Since the 1980s, Jean-Paul Gaultier has distinguished himself as an emblematic figure in the world of Haute Couture by overturning dress and social codes. Fashion shows and avant-garde collections: he dresses men as women and women as men, and tries to challenge popular notions in the face of preconceptions about gender and sexual orientation.
The sailor top has often been a source of inspiration for the great French couturiers. In 1917, Coco Chanel combined the famous striped top with a sailor collar with sailor pants. The sailor top was already put to the service of the universalization of fashion (the trousers being reserved for the men's wardrobe and the sailor top representing the work clothes of sailors).
Reinvented by Yves-Saint-Laurent in 1966 through his sailor collection, the striped knitted sweater was transformed into a sequin dress! The sailor design then became feminine.
Finally, in 1983, the year of the release of his first ready-to-wear men's collection entitled "L'Homme-Objet" or "Toy Boy", Jean Paul Gaultier made this piece one of the emblematic creations of his career. By accident, Jean-Paul Gaultier cut the back out of the sailor top making it backless. Worn by male models, this tight and backless top once again overturns the dress codes and gender stereotypes of society.
This creation was associated with the film Querelle, released in 1982, which tells the story of a young sailor (wearing the famous sailor top) in the face of the evolution of his sexuality.
"I've always loved the graphic, architectural aspect of stripes. My mother used to dress me up with sailor sweaters. They go with everything, don't go out of fashion and will probably never go out of fashion. There were other influences: my grandmother, Coco Chanel, Jean Genet, Popeye, Tom of Finland, Rainer Fassbinder and his film Querelle, which was in a way the ultimate sailor, an ultra-sexualized gay symbol, a fantasy, an icon, a form of virility that could be ambiguous".
The Marinère marked the beginning of Jean-Paul Gaultier's career, and became a real artistic signature design. For example, this iconographic heritage can be found in the design of his perfume "Le Mâle". Now iconic, the Marinère is established as a flagship element of the house, but also of the French clothing heritage, like coco Chanel's little black dress.
In the 1980s, I wanted to make men's fashion
when we were just making clothes.
Historically, the skirt was a unisex garment. During antiquity, from Rome to Athens, men wore gowns or tunics, the ancestors of the skirt. Comfortable, skirts makes it easy to move and are adopted by Celtic, Germanic and Roman soldiers. The tradition continues during the Middle Ages: short or long tunics, the skirt is omnipresent in both the women's and men's wardrobes.
It was from the 19th century, the era of industrialization, that dress codes changed. Men wore practical clothing such as pants, shirts or suits. All ornaments were then abandoned. Jewellery, stockings, heeled shoes, make-up and other eccentricities were then exclusively reserved for women. Jean Paul Gaultier's spring/summer collection "And God Created Man" gives way to a fashion show that revolutionizes the gendered codes of fashion. This unisex fashion show entitled "A wardrobe for two" reinvents the men's skirt.
The use of the corset since its creation has been aesthetic. Although later it was used for orthopedic functions, the corset was first worn to highlight the attributes that make a woman beautiful, namely a thin waist and a protruding chest. From the sexualization of women to the idea of confinement that the corset represented for her: Jean-Paul Gaultier makes this item full of history and symbols a real playground.
In particular, the couturier decided to go against the traditions and turns the corset, then considered an object of fantasies, into a weapon of power. Paired with a man's suit and worn by a woman of character, iconic Madonna during her "Blond Ambition" tour in 1990, her conical corset manages to combine power and sensuality. In this outfit we find the idea of breaking the gendered codes of fashion. The woman is no longer locked in this straitjacket of sexualization: she is free, sexy, extravagant and no longer fits into the mold decided by society.
Conical breasts are also a questioning of beauty criteria. According to Western lifestyle, a woman's chest should be rounded. However, this conical shape so particular is the exact opposite of the standards of lingerie of the time. Yet it became a true symbol of sensuality.
Now that you are familiar with Jean-Paul Gaultier's main creations, you are probably wondering where you can find his beautiful clothes? For a few euros we advise you to visit online thrift stores and more particularly luxury thrift stores often offering rare and excellent quality pieces. You will find on this page luxury second hand clothes where you can find Jean-Paul Gaultier, Burberry or Yves Saint Laurent tops.
Enjoy your shopping :).
Auxane from Comme des Français
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