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Suiting Separates
"In suits as in legislation,
man does not proceed by chance, he is always guided by the mysterious
acts of his mind. In every fashion, in every form of dress, the Architectural
Idea is ever-present. The body and the suit represent the place and the
material on which — and with which — one must construct the
splendid edifice of the entire personality."
— Thomas
Carlyle
A suit is an assemblage of 24
pieces of matching fabric. (Another 10 if a vest is involved.) What brought
this matched set to the "forefront of fashion?" Briefly, two Revolutions,
one French, one Industrial, plus 16 years of mourning by Queen Victoria.
Here's the story:
Just before the French Revolution,
aristocrats ruled the roost bedecked in knee breeches and tunics of lace,
silk and satin. But once guillotines started falling, they got the heady
idea that looking too flamboyant was downright undemocratic, and dangerous.
So they traded their silks for clinging pantaloons and shortwaisted jackets
with tails.
The Industrial Revolution helped
fuel the finish of that foppishness, however. As it churned along its
all-business way, more and more men of industry and purpose started wearing
two-piece suits, garments that looked like they meant business. By the
end of the 19th Century, pantaloons were out of the picture.
How did Victoria's grief for
her beloved Prince Albert advance the popularity of suits? Well, men all
around the world commiserated with the saddened monarch. Plainness, practicality
and sobriety reigned in her honor. Ah, how powerful the regal torrent
of a woman's tears!
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