About the development of suits
Suits (also known as western clothes, western clothes, foreign clothes, etc.) are a pure Chinese name, which generally refers to Western-style formal suits. In modern times, suits refer specifically to men's suits. Although the suit originated in Europe, it has become an internationally accepted formal attire, and it is a kind of polite and solemn attire.
Suits have been standardized today: long-sleeved jackets with trousers, long-sleeved shirts, and ties are the basic norms for men's suits.
A jacket with trousers is called a two-piece suit; a vest is called a three-piece suit. Women's suits are more diverse today, but they are basically the diversified evolution of men's suit models.
Classical suits: The characteristics of suits are - cutting pieces of cloth with the concept of three-dimensional geometric structure, and then sewing them into garments. Ancient clothing can be folded flat, while modern clothing needs to be hung on hangers.
Renaissance (14th century to 16th century): During the Italian Renaissance, a kind of loose trousers in the shape of shorts appeared, and the upper body was a large sleeved coat and a wide-collared shirt. They are all plain cloth, flat cut, flat tie, flat beam, and flat seam clothing.
17th century: During the period of Louis XIV in France, the basic appearance of suits was determined. At this time, the suits were rigorously decorated, such as silver thread, gold thread, embroidery, etc. At the same time, details such as pleats, rivets and bags began to appear.
18th century: During the Georgian period in England, the style of men's clothing began to change. With the requirements of social progress, the tail of the suit was gradually shortened, and the placket became narrower, while the shirt became more and more complex and diverse, becoming an important part of the whole suit.
19th century: At the beginning of the 19th century, with the development of steam engines and textile technology, court men’s clothing was luxuriously decorated and colorful. From the perspective of the overall clothing development trend, ordinary men’s clothing is no longer as rich and luxurious as it used to be, and began to tend to simplicity . The choice of suit materials has undergone major changes. People began to use softer, comfortable, and lightweight materials, such as wool, cotton fabrics, etc. At the same time, the colors of suits also began to diversify.
20th century: The suits of this period basically followed the style of the end of the 19th century, but the cuffs began to narrow, and tailor-made suits gradually became popular.
Contemporary: The style of today's suits has not changed much in the past hundred years, but with the continuous development of technology, the materials and production processes of suits have undergone major changes, such as the use of new fiber materials, the production of automated assembly lines, etc. wait.
