Suit vests for women are all the rage: once boring, now piecey

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“Harper’s Bazaar” writes about her trying to seize “dominion of the fashion world.” “The most sought-after piece of autumn,” says “Vogue”. Influencers and stars celebrate them, luxury brands like Burberry and Louis Vuitton send them down their catwalks: suit vests worn by women.

For example, actress Margot Robbie (33) wears a white, loose-fitting dress with white trousers. Hollywood counterpart Elle Fanning (25) appeared in a tight striped vest, and model Kendall Jenner (27) went shopping in a beige, high-collared model.

The suit vest for women takes another step towards unisex fashion. What does this mean?

Release of the female body

A look at history shows that fashionable and social emancipation of women often went hand in hand. Pioneering women who dared to shed cumbersome, flowing dresses and adopt trousers and suits were needed to gain the (leg) freedom and also power that had long been reserved for men.

One of the first women to wear a tailored “men’s suit” in public was French actress Sarah Bernhardt (1844–1923) in the 1870s. She called her clothes “boys’ clothes”.

In the 1920s, women freed themselves from tight corsets, thanks in part to the efforts of suffragists. During this time, French designer and later Nazi agent Coco Chanel (1883–1971) produced the first women’s suit, which was celebrated worldwide. Still in skirt. But this ended around the knee. The jacket was cut straight. Fabrics were durable, “masculine” – jersey, tweed. “This was revolutionary,” says Monika Kritzmöller, HSG trainer and founder of the research and consultancy institute “Trends + Positions”. “This meant women could be active, move around and work.”

Women’s suits are becoming unstoppable

Frenchman Marcel Rochas (1902–1955) designed the first women’s trouser suit in the early 1930s. At that time, Hollywood star Marlene Dietrich (1901-1992) was also “provoking” people by wearing trousers, suits and tuxedos.

“There was something very masculine about a suit, especially a three-piece suit,” says Lela Scherrer, designer and lecturer in fashion and design. “If you wore it verbatim as a woman, it was a progression into male territory, it was a statement.”

Another saying that is still celebrated today: “Le Smoking”, the tuxedo designed by Yves Saint Laurent specifically for women in 1966 and worn with a vest at the time.

“Power Suits” were celebrated in the 80s. Thus, women achieved a masculine “power silhouette” – broad shoulders, narrow waist, often in intense colors. “It is a joyful time when people are happy to show off their achievements,” says Monika Kritzmöller.

Vest like a double-edged sword

The trend researcher says that masculine elements are common in women’s wardrobes today. It is no longer provocative for women to wear jeans and t-shirts (formerly clearly masculine items of clothing).

Monika Kritzmöller still criticizes the fact that women now wear suit vests. “I’m ambivalent about women adopting elements of men’s fashion.” This is partly due to the fact that men are seen as role models and women want to imitate men in order to be taken more seriously. “I have a problem with this.”

Reinterpret rather than imitate

According to Kritzmöller, the fact that women take elements from men’s fashion, “occupy” them and develop them further rather than imitating them, is a completely different, independent message.

For vests, this might mean wearing them with new cuts, like a halter neck, or with puff-sleeved blouses and lots of jewelry and makeup.

And perhaps men who have previously been stuck in more classic three-piece suits can take inspiration from this.

Source : Blick