The men’s suit didn’t appear, as we know it today, out of nowhere. It is the result of a cumulative historical process spanning over two centuries, recording gradual but remarkable progress in elegance, taste, and masculine refinement.
Did you know? The Romanian word costum comes from the French word costume (“garment, clothing tradition”). Yet it was also French that gave another word (suivre “to follow, to succeed”) to English (which became suit), probably in the sense that the fabric of a jacket “follows” the trousers and vice versa.
The modern history of the suit begins with the dandy Beau Brummell, who gave a new look to men’s fashion by simplifying some details of the French court costume, reminiscent of the French Revolution and the Ancien Régime (don’t miss the film Beau Brummell: This Charming Man).
During the Victorian Era (1837–1901), the dominant men’s outfit was the so-called frock coat (>fr. fraque > rom. frac), which resembled today’s overcoat. Later, this garment developed into two different styles: the morning coat (which kept the tails) and the lounge suit (which lost the tails).
While the morning coat survived and is still worn today only at British aristocratic weddings, the lounge suit, originating in Scotland, steadily developed from the 1850s as a more relaxed alternative to the morning coat. Etymologically, the English word lounge (“salon, armchair, sofa”) expresses its very purpose: comfort and ease.
By the turn of the 20th century, during the Edwardian Era, the lounge suit became increasingly popular. The so-called frock coat and morning coat were still worn by older, conservative men but gradually lost ground. The lounge suit, now simply called a suit, was made of thick fabrics and worn with a vest to keep the wearer warm.
In the 1920s, the suit absorbed military influences from the war. Jackets began to be cut slim, very close to the wearer’s body, while trousers were shortened, narrowed, and given cuffs. This was the first expression of the slim fit trend.
The Jazz Age of 1930s America brought more patterns and colors into men’s suit fabrics, as well as accessories like pocket squares, bias-cut ties, and collar pins (you can see them all in the film The Great Gatsby). In America, the drape suit also appeared, with jackets wider in the shoulders (creating the illusion of a broader torso) and high-waisted trousers (creating the illusion of longer legs). The drape suit became the number one choice in the U.S., as well as in Britain, Austria, and other countries. This was the era when back vents in jackets were largely abandoned for a smoother appearance. Heavy fabrics were used to give the suit a draped look, as highlighted in films like North by Northwest with Cary Grant. The 1930s still hold the reputation of being the Golden Age of men’s fashion.
Are you passionate about the history of the suit and want to learn how it evolved closer to our days? Read part two HERE.
