A History of Pantsuits in Pop Culture—and Why Celebs Should Keep Wearing Them

An evolution of the menswear-inspired outfit

By Diana Nguyen Sep 28, 2015 11:23 PMTags
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There's no denying the appeal of a great gown on the red carpet, but it's the pantsuit that gets our attention every time. As much as it is a statement in the world of Hollywood, the two-piece is as essential to women's history as the bra-burning or free the nipple movements.

In the 1920s, Coco Chanel helped change the fashion game as one of the first designers to create less restrictive women's clothing. (Goodbye, corsets. Hello, slacks and skirt suits!) Fashion became another medium for resistance and liberation. Thanks in small part to the pantsuit, today, women can not only look—but feel—as equally strong and sexy as anyone else in the world.

1930
Although pantsuits were available in the luxury market by this time, they weren't really considered an attainable fashion trend until silver screen stars, like Marlene Dietrich in the film Morocco, popularized the menswear-inspired ensemble.

1942
Following suit, Katharine Hepburn—in her role in Woman of the Year—inspired women to dress the part at work just like their male counterparts. You can thank her character for the padded shoulders trend, which would last for decades to come.

1977
There's no fictional female more closely associated with fashion-forward menswear than the great Annie Hall. Of course, the costume styling wasn't a stark contrast to what Diane Keaton—a style influencer in her own right—wears in real life…even today.

1998
From the women's liberation movement onward, pantsuits were considered a symbol of strength and blurred the lines of heteronormative style. However, it wasn't until pop icons like Madonna and Janet Jackson started wearing the trend in more risqué ways that the pantsuit was considered sexy.

2000
In 1969, Rep. Charlotte T. Reid (R-Ill.) was the first woman to wear pants on the House floor, opening the door for future elected representatives (Hillary Clinton, we're looking at you) to lead in comfort. In fact, in 2000, Clinton joked about her now obvious obsession with pantsuits for the first time: "And 62 counties, 16 months, three debates, two opponents and six black pantsuits later, because of you, here we are," she said during her Senate victory speech.

Present
In modern times, the pantsuit can still represent a number of things: masculinity, feminism, androgyny, strength, power, sex appeal, even appropriate work attire. However, today, it's really about you how you wear and style the pantsuit that makes the statement. Expert tailoring, color and cleavage are all components to consider. When in doubt, look to boss ladies like Beyoncé and Rihanna for inspiration.