Is the Suit Dying? – The Role of Classic Menswear in Today’s World

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As we enter the third decade of the 21st century, there’s been an increasing amount of scrutiny placed on that most quintessential of menswear ensembles, the suit. Where suits were the everyday professional attire of most of the Western world in the late 19th and through the 20th centuries, there have been seismic shifts in the last few decades in the world of professional attire. So, where does the suit stand today? Is it a relic of a bygone era or does it still have a role to play in the world of menswear?

A Brief History of Suits

In the 1940s everyday attire for most men was based on the suit. The typical price for a suit, at the time, was about $50 which averages to around $917 in today’s money. Textile manufacturing in the US was reaching its peak output around this time and the average American spent around 12% of their income on clothing. In this era, a man would buy a suit at an average of about one every two years or so. Not only would he wear his suits to the office but also in a wide variety of other locations. For example, to watch sporting events or sometimes, even to play sports.

Popular work wear during the 20's-30's
Popular work wear during the 1920’s-30’s

If we look a decade earlier at the 1930s, everyone from famous movie stars to working men in breadlines were wearing suits almost daily. Through the first half of the 20th century, the suit was largely synonymous with broader ideas about the nature of masculinity and society but as the counterculture movement of the 1960s came into its own, there was large-scale rejection of the traditions that had typified the earlier part of the century and this included menswear. And while the suit has hung on and continued to evolve through the ensuing decades, there is still a greater emphasis placed on individuality and in particular, comfort in today’s fashions.

Suits In The Modern Era

So we’re long past the days where most men are wearing suits every day and for almost any occasion but does this actually mean that the suit is on its way out?

Today, evidence of a decline of menswear and really the apparel industry as a whole is everywhere. In this graph from a recent article from Bloomberg entitled the Death of Clothing, you can see that apparel is quickly losing ground in terms of where consumers are spending their money to technology and experiences.

Kyle wears sneakers for a relaxed ensemble which is now an acceptable dress code in most workplaces
Kyle wears sneakers for a relaxed ensemble which is now an acceptable dress code in most workplaces

Apparel stores of all kinds including those that claim to be the future of retail are closing. As an example, luxury department store, Barneys, has filed for bankruptcy and agreed to close all of its stores. Financial institutions like JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs long considered bastions of formality, just think of the phrase “white collar,” are now relaxing their dress codes and American men are buying fewer suits, overall. Today, casual attire really is the new standard. As just one example, men can wear sneakers with just about any ensemble.

The textile and apparel industries in America have almost completely disappeared and high-level CEOs of multibillion-dollar corporations who now see the suit as being too stuffy have ditched it for more contemporary looks. Think, for example, of people like Steve Jobs with his turtleneck sweaters and Mark Zuckerberg with his trademark hoodies.

The Power Suit

It is important to note that there’s an element of socioeconomic status when deciding on dress codes. So, while a CEO may have the ability to decide what their own dress code will be, those working below them might not have that same freedom. Also, this speaks to some degree about matters of personal value. If Mark Zuckerberg wants to wear the same thing every day so he can maximize his mental energies elsewhere, more power to him but you can still devote mental resources to your clothes if looking good is a priority to you and it should be but more on this later.

Far from the days when the average man would buy a suit every two years or so, today’s man buys fewer than one suit every 10 years and many men will only wear suits on specific special occasions such as weddings, funerals, and congressional testimony. Mentioning Mark Zuckerberg again, these images of Zuckerberg making congressional testimony made headlines all over the world not just because of what he was saying but also because of what he was wearing. However, different outlets had different responses to these images.

Mark Zuckerberg in a suit [Image Credit: News.com.au]
Mark Zuckerberg in a suit [Image Credit: News.com.au]

A piece from media outlet, Vox, on the supposed death of the suit argued that Zuckerberg trading in his hoodie for a suit spoke to the current status of the ensemble as a uniform for the powerless only worn by those who are trying to appease those in positions of higher power than themselves. In the words of the author of the piece, Mark Dent, “unless you live on Park Avenue, the suit brings to mind job interviews, junior salespeople, hotel clerks, and court appearances.”

Meanwhile, the New York Times had a different take on the matter. According to their writer, Vanessa Friedman, Zuckerberg wearing a suit said to “suspicious, establishment lawmakers: I am in your house, I will accept your rules. It said I acknowledge the responsibility I bear and take this seriously. It acceded to the general interpretation that this was a growing up moment, because in the iconography of clothing, the suit is the costume of the grown-up, while the t-shirt is the costume of the teenager, the off-duty, the breaker of rules.”

Raphael in a business suit
Raphael in a business suit

While we agree with Dent’s take that the suit is strongly linked to power dynamics in professional settings, we also agree with Friedman that while wearing a suit does say that you’re willing to play by a certain set of rules, the effect that the suit has on your appearance still creates a powerful visual statement. Despite the broader decline that we’re currently seeing in the apparel industry, clothes, at their core, can still have a powerful effect on your image and your perceived identity. So while it may be the case that Mark Zuckerberg felt that he had to play by Congress’ rules in wearing a suit to his testimony, he also didn’t want to look the part of a smug teenager, he wanted to look like the CEO of a multi-billion dollar international company who was serious about why he was there that day.

Are Suits Still Needed In The Workplace?

Expressions of power aside though, it is a valid question to ask whether we even have a need for suits as more and more workplaces become increasingly casual. Let’s take Goldman Sachs and their recent change in dress code as an example here, according to author, Jay Fielden, in a piece for Esquire, “This doesn’t mean that all suits are dying. Instead, he argues that we’re only seeing the death of a type of suit, that blousey, droop shouldered, floppy lagged, body swallowing blue mass of fabric thing which has, for almost two decades, been the obligatory uniform of bank managers, politicians, and CEOs.

Gentlemen wearing power suits in the 1980s
Gentlemen wearing power suits in the 1980s

What this look said on the behalf of its wearer is, “Whatever you do, don’t look at me.” In other words, what we may be witnessing now is the death of the conventional power suit which, as time has gone on, became less about power and ironically, more about the lack of it, as we discussed earlier. To quote Fieldman again, “To think a suit is one thing is to misunderstand what a suit is. Like a Swiss Army knife, it’s a multi-purpose tool.”

The New Role of The Suit

So if only the power suit is truly dying these days and suits, in general, are to take on a new role, what will that new role be? In our opinion, the suit is probably going to transition from being an expression of conformity to one of creativity. Fashion houses have, again, been increasing the number of suits and suit-inspired ensembles in their recent collections and creative suits have been a mainstay of red carpet looks for years. As another example, consider Justin Timberlake’s 2013 hit song, Suit and Tie, which he performed on the accompanying tour wearing tailored Tom Ford suits.

Off the red carpet, made-to-measure tailoring is becoming increasingly popular for the average man as it becomes more financially feasible. Think of brands like SuitSupply and Indochino who have brought the personal satisfaction that comes with customized, if not necessarily fully bespoke garments to new audiences. All of this is to say that more men are now seeing the suit as a canvas for personal expression.

Made-to-measure tailoring has become more popular and accessible
Made-to-measure tailoring has become more popular and accessible

With that, there are two things to keep in mind here. First is that the suit has already evolved quite a bit since its inception in the late 19th century. Waistcoats are no longer a mandatory feature, lapels have widened and narrowed over time, silhouettes have changed and much more. The suit has evolved quite a bit over time and it has the potential to continue evolving. Secondly, the suit isn’t just an accessory that might fall in or out of fashion like a particular style of hat. Rather, a suit is a full ensemble and it’s supreme utility and versatility have carved out a place in menswear that has made it a staple for over 150 years.

Accessorizing Suits

To add on to our earlier point about suits and personal expression, if you add accessories to a suit, you can, of course, create a variety of different looks that also speak to your own personal taste. Men in the early 20th century knew that even though most of them were broadly wearing suits as an overall uniform, they could work within that mold to still have subtle touches of personal identity.

Raphael in three different suit looks
Raphael in three different suit looks

Conclusion

We, here at the Gentleman’s Gazette, believe that the so-called Golden Age of Tailored Menswear from about the 1920s to the 1960s contains looks that can still be leveraged today for maximum confidence and style but that doesn’t mean that we think our preferred aesthetic is the only one that’s out there or the only one that can work best for a variety of different men.

Suits have become something that many men wear only when absolutely necessary or when a clear corporate power dynamic exists but at the same time, as more companies continue to become more casual in terms of everyday dress and the suit leaves the workplace as a requirement, these old power dynamics may have the potential to fall away to a greater degree.

Gentlemen in the 1930s donning suits
Gentlemen in the 1930s donning suits

In their place, the suit will be able to embrace a new role as a platform for personal and aesthetic expression either for those who wish to channel its history, as we do here at the Gentleman’s Gazette, or for those who want to take it in entirely new directions. In other words, the era of men having to wear suits may be ending but the era of men wanting to wear suits is just beginning. So, the suit is dead, long live the suit!

Outfit Rundown

In today’s video, it should be obvious that I’m wearing a suit. It’s charcoal gray and has a slight texture to its weave and you’ve seen it in previous videos in a two-piece configuration but I decided to wear it as a full three-piece today. Both the suit jacket and its waistcoat are single breasted and they each have their own notched lapels to go with the charcoal color of the suit.

I’ve chosen to wear a pink shirt which is a natural complement to charcoal. Meanwhile, my accessories are mostly working in a red and yellow color dynamic. I’m wearing gold metals in both my pocket watch whose chain is readily visible on the front of the waistcoat as well as my cufflinks which are from Fort Belvedere. They are gold plated sterling silver Eagle Claw cufflinks with Tiger’s eye as the stone and this stone has some yellow and orange tones to fit into the warm color theme.

Preston in a charcoal gray three-piece suit
Preston in a charcoal gray three-piece suit
Burgundy Mini Carnation Silk Boutonniere Buttonhole Flower

Fort Belvedere

Burgundy Mini Carnation Silk Boutonniere Buttonhole Flower Fort

Ancient Madder Silk Paisley Bow Tie in Red and Buff

Fort Belvedere

Ancient Madder Silk Paisley Bow Tie in Red and Buff

Straw Yellow Pocket Square Egyptian Scarab pattern in antique brass, blue, black, cardinal red with brown contrast edge

Fort Belvedere

Straw Yellow Pocket Square Egyptian Scarab pattern in antique brass, blue, black, cardinal red with brown contrast edge

Eagle Claw Cufflinks with Tiger's Eye Balls - 925 Sterling Silver Gold Plated - Fort Belvedere

Fort Belvedere

Eagle Claw Cufflinks with Tiger's Eye Balls – 925 Sterling Silver Gold Plated

The rest of my accessories are also from Fort Belvedere today including my madder silk bow tie which has a Paisley design in red and buff; meanwhile, my art deco Egyptian scarab pocket square features several colors including straw yellow, antique brass, blue, black, and cardinal red, and also features a brown contrast edge.

Finally, my boutonniere is a relatively new design from the Fort Belvedere shop. It’s one of our mini carnations, this time, in a burgundy color. We’ve also got it for sale in a full-size carnation so you can pair it with a variety of looks whether they are black tie or white tie ensembles, or other looks you might devise.

Rounding out the ensemble today are my socks which are also plain pink to harmonize with my shirt and my shoes which are cap toed Oxfords in a burgundy shade that are made by Beckett Simenon.

What do you think of the suit at present? Sound off in the comments!

Reader Comments

  1. So many cogent observations here! My favorite is the conclusion: “In other words, the era of men having to wear suits may be ending but the era of men wanting to wear suits is just beginning.” I hope so!
    By the way, that suit worn by Brock McGoff in the photo cannot be described as “burgundy” in color, no matter what Indochino may say. “Purple,” “eggplant,” or “aubergine,” yes, but “burgundy,” no.

  2. Great and interesting article indeed, thanks. It is absolutely true that men not only do not have to wear a suit to work, but the one who insists in wearing them is somehow frowned upon in certain workplaces… I’m a laywer and I increasingly find and meet important executives from important corporations who justify themselves before me… who always wear a (not that ordinary) suit…lol!

    The downside is how many (as in 99%..) of those men who don’t wear a suit anymore dress for work nowadays (and not only on causal Fridays…). The blousey suit was/is a sartorial disaster, but the “modern office apparel” is no better solution… Good taste might be the answer…?

  3. Dressing up today has a different meaning from what it meant when I was young. Every since I can remember I always had a suit. I have a charcoal grey and a navy blue suit along with a tuxedo in my closet now. I think the suit isn’t as popular today because our traditions have changed. I attended a funeral a few weeks ago and was shocked to see folks dressed so causal. I remember working retail many years ago being required to wear a suit and today you go to shop and you don’t even know who works in the store because the employees look and dress like the customers. A nice fitting suit shows pride in one’s self

    1. I’m pushing 70 away with both hands(hey,it’s exercise)& I have suits from the 70’s-90’s. It troubles me to discard them as pleated pants have returned &I never discarded mine (Take that,Tim Gunn!). We creatives should create from the palette of our collections-shop your closet. Gent’s Mag serves as an inspiration, as opposed to a “bible”. Am I on point or not? Response?

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      1. Hugo Jacomet ( The Parisian Gentlemen ) says it best: “In the 60’s and 70’s when counter culture rejected their father’s suit & ties, wearing jeans and tie-dyed t-shirts was a very rebellious thing to do! But after 30 years of ever devolving standards… ( whose the “rebel” NOW? ) I’m paraphrasing liberally here but that’s his gist.

        Here in the Pacific Northwest, where hiking and outdoorsy “sportswear” are probably even worn TO funerals & weddings, just throwing on a Harris Tweed jacket and slacks to grocery shop raises eyebrows. Thankfully I’m seeing men of all ages kind of getting the memo.

        It’s a slow process… Like Jerry Seinfeld said; “Every American dad dresses like the last good year of his life”. Old Navy “apparel” + bald spot = MLC!

  4. I think social conventions are still changing and we don’t know where we will land. First, are we separating the suit from the blazer/sport-coat? I own a few suits, wish I could own more, but it is on rare occasion I need to wear it for work. I do wear them for social occasions because of some of the associations to which I belong.

    I don’t shop at Suit Supply, but I love their concept and I hope their idea of a “hip” place to shop for suits continues. I think there is a core group in their 20s and 30s and even 40s who like suits and sport coats. I live in Chicago, and I see a lot of young people wearing suits. It’s by no means the majority. I will say this too, I ALWAYS get compliments when I go out for the evening and wear a sport coat or blazer, ALWAYS. The trend is changing, but I don’t think it will go the way of the tail coat.

    FYI: 4 years ago Oxford Student Union voted to RETAIN subfusc (white tie with academic robe). The argument was that it was too exclusivistic, too vulgar a display of difference in social class. It was the folks who in the past never would have been able to get in to Oxford that fought for it. For them, it was a statement that such a station in life is available to anyone who applies oneself. The vote surprised everyone. (Cambridge ditched subfusc years ago).

  5. Oh I do hope that the suit is NOT dying! To me, wearing a fine suit shows how well put together a man can be and it lets other people know that he cares to go above and beyond the typical ‘standard’ casual fluff that seems so prevalent among men these days. While some may say this is extreme, my own tastes run to the formal side of things-full tuxedo when and wherever possible-but always when I’ve got a day of seeing people, wearing a suit including a bow tie and French Cuffs (shirt is usually Snow White), letting those people know I care enough to put on my best and not look ratty or otherwise. It’s one big reason why the jeans are in the work pile and not the dress pile. While dressing casual, has a place, I’ve never fully believed that the office is a place for it. Yet, some clothing manufacturers think that by promoting casual stuff, they can switch entire offices over. I’d rather be the one man in the office wearing a full suit with bow tie and jacket, then looking like I’m there to casually chat away catching up on the ball scores. Bothering to show fully dressed means I care about what goes on, that I can see people on a moment’s notice and that I’ll follow through what I promise to deliver. If someone who dresses casual can say that, I have yet to meet them. So, for my point of view, I sincerely hope that the suit comes back to normal dress and that those who’ve shunned it, start wearing one surprising all who never thought they’d so much as knot a necktie, let alone wear an outfit that can truly be individualistic, depending on how the person wearing it can put it together.

    1. “I have yet to meet them”

      Exactly. Thrashing any semblance of a dress code is Passive-Aggressive behavior’s new best friend. You’re totally unsure where you stand with the person you’re addressing? They OTOH revel in the latitude of conducting themselves from a spectrum of their formal role/title, a banker with the power over your future, all the way down to a level of marginally acceptable/mob behavior of a tailgate party.

      Personally, it’s my assessment this approach has kind of played itself out and I’m now at a point where I’m perfectly comfortable simply getting up and walking OUT if I don’t like what I’m hearing. It’s oddly satisfying because the opposing party has been dishing it out for so long, they have no idea what just happened..?

  6. The disappearance of the suit is just one more manifestation of the cultural bankruptcy of Western civilization. Put in this context, as it must be done since it is a cultural/sociological phenomenon, is something inevitable. As Western society becomes more and more plebeian and vulgar in every aspect (language, manners, art, entertainment, etc.), dress codes and standards must fall accordingly.

    I am 60-years-old, and I have noticed a dramatic drop in sartorial standards over the last 30 years. I live in Buenos Aires, a city that once was known as “the Paris of South America” with a population of European descent that was famous for its elegance. That is gone. Almost all the traditional “gentlemen outfitters” have closed down. Up to nearly 20 years ago, bank clerks were requested to wear a suit or a jacket and tie. Now they have done away even with the tie,

    I have been to Europe twice over the last ten years, and I noticed very much the same. I believe the suit will become a rarity if not disappear altogether within the next 30 years. But, as I said, considering the disgusting and shameful condition of Western civilization, this is should be the least of our worries.

      1. Claudio is so right and it’s so sad….

        I’m happy to report that sooo many young ladies choose to dress so well given the occasion and even wear appropriate business attire.
        Not too long ago I was with a friend in a upscale restaurant. (pre COVID 19) three wonderfully dressed young ladies* came to have a cocktail at the bar before their dates arrived. Well, the dates (2 husbands, 1 wannabe) where attired in yard detail. 1 guy even had a strapped baseball cap worn backward….Good grief!
        I couldn’t help myself – I castigated them and offered to buy all a drink.
        The 3 young men were well-groomed, good looking young fellows. The young ladies cheered me on and one even said how good looking and sexy it was when her “S.O.” wore a jacket or dressed up in a suit.”
        I have no idea if the experience had any lasting effect on the 3 young “dudes.” I can only hope that there may be an epiphany among men in the future that there is truly value in dressing well and enjoying the role of a “Gentleman” and paying respect to those around you.

        “nough said/JL

        *25’s to 30?

  7. The suit cannot die – only if people kill it.
    Claudio is right, I think in arguing that the decline of classic and formal menswear is to be considered in the context of the larger socio-cultural developments since the 1960s.
    Last fall, I had been to a wedding and to a funeral – people tried to dress appropiately, but quite a few did not succeed: I did not see as much elegance at the wedding as people could have put into it; I did not see much formality at the funeral.
    Most people seem to have an interest in appropriate dress, but they hear and see everywhere that it is not necessary; that you can wear whatever pleases you; that it is all about creativity and individuality. And what do they do? – They end up wearing t-shirt, jeans, white sneakers and black coat.
    Maybe university is a special place in this regard, yet it is the place where you see tomorrows middle classes…
    Finally most people do not to want to think about their clothes, they just want to be accepted as part of the mainstream of society.
    Wearing a suit today can – in most such environments – be considered snobbish, old style, etc. Sorry to say it: most people do not dare to look classicly elegant.
    I do not give anything to it, I simple notice that it is much more difficult to merge into the masses when clothed traditionally.
    Finally, I agree that suit and classic menswear in general has already become – for a large demographic – an expression of personal style rather than the daily choice of dress. (The same you can observe with wrist watches and headgear.)

  8. To me, wearing a suit says “I sincerely care about my presence, at this moment, at this time. It projects an “orderliness” and “importance” of this occasion.

  9. I like to follow men’s fashion for my own edification as to what is current. I have definitely noticed more suits on the fashion scene than in the past few years. Clothes also follow economies. In good times, things are more relaxed. In bad economic times, fashion is more “no nonsense.” If the economy falls, as it appears to be doing, into disarray then the timing of the industry trend and the economy might just make a matching set.

  10. There are so few opportunities today to wear a suit. When dressing to match the occasion has been dumbed down to the point that only politicians, local news casters, lawyers, Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses still reliably show proper respect to the old standards of “proper” dress. When I visited my doctor awhile ago put on a Brooks Brothers suit, square lined dress shirt and a big dots bow tie adding vintage 70’s long wings plus a boutonniere. She absolutely loved it! She inquired why are you dressed so nice? I responded to dignify the occasion. Lots of mature people still really respect and enjoy seeing a well dressed traditional suit/sport coat combo that’s well coordinated. In the volunteer work I do a bow tie is my basic standard with an average of 2 or more compliments from both men and women so keep on keeping on with setting a higher standard.

  11. I wear a suit, tie, pocket square and lapel pin every day to work. Not because I have to but because I like to. I get many compliments on the way I dress, from co-workers to people in shops. I know which colours to wear together and just how to put an outfit together.

  12. As an usher at my previous church, there was no dress code. I always wore a sports coat and good trousers. Compliments came my way, but I only dressed to dignify the position and occasion.

  13. The decline of The Suit has been happening for several years, perhaps decades. There are many of the male sex these days who have never even worn a necktie, or know how to tie one. They simply haven’t been shown, or they are ignorant of why men traditionally wear them. It seems to now be transcending class boundaries like most other things that have been made obsolete over time. The fashion of today is to look as stupid or sloppy as one cares. It is deplorable, and at least Gentleman’s Gazette is attempting to educate those of the swinish multitudes who might give a small damn.
    I will say this: after watching hundreds of movies from the 1930s to the 1950s, the average American man was dressed in a way that will never be repeated again. This was a time of men’s apparel that was the golden age of clothing. Men’s suits, hats, shoes, neckties are inimitable by today’s poor standards. It’s almost incredible in this slovenly-ass age to realize that men actually had pride in what they wore, and were better dressed for bed than they dress now to go to a nice restaurant, whee they don’t remove their damn ballcaps!

  14. When I was attending college (1975) I saw the great upswing of suits with the publishing of the “Dress for success” book.
    But then the IT era (in which I was involved) came into full strength and most geeks, which were the potentates of the business, were not in the least interested in “dressing for success”.

    They were not into wearing suits but into games, t-shirts, baseball caps, etc. I remember that at the very beginning of his empire, Bill Gates had a national transmission of one of his programs (might have been the DOS to Windows transition announcement). In those days all CEOs of all companies would show up dressed in a suit. Bill gates showed up wearing plain jeans and grabbed a suit coat, not as a fashion statement but probably as a show that he was not concerned with those things (dressing up). And thus was given the go ahead to show up at work in shorts, flip flops, etc, etc.

    And that was the beginning of the end of the “Suit wearing era”.

  15. Enjoyed the conversation on suits. Over the decades I have worn variety of suits that were in vogue at the time. I still have 8 suits, plus sports coats, vests, and a wide range of ties and shirts. To some gatherings I would feel ‘naked’ if not in a ( I shutter when I see someone in a nice suit with shirt unbuttoned) . I also sport a gold chain for my pocket watch. For me the suit will never stop, although the cut will reflect the day …except for the ‘skinny suit’.

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