Suit trends over the decades

A decade by decade guide

In the 1920s, it was all about the three-piece, where the

waistcoat was just as important as the jacket and

trousers...

... then the 1930s saw the craze for pinstripe, and the 1940s tweed was in vogue.

By the 1960s, men’s suits started to become a real fashion item,

helped in no part by the Beatles. Jackets were single-

breasted, trousers were drainpipe and ties were skinny.

Fast forward a decade and legs were almost as loose as the bell-bottomed jeans that

were also in favour, and double-breasted jackets were the obvious choice in an era of

wide lapels.

By the 1980s pinstripes were back, teamed with red

braces and a pale blue men’s shirts. Shoulders

were wide to symbolise the man who pushed his way

to the top.

In the 1990s, men’s suits were pale grey, and details

such as lining started to become important, with

thanks to designers such as Paul Smith who added

their signature stripe.

Then in the 2000s the skinny suit came back for the first

time since the 1960s. Tighter than ever before, the waist sizes were for boys with no waistline whatsoever, and the likes of Pete Doherty

brought the look back to the fashion forefront.

But now that the Real Man silhouette is back,

shoulders are wider and cuts are more forgiving.

So whilst men’s suits’ shapes have been cyclical, there is one factor that has always been true – any

man looks sexy in a suit combined with the fitting shirt, and for this reason it has been

at the forefront of the men’s wardrobe for over a century.