Suit (clothing)
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A suit, with varieties such as a business suit, three-piece suit, lounge suit or two-piece suit, is a collection of matching clothing comprising:
- A coat (commonly known as a jacket)
- A pair of matching trousers (BEn)/pants (AmEn), or a skirt for women.
- Optionally, a waistcoat (BEn)/vest (AmEn) (men only). A two-piece suit or lounge suit is one lacking a waistcoat; a three-piece suit has one.
The term suit comes from the word "suivre" in French meaning "to follow". It relates to the fact that the trousers and waistcoat 'followed' the jacket in colour and material.
A suit is generally accompanied by a collared shirt and tie (for men), or a blouse (for women). A hat such as the fedora and the bowler (for men), or the pill box (for women), in Western countries, used to complete the outfit, but over the course of the 20th century they largely fell out of fashion and are no longer commonly worn with suits.
Men wear suits much more frequently than women. Women's suits, a later development than men's suits, are usually worn only in business settings. For other dressy occasions, women more frequently wear other styles of formal clothing.
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[edit] History
[edit] Men's suits
The suit is the traditional form of male formal attire in the Western world. The modern suit did not appear until the early-to-mid nineteenth century, but the origins of its coat can be traced back to the revolution in men's dress set by Charles II, king of Great Britain in the 1660s. A particular style of this was adapted and popularized by British dandy Beau Brummell by the early 1800s.
In the 1660s, restored English king Charles, following the example of the court of Louis XIV at Versailles decreed in 1666 that at court, men were to wear a long coat or jacket, a waistcoat (originally called a petticoat, a term which later became applied solely to women's dress), a cravat (ancestor of the modern necktie), a wig, and breeches or trousers gathered at the knee, as well as a hat for outdoor wear.
By the early 1800s, Britisher Brummel's style trend led men in Europe to wear understated, beautifully cut, perfectly tailored versions, adorned with elaborately knotted neckwear. Brummell's stylistic influence is credited with introducing and bringing to fashion the move for a pared-down modern man's suit worn with necktie. He additionally popularized regular bathing for males which went with his versions of the suit. (Johnson, Birth of the Modern)
Coats with matching trousers or even waistcoat have gone in and out of fashion over the last four centuries however the modern lounge suit coat is still derived from historical coats. Although it is hard to see the outline of the modern business suit coat in the elaborate and brightly-coloured court dress of the seventeenth century, the basic pattern has survived for more than four hundred years with some adjustments, despite the abandonment of wigs and knee breeches after the French Revolution, the rise of British tailoring, which used steam, pressure, padding, and stiffening to mould woolen fabric to the body, the invention of the modern necktie in the late nineteenth century, and the gradual disappearance of waistcoats and hats during the last fifty years.
What we call the modern suit was originally a nineteenth-century English innovation in dress. Originally the term usually referred to a lounge suit and was worn only in the country and at the seaside. At that time morning dress and frock coats were not part of a 'suit' because they are were usually worn with non-matching striped trousers, and having matching waistcoat and trousers was originally considered more informal. The term "ditto suit" was also transiently used due to the matching waistcoat and trousers, these sometimes having coats more resembling a frock coat or a morning coat. The "sack suit" is a North America derivative of the English lounge suit which looked even looser and more casual because it lacked darts. In the nineteenth century, for more informal occasions, men still wore morning dress as a more casual alternative to the formal frock coats then considered appropriate business and day time formalwear. The lounge suit was thus an even more casual form of dress and was reserved solely for recreation activities.
The lounge suit became increasingly popular through the later nineteenth century as casual town daywear until it started to become an acceptable alternative to the morning coat as town wear in the early twentieth century. As the lounge suit became increasingly popular, even the humblest men would have at least one suit to wear on Sunday to church as part of their "Sunday best." Victorian men who were able to afford it would still wear a frock coat to church. Prior to 1935 (and again for a short time in the 1970's) men preferred their jackets and waistcoats to be fitted snugly. The trend since 1935 has been for loose fitting jackets. The waistcoat or vest was worn regularly with the suit until World War II when it fell out of fashion due to the loose style then in fashion. The waistcoast returned to fashion when the fitted style became prevalent once again in the the 1970's. This style quickly became associated with disco music and culture. Movies like Saturday Night Fever helped popularise the waistcoat as a fashionable piece of dresswear. The three-piece suit quickly became associated with the disco culture. The backlash against disco quickly led to the demise of the popularity of three piece suits which were criticized as being "effeminate" by men such as Steve Dahl who disapproved of disco and organized a campaign to get rid of anything associated with it. By 1983, the wearing of waistcoats had become a rare sight. This is exacerbated by the fact that men prefer loose fitting coats. A waistcoat that is not fitted properly will rise when one sits down and will quickly become uncomfortable.
At the end of the nineteenth century, an informal evening version of the lounge suit emerged in England, known as a dinner jacket in British English, in a dress code referred to as black tie. When it was imported to the United States, it became known as as the tuxedo. The dinner jacket was originally called a 'dress lounge' in England to indicate that it was a lounge suit for evening wear. The 'dress lounge' was originally worn only for small private gatherings and white tail tie was worn for large formal events. The 'dress lounge' slowly became more popular for larger events as an alternative to full evening dress in white tie. As black tie grew in popularity, it has became increasingly acceptable as formalwear and today has all but replaced white tie, which today is only seen at ultra-formal occasions. The daytime formal equivalent to white tie is morning dress, but in the United States this too has become uncommon and the daytime semi-formal dress called the stroller is more common. The stroller is itself a form of 'dress lounge' - a day time semi-formal lounge suit version of morning dress.
[edit] Women's suits
The earliest women's suits were riding habits, which consisted of a tailored coat or jacket and matching skirt from the 1660s. Practical and sturdy, riding habits were worn not only on horseback, but also for travel and other daytime pursuits. Suits not intended for riding appeared in the later nineteenth century. Both riding habits and walking suits reflected the skirt and sleeve styles of the day.
In the first half of the twentieth century, the skirted suit became the common daytime city costume for women, in the workplace and out; dressmaker suits featured softer fabrics and "feminine" details, and cocktail suits were worn for semiformal occasions in mid-century.
Under the influence of Dress for Success, a working woman's uniform of skirted suit, tailored shirt, and floppy tie evolved in the 1970s and 1980s. Pantsuits (women's suits with trousers) were introduced by designer André Courrèges in 1964 but were only gradually accepted as formal business attire.
[edit] Influence of casual dress
Over the past half-century, the wearing of suits has become far less common than it once was and is now restricted almost entirely to formal and business activities. During the 1990s, many businesses in North America adopted casual dress codes, beginning with "casual Fridays" and then extending to the entire business week. The abandonment of a uniform dress code has led to considerable confusion over what is considered appropriate business wear. More recently, some businesses have reinforced the wearing of suits, although they may never again be as common as they once were.
According to Anne Hollander's book Sex and Suits (ISBN 1-56836-101-7), the origin of the suit was in European medieval armor, which "replaced the naked human frame with another one that made a close three-dimensional, line-for-line commentary on it in another medium." Furthermore, "plate armor required an undergarment made by a linen-armorer, a close-fitting padded suit that outlined the whole man".
[edit] Styles
The majority of men's suits can be classified into one of five styles. Double-breasted suits have two parallel rows of buttons; this style is considered very conservative. All other styles are single-breasted and may have various numbers of buttons, most commonly two or three. British suits are characterized by moderately tapered sides, minimal shoulder padding, and two vents. Italian suits are considered the most fashionable, and are characterized by strongly padded shoulders, strongly tapered sides, and no vent. American suits are considered more casual than the preceding styles, and are characterized by moderate shoulder padding, minimally tapered sides, and a single vent. Contemporary is a term that includes a variety of recently designed garments that do not fit into the preceding categories.
Suit jackets in all styles typically have three or four buttons on each cuff, which are purely decorative (the sleeve is sewn closed and cannot be unbuttoned to open). Functional cuff buttons may be found on high-end or bespoke suits; this feature is called a doctor's cuff.
[edit] Extreme suits
Although the man's tailored suit is commonly perceived as the ultimate conservative costume of Western culture (see below), extravagant variations on the tailored suit have been adopted by many subcultures over the last century as a matter of fashion or social identity. As early as 1922, Emily Post addressed what she termed the "freak American suit" in her influential guide Etiquette:
- You will see it everywhere, on Broadway of every city and Main Street of every town, on the boardwalks and beaches of coast resorts, and even in remote farming villages. It comes up to hit you in the face year after year in all its amazing variations: waist-line under the arm pits, “trick” little belts, what-nots in the cuffs; trousers so narrow you fear they will burst before your eyes, pockets placed in every position, buttons clustered together in a tight little row or reduced to one. And the worst of it is, few of our younger men know any better until they go abroad and find their wardrobe a subject for jest and derision.
Some of the non-traditional tailored suit styles of the past century include:
- The Zoot suit of the 1930s and 1940s
- The Western suit, a form of western wear featuring a tailored jacket with "western" details such as pointed yokes or arrowhead pockets
- The Nudie suit, a highly decorated form of western wear
- The Beatle suit or Mod suit, a fashion of the late 1960s with very narrow trousers and sometimes collarless jackets, derived from Pierre Cardin's early menswear
- The Disco suit, a fashion of the 1970s with exaggerated lapels and flared trousers, often in white or brightly-coloured polyester fabric
[edit] Perceptions
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The uniform impression of a suit, often appearing in standard configurations such as pinstripe suit or suit and tie, can carry numerous connotations. In business settings it can communicate respectability and taste. In different milieus, the connotations of corporate life that the suit represents conveys unadventurous conformism. Extreme variations on the suit can convey the opposite (for example, many pimps, or men wanting to be perceived as such, wear exaggerated versions of suits containing various hues, patterns, etc.).
Used as a synecdoche, by referring to management staff in corporations as "suits", may express contempt for the perceived absence of autonomy imposed on members in a uniform elitist bureaucracy. It may also be a comment on the perceived amorality of those who work for corporations.
The political and social dominance of the West in the world during the last century has led to the adoption of the suit as appropriate business and formal wear in almost every part of the globe. Refusing to wear a suit, therefore, can be a symbolic rejection of Western culture in some cases.[original research?] For instance, some political leaders reject wearing business suits in order to send a message that they do not conform to Western patterns. The most notable example was probably the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong, who usually appeared in public wearing what was nicknamed the Mao suit in English. This suit was originally designed under the direction of Sun Yat-sen for the Chinese Republic, reflecting the need to create a uniquely Chinese dress for the new era. The "Mao suit" was worn by most Chinese political leaders (including Chiang Kai-shek), until the mid-to-late 20th Century, and is known as the "Zhongshan (Sun Yat-sen) suit" (after its creator) in Chinese. Other alternatives to the western suit include national or tribal dress for African and Middle Eastern leaders, or military fatigues like Cuba's Fidel Castro. In more recent years, however, Castro has taken to wearing business suits in public appearances in lieu of his iconic revolutionary fatigues.
[edit] Women's suits today
In the 1990s, the return of the miniskirt to the fashion world soon carried over into the office settings. Skirt length varies with fashion trends and acceptable local custom.
[edit] Suit etiquette for men
[edit] Buttoning the suit
Double-breasted suits are almost always kept buttoned. When there is more than one to-button (as in a traditional six-on-two arrangement), only the top one is to be fastened. Often, this is the only one that can be properly fastened, because the bottom to-button often lacks a corresponding interior flap button. In the case of arrangement such as the six-on-one, particularly popular when the double-breasted suit first staged a comeback in the 1980s, one has no choice but to fasten the bottom button as this is the only option.
Today, Single-breasted suits are buttoned while standing. This is due to the fact that the current trend is for jackets which are loose. Previous to 1935 and again during the 1970's, men preferred fitted jackets which could be worn either buttoned or unbuttoned whether one was standing or not. In a three-button suit, all but the bottom button can be done up. Today, however, if only one button is done up, it is the middle one, if two it is the middle and top ones. This is due to the fact that men today prefer their jackets to be made low-waisted. Prior to 1935, men preferred high-waisted coats and therefore the fashion was to button only the topmost button (if any was to be buttoned at all). In two button suits it is appropriate to button the top button, but never the bottom button only. If one is wearing a waistcoat, there is no need to button the jacket.
[edit] Suit colors
In the past (especially in the 1920's and 1970's), suits were made in a wide array of colors. Today, business-suit are usually made in navy blue, grey, and charcoal. Browns and darker shades of green have returned to fashion (these colors had previously been popular in the 1970's and also prior to 1935) although these colours are still not widely accepted by more conservative men. Black is traditionally a colour reserved for ones dinner jacket (tuxedo), but may be worn in religious contexts such as to a funeral or religious function.
[edit] Pattern
Traditional suits are generally solid colours or pinstripes, with refined plaids such as the traditional Glen plaid sometimes qualifying. The colour of the patterned element (stripes, plaid checks) varies by gender.
[edit] Ties with suits
- See also main article Necktie
Working with ties is very much a matter of personal taste, but in conservative terms there are some basic guidelines. Ties should always be darker than the wearer's shirt. The background colour of the tie should not be the same as that of the shirt, while the foreground of the tie should contain the colour of the shirt and thereby "pick up" on the colour of the shirt. Ideally, the tie should also integrate the colour of the suit in the same way. Generally, simple or subdued patterns are preferred for conservative dress, though these are terms with a wide range of interpretation. Some of the most common knots are the Four-in-hand, the Half-Windsor, the Windsor (or Full-Windsor), and the Shelby or Pratt. A Four-in-hand, Half-Windsor, or Windsor is generally the most appropriate with a suit, particularly by contemporary guidelines. Once properly knotted and arranged, the bottom of the tie should just touch or just go over the top of the belt buckle. The thin end should never extend below the wide end.
People working in medical professions should avoid wearing ties, unless they wear a newly washed tie each day, as these pieces of fabric are known as major vectors in the transmission of disease within hospitals.
It is not advisable, particularly in the United Kingdom, to wear striped ties unless they are representative of a club, regiment, school etc. of which one is a member, in order to avoid the confusion and embarrassment - or even hostility - that ensues when the tie is recognised by a member of such an organisation.
[edit] Shirts and blouses with suits
The type of shirt worn by men with a suit is a top made of woven cloth, with long sleeves, a full-length buttoned opening down the front, and a collar; this type of garment is known in American English as a dress shirt or Oxford shirt but simply as a shirt in other English dialects. It is ironed, tucked into its wearer's trousers, and otherwise worn according to the etiquette described in the article dress shirt.
The classic shirt colors are light blue or white, with white edging out as most conservative. The most formal type of dress shirt worn with a standard suit is a shirt with French cuffs, using cuff links or silk knots instead of buttons to close the sleeves, but this type of shirt is optional, and essentially up to the preferences of the wearer and the vagaries of fashion.
The most traditional collar is a spread collar. This is frequently the default collar type for French cuff shirts, though they can sometimes be found with point collars. Normally button-down collars are reserved for use with a sportcoat or without a coat at all. The button-down collar is not seeing as much wear today, particularly with the resurgence of more formal shirts with spread collars and French cuffs, even in business casual wear.
Short-sleeve shirts, tennis shirts, and t-shirts should never be worn with a suit.
For women, a blouse (usually white) takes the place of a shirt.
[edit] Socks with suits
In the United States it is common for socks to match the pant leg. This makes the leg appear longer and minimizes the attention drawn by a pant leg tailored to be too-short. A more general rule is for socks to be darker than the shade of pants, but potentially a different color.[1] With patterned socks, ideally the background color of the sock should match the primary/background color of the suit. If it is not possible to match the pant leg, socks may match one's shoes.
Comedians like Jerry Lewis (in the past), then-Supreme Court Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall and teenage boys have been known to wear white socks with their suits. Though it may have been fashionable to wear them in the 1950s, black or other, dark dress socks are much preferred to white socks for most occasions.
[edit] Accessories with suits
Acceptable colors for belts (if worn) and shoes are black and burgundy/cordovan, though since the 1980s various shades of darker browns (particularly mahogany) have started to gain acceptance. Light browns such as saddle tan should be reserved for use with business casual wear. The belt and shoes must match one another, at the very least in color category if not almost exactly in shade. The belt's buckle should be silver or gold. Other metallic objects worn with the suit (such as cuff links, tie bar, tie tack, watch) should match the belt buckle. However, in more conservative circles, especially in the UK, a belt should never be worn with a suit. A suit made by an English tailor will not have belt loops and the trousers should be kept in place by either adjustable side fasteners or braces (US: suspenders)Where watches are concerned: the more formal the occasion, the thinner the watch. Analogue watches are more formal than digital watches. In the most formal situations, a pocket watch, or no watch at all, should be worn. The pocket watch should also match the other metal objects in size and color. Leather-soled shoes are traditional and traditionally have a more "dressy" appearance. Some companies also make dress shoes with wooden soles.
Handkerchiefs and pocket squares/silks in the upper welt (chest) pocket are not especially common in today's formal dress. Originally, handkerchiefs were worn partially protruding from the left jacket sleeve. Over time, they migrated to the breast pocket. When silk was still a rare and expensive commodity, they were considered a flamboyant extravagance by conservative commentators. By the end of the nineteenth century, however, they had become a standard accoutrement for gentlemen.
