These swim briefs by Vince Green, are now on display in the Splash! exhibition at the Design Museum, and offer a rare glimpse into a pivotal moment in British menswear.
Originally a photographer for postwar physique magazines, Bill ‘Vince’ Green began selling continental-style swim briefs through classified ads in the Daily Mirror in the early 1950s. In 1954, he opened Vince Man’s Shop in Soho, widely regarded as London’s first dedicated menswear boutique.
Over the past 8 years, we’ve been actively collecting garments from the shop for the Westminster Menswear Archive. But they remain incredibly hard to find. Few have survived, and even fewer are publicly accessible. Yet their influence is undeniable.
Green’s imagery carried a distinctly homoerotic charge, shaped by his background in physique photography and resonating strongly with a gay clientele. His swimwear shared that sensibility, cut high, made from clinging towelling, or boldly patterned. What made his work so radical, however, was his ability to translate that aesthetic into the mainstream. Vince normalised a body-conscious masculinity that was modern, aspirational, and unashamedly visible.
His designs helped shape what would later become the Carnaby Street look, years before that scene emerged. In doing so, he not only challenged ideas of how British men should dress, but also who they were allowed to be.
Images:
– Vince Man’s Shop swimwear display, Splash! Design Museum
– Hawaiian print towelling trunks, 1968. Vince Green. Westminster Menswear Archive
– Striped swim shorts, 1968. Vince Green. Westminster Menswear Archive
– Vince Green label
– Vince Man’s Shop catalogues, 1962 and 1964
