pantsuit
{{Short description|Woman's ensemble consisting of trousers and coat or jacket}}
{{redirect|Pants suit|the lawsuit about a pair of pants|Pearson v. Chung}}
{{Globalize|1=article|2=the United States and the United Kingdom|date=March 2020}}
File:Hillary Clinton (30765424675) (cropped).jpg wearing a pantsuit at a 2016 campaign rally.]]
A pantsuit, also known as a trouser suit outside the United States, is a woman's suit of clothing consisting of pants and a matching or coordinating coat or jacket.
In the past, the prevailing fashion for women included some form of a coat, paired with a skirt or dress—hence the name pantsuit.
History
The pantsuit was introduced in the 1920s, when a small number of women adopted a masculine style, including pantsuits, hats, canes and monocles. However, the term "trouser suit" had been used in Britain during the First World War, with reference to women working in heavy industry.Henrietta Heald, 'For England's Sake', History Today, October 2014, page 33
During the 1960s pantsuits for women became increasingly widespread. Designers such as Foale and Tuffin in London and Luba Marks in the United States were early promoters of trouser suits.{{cite web|title=Marion Foale & Sally Tuffin|url=http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/m/marion-foale-and-sally-tuffin/|website=V&A|access-date=15 July 2014}}{{cite news |last1=Sheppard |first1=Eugenia |author-link1=Eugenia Sheppard |title=Ballerina is Heroine of Medium Price Coat |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2026662/the_daily_timesnews/ |access-date=20 March 2015 |via=Newspapers.com |work=The Daily Times-News, Burlington |date=12 September 1966}} In 1966 Yves Saint-Laurent introduced his Le Smoking, an evening pantsuit for women that mimicked a man's tuxedo.Alexander, Hilary. [http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/news-features/TMG3347959/Smoke-without-fire.html "Smoke Without Fire."] The Telegraph (Dec. 12, 2005). Whilst Saint-Laurent is often credited with introducing trouser suits, it was noted in 1968 that some of his pantsuits were very similar to designs that had already been offered by Luba Marks,{{cite journal |last1=Milinaire |first1=Caterine |title=Let the Winners Lead the Way |journal=New York Magazine |date=30 September 1968 |pages=27–29 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aMcDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA27 |access-date=20 March 2015}} and the London designer Ossie Clark had offered a trouser suit for women in 1964 that predated Saint Laurent's 'Le Smoking' design by two years.{{cite book|last1=Watt|first1=Judith|title=Ossie Clark, 1965-74|date=2003|publisher=V&A Publications |location=London |isbn=9781851774074}} In Britain a social watershed was crossed{{citation needed|date=March 2015}} in 1967 when Lady Chichester, wife of the navigator Sir Francis Chichester, wore a trouser suit when her husband was publicly knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.{{cite AV media |date=July 1967 |title=Francis Chichester Knighted (1967) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNWCcMGWG_I |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/vNWCcMGWG_I |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|access-date=2017-07-30 |publisher=British Pathé }}{{cbignore}}
In the past, pantsuits were often deprecated as inappropriately masculine clothing for women. For example, until 1993, women were not permitted to wear pantsuits (or pants of any kind) on the United States Senate floor.Robin Givhan (20 July 2007) [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/19/AR2007071902668.html "Hillary Clinton's Tentative Dip Into New Neckline Territory"] Washington Post{{cite web |author=Robin Givhan |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2004/01/21/moseley-braun-lady-in-red/ |title=Moseley Braun: Lady in red |publisher=Chicago Tribune |date=2004-01-21 |access-date=2016-11-10}}{{cite web|last1=Foster|first1=Cassandra|title=The Long and Short of Capitol Style|url=http://www.rollcall.com/features/50th-Anniversary_2005/fifty_anniversary/-9592-1.html|publisher=Roll Call|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140726010220/http://www.rollcall.com/features/50th-Anniversary_2005/fifty_anniversary/-9592-1.html|archive-date=2014-07-26|date=2005-06-09|url-status=dead}} In 1993, Senators Barbara Mikulski and Carol Moseley Braun wore pants onto the floor in defiance of the rule, and female support staff followed soon after, with the rule being amended later that year by Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Martha Pope to allow women to wear pants on the floor so long as they also wore a jacket, thus allowing pantsuits, among other types of clothing.
See also
References
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