Womenswear progresses in leaps and bounds, fueled by the readiness of women to wear what may at the time be perceived as the radical or outrageous. Not so menswear –menswear evolves, slowly. But from what? Behind nearly every item in the modern male wardrobe is a "first of its kind" – the definitive item, often designed by a single company or brand for specialist use, on which all subsequent versions have been based (and originals of which are now collector items in the booming vintage market).