Suits

A brief history of the suit

The suit is a set of clothes: a jacket and trousers made from the same fabric, to be worn together. In a nutshell, it is the centuries-old rural costume of the British upper class. The costume's first form was born from the 1666 reform of King Charles II of England. On his orders, the men of the English court switched to wearing three-piece suits. They had a decorative, almost knee-length jacket, a thigh-length waistcoat, and breeches, usually of the same fabric. While silk and lace were standard in the former outfits, the new suit was made of wool. This was a significant decision, as wool had previously been only a rural and working man's fabric. A similar decree was issued by Louis XIV, the French Sun King. The rest is history.