f Peacocks in the sands: Flamboyant men’s beachwear 1920–30

Palm Beach, Florida in winter was ideal for luxury pastimes of the social elite and, equally important, an opportunity to see and be seen in the latest leisurewear. Journalists documented the habits and styles of millionaires and movie stars. This information was both society news and fashion direction to the menswear industry. The newest ideas in men’s beachwear from luxury resorts in Florida and Europe ultimately influenced beachwear in retail stores throughout America. Photographs and descriptions in menswear publications of resort wear were compared to the textiles and garments I examined at the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (MFIT), New York and the Hampshire Museum Collections, United Kingdom. Men who dressed for business in constrained clothes transformed into peacocks in the sands with no concern for appearing less than masculine. Flamboyant dress in this period reflected an exceptional use of colourful robes, pyjamas and bathing suits often with extravagant patterns.