Althusian Men's Fashion

Every asymmetric jacket and vest is perfectly in place, perfectly free of lint or blemish. No two are alike, although the seasoned observer can pick apart the rank of each individual by the ornateness of the beadwork and gold embroidery. The richest robes in the room belong to the Supreme Decider, accompanied by a woman wearing a richly embroidered dress with shoulder pads. All other women in the room are watching her, and you are keeping track of each and every other man in the room, looking for the slightest malfunction.

History

The evolution of men's fashion is closely tied to the evolution of women's fashion, but is much more rooted in competition with other men. Men have for a long time tended to pull inspiration from women's fashion in order to look unique in social settings, and several cases have been cited wherein men deliberately matched their wives to achieve this end, as it is more socially acceptable to intentionally look like one's wife than to look like another man by pure chance. (Note: As a result, being called "effeminate" is considered a compliment.)
Men who take their cues from the neighboring Stenza empire actively model their outfits on the dress uniforms of ranked officers, down to flowing skirts and walking around barefoot. (Although for certain functions this must be amended, and at a minimum, flat shoes are required.)

Execution

A proper Althusian man of good breeding knows that his peers are, among other things, his competition. As such he relentlessly analyzes their attire at every gathering, looking for the slightest pin or button out of place, the slightest bit of fabric askew, shoulders just a hair off. As he expects to be subjected to the same scrutiny, his grooming is meticulous. Where women may be forgiven for wearing the same outfit to the same function, or wearing one outfit twice in a row, the same is not true of men, who are strictly expected to avoid such circumstances wherever possible. (If impossible, one party must leave the occasion to change; this typically falls to the lower-ranked of the two offenders except in extremely rare cases.)
As a relic of Althus' history, weapons are allowed in certain circumstances, usually ceremonial swords with curved blades fastened about the waist. Concealing or revealing the weapon with one's robes varies with the dress code of the