misquote the venerable Mr Holly Johnson there by a letter or two, but this image of the American man\’s way of dress doesn\’t really seem to apply any more. Jeans in particular are the item of clothing that have most been associated with USA popular culture, from rock\’n\’roll to the hippy movement to Hell\’s Angels and beyond, but this has changed a little over the past decade or two. Ask people today to define male Americana fashion and they\’re as likely to list baseball caps, cargo pants, slacker wear, football shirts, basketball shirts and trainers before they get to the good old blue jeans (sadly, chinos would barely merit a mention).

So is this the picture of the way the American man dresses? It would appear to be the case. Jeans are just one of the tools at the disposal of anyone trying to assert a transatlantic identity. It probably all started in the sharp-dressing 1980s, when it seems that anyone who didn\’t want to be a stockbroker wanted to be a crime fighter in Miami (sartorially, at least; and at a push they\’d take the cars and the boats). This was the first time in popular culture history that you could be cool and rebellious without resorting to denim, and when the big denim brands themselves – or at least the savvy ones – started branching out into other areas to survive and compete. In fact, it\’s hard to believe now but it was quite difficult to find a pair of jeans in any colour other than blue until the mid-1980s.

In the 1990s it got even worse, if anything, for jeans, as they were roundly rejected by a whole generation who saw jeans as something their parents\’ generation wore. Did you really want to dress like an off duty prime minister or president?

By the end of the 90s, though the jean had got back into the male wardrobe, this time with designer labels and more pockets, but back all the same. The style brought with it more American influence, though, including the baseball cap (which has faded a little of late) and the smart but causal look made available by the likes of Gap, American Apparel and Abercrombie & Fitch. This time also saw the seeds of the geeky movement being sown, a look which embraces ill-fitting clothes, \”so bad it\’s good\” haircuts and even zero prescription spectacles to achieve the swotty, nerdy type who always seems to get the girl in the movies.

This is all very well, but does it in any way clarify what the meaning of Americana is when it comes to male fashion? Searching the vintage clothing stores would give you thousands of options because almost anything goes if you\’re willing to move through time. But perhaps therein lies the answer. If you\’re looking for a genuine stateside look, pick an era and stick to it. Because the garments will set off a kind of mental chain reaction that will immediately scream the word America! And just in case there\’s the risk that your look might be interpreted as, say, Canadian, you can always go for the nuclear option … and sport some stars and stripes.

Author Bio: James is a vintage fashion expert. His love of the americana clothes style, especially since vintage americana became more popular, has become even more of a passion.

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