History of Men’s Suits

Men’s suits continue to be the preferred choice for formal wear among all age groups. People often judge a man by the way he is dressed, and nothing makes a stronger impression than a suit.

This has been the case for as long as suits have been worn – a date that can traced back to the 17th century, when Charles II promoted the idea of authority being impressed on to Britain through a particular code of dress in the courts.

Tailoring, the cutting and sewing of cloth as we understand it today, had developed in Europe between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries. But it was an aristocratic activity, and the royal courts set the fashion.

In France at the same time, during the long reign of King Louis XIV, men stopped wearing cloaks and doublets and instead adopted waistcoats, breeches and coats.

In the early 19th century there was a further sartorial revolution among the aristocracy of Europe. The elaborate, embroidered and bejewelled formal clothing of earlier times was gradually replaced by a simpler, less showy clothing style that spread during the period of the British Regency down into the middle classes.

This in turn evolved into the even simpler but highly formal styles of the Victorian era. The recognisably modern lounge suit appeared as the 19th century ended, offering more comfort and less severity. By the Edwardian era the lounge suit was established in Britain; and also in the early 1900s, London’s Saville Row was gaining a reputation for stylish development of the semi-formal suit.

In the 1920s, tailoring started to become a more obvious feature with cuffed wide-legged trousers (especially for the younger generation) and double-breasted jackets for the more senior members of society.

After the rationing of cloth came to an end following the Second World War, suit styles tended to feature as much material as possible – seen in particular in boxier suit jackets. But in the 1960s the major change came with Italian fashion designers, who set a precedent for flawless fitting suits that emphasised a slim, uncluttered silhouette – narrower lapels, a nipped in waist and slim-fit trousers using a lighter fabric that meant less structure to the suit.