The pantsuit, very fashionable today, has a history closely linked to the emancipation of women. The LprR team shares with you its history which goes back several centuries.



19th century: impact of feminism on tailoring

It all started in the 19th century. While the pantsuit was reserved for men, feminism and the generalization of the practice of sport at this time made it possible to democratize this piece. This is how the skirt suit and then the pantsuit entered the women's wardrobe.

1880: First turning point in the history of tailoring

In 1880, Englishman John Redfern invented the first women's suit. It is this invention that accelerated the history of the women's suit by making this piece more "practical" and no longer solely dedicated to men. The suit will then become THE flagship garment of the 20th century. The suit is then composed of a jacket fitted at the waist and a long skirt, this will be replaced by pants a few years later...

1910: The First World War

The more the years go by, the more women wear suits in their daily lives. But everything in the fashion industry was turned upside down in the 1910s and the violence of the First World War. Indeed, needs and consumption patterns have changed, as have the way of dressing. Large, heavy, voluminous dresses with thick fabric are transformed into shorter, more fluid, and lighter dresses. After the First World War, women became more and more emancipated, particularly because they began to work due to the war context. These different changes in the habits of 20th-century women will directly impact their way of dressing.

1920: Haute Couture takes over the tailor

It was not until the 1920s that Haute Couture took hold of the suit and that the greatest designers appropriated it to transform it into a symbol of elegance. Among the greatest creators of this period, we can cite Poiret, Lanvin, Chanel, Christian Dior, and many others…

The iconic Bar Suit by Christian Dior was created in 1947. A few years later, in 1950, Gabrielle Chanel made the piece her own by offering a tweed suit. Then in the 1960s, Yves Saint Laurent went even further by revisiting the tuxedo. The tuxedo, initially a piece of the men's wardrobe, was reserved for the smoking room, which allowed men not to have the smell of tobacco on their clothing but only on their tuxedo. Yves Saint Laurent will therefore transform this very masculine piece into a trendy and unisex piece.

1968: New rebound in the history of the pantsuit

The social revolution of the 1960s caused the explosion of ready-to-wear and the beginnings of the consumer society we know today. After having seen numerous skirt suits revisited by Haute Couture, Yves Saint Laurent offered, in his spring-summer collection of 1967, a pantsuit for women, fitted at the waist over wide, flowing pants that highlighted the legs of the woman.

Since the 1980s: the pantsuit as essential

Since the 1980s, the pantsuit has come in different shapes, different colors, different styles, different fabrics, etc. It has become essential in our wardrobes and adapts to all situations. With a pair of heels and a dressy top for the evening, or with a white t-shirt and a pair of sneakers for the day. Nothing stops you from wearing the suit jacket independently of your pants, the possibilities are multiple with the pantsuit!