Women in Suits One element of the feminism movement that is resurfacing on social media and in political conversations is women wearing suits.
F
eminism is often incorrectly perceived as a movement to give women more rights than men; the truth is, feminism is the fight to ensure that both men and women exist on an equal playing field. The feminist movement is a fight for equality, which is at the forefront of many social justice conversations. Feminism calls for a drive for social fairness and an offensive against political sexism. Its battles date back to the late 1800s and early 1900s. One element of the feminist movement that is resurfacing on social media and in political conversations sees females stepping outside of the norm when it comes to fashion. More specifically, women wearing suits. The first notable appearance of a woman making a man’s suit her own was in 1870 when actress Sarah Bernhardt began wearing her “boy’s clothes” in public. The symbolism behind this look represents women’s efforts to be viewed as equally qualified and capable as men. Historically, the suit is a symbol of hegemonic masculinity. Women reclaiming this look goes deeper than the surface level. The Suffragettes were women who protested their inability to vote during the early 20th century. One of their central visual protests was the statement of women in suits, a concept they cleverly coined as the Suffragette Suit. In an article titled “Suffragettes, Smoking Jackets and the Senate Floor: The Brief History of Women’s Suits” by Michael Andrews Bespoke, the author dives into the symbolism and rich histo-
ry intertwined with the concept of women in suits. During the early 20th century, when the hobble skirt, a long skirt that barely allowed the wearer room to walk, was popular among women the Suffragette movement came up with the suit for women. This look was a statement because it fought against the idea that women should be confined to the restrictive piece and the stereotype that women weren’t as capable as men. The Suffragette Suit made waves in the fashion industry and broke every restrictive rule that society deemed fit for women. It consisted of a lengthy but
Still, these they have become some of the most influential women in our country. Vice President Kamala Harris spent most of her recent election campaign in a colorful power suit which, according to British Vogue, “will change power dressing forever.” Vice President Harris is a woman that many support and look up to. She has become a prominent face of the feminist act since the election when she became the first woman vice president in United States history. Another distinguished and progressive woman who was inspired by the Suffragette Suit and who fueled the women-in-suits movement is icon and fashion grande dame Gabriel ‘Coco’ Chanel. The famous French brand founded in Paris in 1910, by Chanel was one of the first brands to produce a suit dedicated to women. The suit came out in postwar society, allowing women to embrace their newfound freedom in the workforce. The design opened the door to creating the women’s power suits and tuxedo suits to inspire women, who were first entering the workforce, that there was the potential of equality. The suit plays an influential role in women’s transition to the workforce. Like the Suffragettes the suit is a badge of parity between the sexes. The ‘suit look’ evolved into a statement for equal rights between women and men and the equality of LGBTQ+ people. Today, the movement of women wearing suits is further gaining traction and spreading throughout the feminist and LGBTQ+ communities on social media
“Feminists recognized that fashion was (is) political for many women, and even more so in the male-dominated workplace, where women were expected to play a passive and supportive role.” simple skirt, one made for women to march in, along with a dynamic matching blazer. This was an age of oppression and an age of resistance for women, and the contest for women’s voting rights was a burgeoning movement—one that the compelling Suffragette Suit fueled. The Suffragette Suit was just the beginning of the women’s suits industry, that of which and the suit itself has rapidly evolved along with feminism’s rise. Wearing a power suit is often a statement that female activists make, both casually and politically. Female politicians are criticized for making the bold statement of wearing a suit in political debates.
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