Classics - The Suit
You cannot spell suitable without saying suit
Suits aren´t for men only. We´ve touched on the subject in our trend report here. But how did a man’s wardrobe staple turn out to be so popular, feminine and even sexy? The suit as we know it, made up of a jacket and trousers, has dominated menswear since the late 18th century. While the cut, fit and material of choice evolved with the Zeitgeist, the overall look and the associated status of its wearer stayed the same.
The pioneers
It took a while for society to catch on to the idea that suits might be suitable for women as well. Designers like Coco Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent brought about change. Coco Chanel of course designed by what she liked herself. And she wanted to be comfortable rather than fenced in in her clothing, hence the loosely fitted pants, sport suits and jackets. Yves Saint Laurent was one of the first to grasp the sexual power of a male suit on a female body. His “Le Smoking” is a legacy until today.
Female tuxedo classics
When I think about women wearing suits, the first images that come to mind are the two actresses Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo. They wore the suits proudly without losing an inch of their femininity. I also think of the image that Helmut Newton took for Vogue Paris in 1975. It shows two women, one wearing the YSL tuxedo and holding a cigarette and the other only wearing a hat and black high heels.
The modern woman in her suit
Nowadays jackets, tuxedos and suits are often – but not only – worn at evening occasions, big events and on the red carpet. It seems to even be suitable to wear a suit as a woman when the invitation reads “black tie”. As the word shows: You cannot spell suitable without saying suit.
Text: Daliah Hoffmann
images from top to bottom:
Stella McCartney Ingrid Blazer & Vivian Pants, from wool-twill in navy-blue, made of 100 % wool, lining 52 % rayon, 48 % cotton & 100 % wool , buy it here!
Filippa K Eve Cool Wool Blazer & Luisa Cool Wool Pants, made of 98 % wool, 2 % lycra, lining 50 % viscose, 50 % acetate & 98 % wool, 2 % lycra, buy it here!
Stella McCartney Iris Wool Blazer & Jasmine Wool Pants, made of 100 % wool, lining 52 % viscose, 48 % cotton & 100 % wool, buy it here!
Images: Header from Hedi Slimane for Elle, elle.com; images below PR