In Venice, the Museum of Palazzo Mocenigo explores the evolution of men's fashion at the time of Casanova

From March 7 to July 27, 2025, the Museo di Palazzo Mocenigo - Centro Studi di Storia del Tessuto e del Costume in Venice, in the year dedicated to Giacomo Casanova, is hosting the exhibition Il seduttore. The renewal of the male image in Casanova’s time, curated by Roberta Orsi Landini and Chiara Squarcina. The exhibition, which explores the evolution of men’s fashion in the 18th century, is the first chapter with which the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia investigates the famous writer, poet, adventurer and diplomat with an in-depth look into his time, at the aesthetic and social changes that redefined the concept of elegance and seduction in 18th-century men.

Indeed, the exhibition aims to highlight, through the displays and specimens from the museum’s rich collections and the Stibbert Museum in Florence, how men’s clothing underwent a progressive transformation: from an expression of power and strength to a symbol of refinement, culture and sensitivity. The fashion of the time, characterized mainly by the three-piece suit - tailcoat, waistcoat and breeches - was refined and simplified, abandoning the redundancies of previous centuries.

Divided into five thematic sections, each devoted to one aspect of the change in men’s fashion, the exhibition is a journey through 18th-century fashion and society.

Society life, the 18th century as a century of conversation, salons and worldliness. The male figure, once characterized by sumptuous clothes, adapts to a new model of seduction: no longer an ostentation of strength, but wit, culture and gallantry.

The tailcoat: toward a reassuring charm: the influence of the Enlightenment leads to a simplification of men’s dress. The tailcoat loses its rigidity and pompous decorations to assume a more essential and sophisticated line.

The weapons of seduction: colors, silk. Venice, like other fashion capitals, plays a key role in the production of refined fabrics, with silks of innovative designs and bold colors.

The waistcoat, or the unveiling of personality: this element of clothing becomes the distinctive detail of individual taste, with embroidery and patterns revealing the personality and inclinations of the wearer.

Court pomp. Court clothes and accessories were an expression of power and social status. The magnificence of fabrics, the abundance of gold and silver embroidery, and the use of precious stones characterized the clothing of nobles and high dignitaries.

Hours: Until March 31 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; April 1 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed Mondays

In Venice, the Museum of Palazzo Mocenigo explores the evolution of men's fashion at the time of Casanova

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