1700 vs 1770 fashion

Here are two gents. Mr. 1700 has Justacorp that can close in the front, has wide bell cuffs, no collar. Mr 1770 had frock that really can't close without a lot of effort, has narrow cuffs. His waistcoat is also very short. Mr. 1700 has a waistcoat, that if it could be seen, would go to at least the knee. Also note that Mr. 1770 has socks that go UNDER the breeches. Whereas Mr. 1700 has socks that roll over the breeches. The footwear is also quite different. Men wore heels, much like women, up until the death of Louis XIV. On the right Mr. 1770 has much lower heels. The rich of 1700 had heels painted red.

There were also "sumptuary laws" back in this era that forbade a man or woman to dress above there station.

Headgear was also different. The hat, starting with a hat that had NO curve, began to take on the form of the tri-corn or cocked hat. This was to show off the wig beneath. Courtier hats usually had copious amounts of crap on them, from Ostrich feathers, to fresh fruit. By 1770 the cocked hat had become severely turned up and in France continued until they ended up with a bi-cron hat (think Napoleon). Military hats were very high in the front and worn with the front point over the left eye.

Mr. 1700 has a long peri-wig whereas Mr. 1770 has a very short wig, or perhaps no wig at all. However even in 1770 the wig was a status symbol for men. Wigs also denoted what in the hell you were. By 1770 a military wig was short and powdered. A courtier wig could be absolutely ridiculous in complexity, requiring a wooden or wire infrastructure to maintain. After the death of La Grande Monarch in 1715, wigs began to shrink in length, but transform in weirdness.

Facial hair in England and France fell out of fashion until the French revolution. In Austria however a soldier HAD to have a mustache. Many used faux mustaches. There were strict guidelines as to what kind of mustache all troops had to possess. Basically the Austrians wanted Clone Warriors.

The walking stick was another part of manly attire. The "high-staff" was used into the middle of the 18th century then became shorter. Mr. 1770 has a short, pretty much normal, walking stick.

Lastly the sword, as a fashion item, began to fall out of fashion in the 18th century.