The history of SUITS: another great Articles of Interest

[jesse_the_k]

The short-run series Articles of Interest by Avery Trufleman just dropped a fascinating episode about how dress suits became the Western uniform for "men."

Trufleman respectfully explores the gendered connotations head on. The 17th century influencer Beau Brummell used clothing to advance an anti-monarchist political statement. Then Oscar Wilde’s imprisonment for homosexuality terrified straight men away from his fabulous dress sense and into suit conformity. The history is wrapped in the story of Ray (gender not specified because it’s not relevant to the story) wondering how to dress up for their partner’s wedding.

Avery Trufelman:
Men were fascinated by Beau’s world of tiny details. And to understand his new way of dressing, actual crowds would gather at Beau’s house every morning to watch Beau get ready.

Ian Kelly:
Such as a celebrity, people would come to watch him dress. He possibly had some sort of OCD issue in that he took several hours to dress. An hour or more of it naked in front of his assorted friends, including the Prince of Wales.

Avery Trufelman:
I cannot emphasize how crazy it was that the Prince of Wales was watching Beau Brummell in order to learn how to dress like a commoner, to learn to dress as though he did not care about dressing. The audience watched as Beau famously tied and re-tied his cravat over and over again, until it appeared as though he had just tied it briskly and effortlessly. As one of Beau’s dandy followers wrote, “My neck cloth cost me some hours of flurry to make it appear to be tied in a hurry,” because real men dress down and real men don’t care.

podcast audio to stream or download or read the transcript

Comments

[luzula]

Thank you! *downloads*

I would like to know why breeches disappeared in favor of trousers, does it address that?

[suncani]

I don't know for sure, but I would suspect they went out of favour when horse riding was no longer the main means of transport as you need don't need the fabric to allow movement and you can have a side seam without worrying about it rubbing.

[jesse_the_k]

I’m totally buying that explanation! I’m guessing suit pants that reach all the way to the tops of one’s shoes work best in places with actual sewerage systems, as well,

[luzula]

Huh, interesting! As I understand it, Scottish trews were also used for horse riding, and they're tighter and a bit like trousers, but they were usually cut on the diagonal to be more stretchy. *is currently writing 18th century fanfiction*

[suncani]

Ooh interesting, I didn't know that *goes away to research

[forestofglory]

Oh, I loved the first season of this mini series! I didn't realize they where doing a second season! Thank you!

[jesse_the_k]

So happy to share.

I love it too—this is #10. #8 of the second season is FASCINATING—how knockoff clothes created entirely new markets for “designer” labels.

Really, it’s all good.

[forestofglory]

I saw the other episodes when I went to download the one on suits. Now I have all of the new season so far on my phone so I can listen to them on my walks when I get a chance. Thank you!

[suncani]

Thank you, that was really interesting and there's already a bunch of things I want to pull out and go research.

Although I do think the focus on small details to indicate wealth isn't just in menswear. You see it in women's clothing as well and the discrete and pared-down = power and influence seems to be only increasing with the greater spread of the idea of a personal uniform and wearing the same silhouette all the time (steve jobs/Obama/minimalism more generally).

It would also be interesting to see the overlap between suits growing in popularity and the moving away from attendance at the ruler's court. There have always been elements of pomp and circumstance as well as a different mode of dressing for that.

Good point

[jesse_the_k]

...when I inherited my mother's clothing, I was stunned to see how carefully off-the-rack clothing -- not fancy, just nice department store stuff -- used to be made. My favorite detail were the tiny straps inside the shoulders with a teeny snap, so she could thread her bra strap in. Also the lovely linings with darts -- none of the roughly serged seams I see now.

As far as pomp and circumstance, aside from royal events, I think the Nobel Prize ceremony is a good place to see fine fancy fashion.

Re: Good point

[suncani]

Yes! Some of the details on older clothes are lovely. With clothes more generally I do find the quality of finish and fabric is drastically worse than it was 5 years ago. I know its been decreasing generally over time the same way our parents sigh over washing machines that last a lifetime, but it seems to be a sharp jump, and not just in labels that are "fast fashion"

[the_future_modernes]

I have held Beau Brummell in contempt ever since i realized he had such an outsize influence on suit wearing for men. Suits are the most boring clothing and I resent them.

[jesse_the_k]

Thank heavens for Billy Porter, whose influence (I can only hope) shall trump Beau Brummell's

[the_future_modernes]

I join you most fervently in that hope!

[alchimie]

OH NO not another podcast to listen to!

Er, I mean, thank you very much for the fascinating snippets, I am looking forward to listening to the entire thing. Beau Brummell was really something, wasn't he?

[jesse_the_k]

Given my news fast since 2016, podcasts fill a crucial niche where NPR/BBC used to go.

Also audiobooks.

Quite the gent -- I loved the detail that he wore no undergarments under the pants which were so tight he couldn't get them on without an assistant.

[j00j]

Thanks! This isn't always the podcast for me but I do find menswear intriguing.

[swingandswirl]

Oooh, thank you for this! I love learning about fashion history and its intersection with culture in general, and the Articles of Interest series was one of my favourite parts of 99% Invisible.

(BTW, have you heard of Dressed? Two fashion historians talk fashion history and do interviews with people who know tons about a particular thing in fashion, it's SO interesting!)

[jesse_the_k]

I had not known about Dressed

https://www.instagram.com/dressed_podcast/

which looks fantastic! Thanks so much.