Quick history of the suit

Ever wondered about the suit you put on every day for work and just where it came from? Read on for a quick history of the suit.

In the 14th century, the accounts for Edward III's Great Wardrobe itemized several "suits of clothes" — probably the first recorded use of the expression. It meant outfits of between three and six garments.

From 1600 the costume of a close-fitting jacket, known as a doublet, breeches and hose made up a form of suit, especially when all one colour.

The idea of a matching coat, waistcoat and breeches was not established until the 1660s. In England it was Charles II who introduced the suit, following a fashion set by France's King Louis XIV.

Buttoned the length of the front, the vest was the forerunner of the waistcoat, although until the 1750s it often had sleeves.

Like the coat, which replaced the doublet, it was collarless, knee-length and loose-fitting. The coat was left open to reveal part of the rich fabric of the vest; cheaper material was often used for the back, hence the vest's early name of "cheat."

The 18th-century man of fashion had informal, dress and court suits, but the difference between them was more in the fabric than the cut, with court suits usually made of white, red, green or pink silk or velvet.

In England and France from the 1760s there was a move towards a simpler English style in dull shades of brown, blue or black, based on the clothes worn by the aristocracy for country pursuits.
By the second half of the century, the coat's full skirt had been trimmed to create the tailcoat and morning coat.

Around 1770 a small coat collar appeared. By 1780 the vest had reached waist level.

Trousers have been worn since ancient times for protection against the elements, horse travel and seafaring.

By 1817 trousers were shoe-length and, by 1825, accepted as standard daywear. They were worn with a waistcoat and a full-skirted frock coat — first seen in the late 1700s — for the day, but with a tailcoat for the evening.

The favourite patterns for trousers were strong plaids, stripes and checks. The loose, tubular cut was established in the 1860s.

Trousers with front creases appeared in the 1880s and by 1913 had become common garb.

Not until the 1850s did the jacket become fashionable for casual wear. At first known as the sack coat, later as the lounge jacket, its ancestor was the short suit jacket worn by boys and working men.

In the age of mass production and the first ready-made suits, the jacket's simpler, more box-like structure was easier to make than the tailored coat.

By the 1860s the lounge jacket was being worn with matching trousers in plain materials, stripes or even checks. The lounge suit was adopted for informal daywear by the middle classes keen to present a respectable exterior, but businessmen kept their frock coats until the 1920s.

Ties, worn since the 1830s, added a splash of colour.

That suit you don every morning for work or three-piece affair you save for special occasions has a long and rich history behind it. These facts will give you a great file of basics for your own knowledge or to share with friends.