History of the Suit: The Evolution of Menswear

    source : Forbes

Jackets or blazers are frequently associated with formal attire. In today's modern era, suits are frequently used to complement clothing and give the overall appearance a more stylish look. Because the suit doesn’t have to be pigeonholed as formal wear it can bring sophistication to other occasions.

The term “suit” is derived from the French term suivre. which means “to follow.” In other words, the jacket follows the pants or vice versa. A suit is made up of a jacket and a pair of pants in the same fabric. Not only is the color of the garments the same, but so is the fabric composition. The origins of the suit, like many aspects of classic menswear, can be traced back to Beau Brummell. In nineteenth-century England, he was the prototypical gent. Menswear before Beau Brummell was heavily influenced by the French court and revolved around heavily embroidered fabrics such as velvet, knee-breeches, and stockings. Beau Brummell replaced all of this with long trousers, boots, and a coat with little ornamentation or color.

The Edwardian Era (1910s)

source : Gentleman's Gazette

The lounge suit was popular in the first decade of the twentieth century, also known as the Edwardian era. If you've ever had the opportunity to touch an Edwardian suit, you'll notice that the fabric is extremely heavy and coarse. On the one hand, fabric finishing was not as refined as it is today, but it was also quite expensive. Again, because there was no central heating, suits had to be worn inside. Many homes were still heated with coal, and cities were generally filthy and smoky. As a result, the city suit was usually made of a darker colored fabric.

The 1950s

source : Gentlemen's Gazette

The postwar rebellion had a significant impact on the suit in the 1950s. As austerity ended, some people returned to the pre-war suit style, which meant that lapels became wider, pants had pleats again, and it wasn't as slim. Pleated pants were especially popular because they allowed for more movement and comfort, which is still true today. Because central heating was more or less well established at the time, the need for extra heat inside had vanished, and the vest in a three-piece suit continued to decline. Again, it was a post-war period, and the same thing happened in the '50s as it did after the 1920s, when there was a post-war rebellion against the previous generation's style.

The other style of jacket was always single-breasted and had very little or no padding in the shoulders which made for a very natural silhouette which is more closely associated with Italy today but in fact, the Americans have done that for a long time too. This was a time when Brooks Brothers really dominated in American history and overall, the casualization of clothes also didn’t take hold of the suit so Ivy League style was characterized by combinations, more so than the suit. Yes, the suit was still around but sport coats have become more popular due to their increased texture and color variation.

The New Millennium

source : Gentleman's Gazette

In contrast, the slim-fit suit returned in the early 2000s. The suit became slimmer, shorter, and had a higher buttoning point. At the same time, some people preferred to wear the black suit as an easy way to create a reduced minimalist uniform. Pants were frequently hemmed quite short, and jackets had narrow lapels, as demonstrated by Thom Browne, who made extremely short jackets and pants. Others, such as Tom Ford, wore slimmer-cut suits, but they weren't as extreme. As a result, Tom Ford suits can still be worn today, whereas Thom Browne suits are more of a fashion statement than something a regular man would wear.