We cannot speak about women suits before the 1660’s, because they could not be seen earlier than this second half of the century. Until then, suits were a privilege of males only. The first clothing we can call suits for women were a combination of a skirt and a jacket or a coat. Their purpose was to serve women when they were riding or travelling, as their previous bulky dresses could not easily permit such activities. Even if specially made for leisure activities, the first female suits were not practical and comfortable.

Cycling became a very popular activity in the 1980’s, but women’s long skirts were totally inappropriate for riding bikes. As a result, trousers gained bigger popularity among women eager to try new things like biking. In time, suits for women became more common, as they were more and more comfortable. The 19th century brought more women wearing such outfits in their day by day activities.

The struggle for rights and emancipation that women started in the beginning of the 20th century triggered changes of attitude in a lot of communities and determined essential changes in women’s clothing style. Their dressing style began to look more male-like. Women began to abandon their oversized dresses or hairdos that needed hours to be accomplished and adopted a quite new look.

Coco Chanel, the outstanding designer and visionary of those times, promoted a new style with simpler and audacious lines, meant to bring additional comfort in women’s outfits. The “flat chested” style imposed totally different forms compared to what women suits represented until then. An innovation like short skirts, brought to the public’s attention in the 20’s and 30’s, would have been unconceivable before, but women accepted them without any reserve, with a total frenzy.

Changes made in how the younger generation looked began precisely with the short skirt and bob style haircuts. Young ladies looking like this were known as “garçonnes” and they foreshadowed the way ladies look like these days. The new suits for women reflected the new privileges and life style of women who before that time did not have the right to vote or to provide paid work outside their homes.

Women suits gain in popularity every day. They were made especially for women and used light weight fabrics, which brought them a quite beautiful aspect. Later, in the end of the 20th century, skirts and trousers became common pieces of clothing, but as a general perception, skirts were thought more formal, unlike trousers that gave the impression of casual ware.

The evolution of suit designs from the 1660 period until now is tremendous. Contemporary suits use new textures, wide palettes of colours and audacious cuts, all these meant to make women feel more confident than centuries ago. This progressive trend matches the hopes and needs of modern women and brings improved styles, with comfortable and attractive clothes.
Designers of modern women suits http://www.hatsandsuits.com/c-2-womens-suits.aspx are searching new forms to express the modern women’s needs and aspirations. Contemporary suits for women http://www.hatsandsuits.com are totally different from women clothes of the past centuries.