It is said that a man buys his first serious suit for the prom or high school graduation. Why? Because men's suits are the mark of a mature man, and represent an outfit that, over the courseof the last century have become the most popular part of a man’s wardrobe, and despite this has never lost its uniqueness. A double breasted suit or single – this kind of outfit has become a classic in men's styling, and should therefore be in the wardrobe of every mature man.
The 20th century was a time of great change in the history of fashion. Both men and women and men worked out that clothes should serve a primarily utilitarian function, meaning that practicality and convenience should be a key criterion in selecting a wardrobe. For this reason, men gradually began to abandon the long frock coats of the 19th century, and the shorter version of the men's jacket gradually became adopted. This was still worn with a waistcoat, but the fact of the demise of the long frock style coat was a significant event in the history of men's suits.
The 1920s and 30s were a period represented today by gangster movies and striped, three-piece suits, most often worn with a hat. In the next decade, men’s suits gained ground as a formal outfit, and was increasingly worn for big events at which frock coats had previously dominated. In this way, men’s wedding suits, for example, changed in style. The coming of the Second World War brought a halt to such formal occasions, and men’s suits took on a more minimalist style, tailored from previously less popular materials such as tweed and wool.
In the following decades, men's suits became increasingly common, but they also began to be less formal in shape and. The elegant waistcoat has become an unfashionable part of the male wardrobe, reminiscent of the old wartime days. Men's shirts have increasingly been replaced by men's t-shirts, with a classic jacket worn nonchalantly, usually unbuttoned. The new times - a period of liberation, youth and revolution – had arrived.
Men's suits became fashionable again in the 80s, influenced significantly by the then little-known creations of an Italian designer named Armani. His jackets and suits designed for the movie "American Gigolo" rekindled the love affair between men's fashion, suits and elegance. After years of rebellion and change, suits were being worn not only for special occasions, but also as everyday outfits for work.
The period of rapid development of multinational corporations went hand in hand with the prevalence of the office dress code, which meant that men reached more often for an elegant jacket, well-tailored trousers, shirt and tie. The new trend was quickly noticed by the fashion designers, who began to treat men's fashion as seriously as their creations for women. Over time, brands such as Hugo Boss, Gucci, Armani and Dolce & Gabbana became the obvious choice for successful men, who as well as wedding suits could also choose an elegant and well-tailored suit for work. Black and shades of grey are extremely common, but there are plenty of men who cut a fine figure in the office in, for example, a blue suit.
Today, each of these brands creates a collection dedicated to men at least twice a year. A significant number of these creations show off the male form, in variations on men’s suits. Several fashion designers have made men's suits their hallmark, as in the case of Tom Ford, for whom a well-tailored suit is the most important element of a man’s wardrobe. It is difficult to disagree with him, for a well-chosen, elegant suit gives a man new character and a touch of class that no other item of clothing can confer.
