No, the men’s suit has not had its last word.
Blogs, magazines and influencers have been announcing its disappearance for many years; but it seems many have counted the suit out before it was dead.
At Hast as elsewhere, this monument of the men’s wardrobe is holding its ground, and we have personally never sold so many of them as in 2023.
A last stand or a genuine comeback? That is the question we explore in this article.
The suit is dead, long live the suit!
If you have read our article on the jacket, you know that the modern suit was born in the first half of the 19th century thanks to Beau Brummell, arbiter of elegance during the English Regency.
Over the decades, it replaced ceremonial dress in bourgeois and aristocratic circles, then gradually became more widely accessible with the rise of commerce and industry.
A symbol of Western-style modernity, it conveys an idea of the male body as well as a form of connection to the economic momentum under way, which quickly made it “the uniform of progress” (as it was then perceived).
In the aftermath of the Second World War, mass industrial production reshuffled the deck and transformed both the fate of the suit and that of clothing:
- Inspired by North American ready-to-wear , ready-to-wear flooded the European market with standardised suits made from pre-selected fabrics. Accessible and imtely available, they quickly replaced traditional bespoke tailoring, which was then widespread. From the 1950s onwards, fathers and sons no longer went to the tailor when they needed a suit, but headed straight for the nearest store.
- Alongside ready-to-wear, American culture as a whole spread across the Old Continent in the aftermath of the war. While James Dean, John Wayne, Robert Mitchum and Cary Grant lit up screens on the other side of the Atlantic, a new aesthetic emerged in which blue jeans and white t-shirts gradually dethroned the lounge suit.
If you add to this the philosophical moment of the 1960s-70s (libertarianism, pacifism, emancipation, anti-authoritarianism, anti-materialism) and the repeated assaults by decolonised countries against this symbol of the imperialist West, you will readily grasp the context of its decline.
Since then, it must be acknowledged that the men’s suit has been struggling. Dominant from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century, recent decades have resembled a long agony for it.
Haunted by an image that clings to its breastplate, mishandled by fashion designers, mocked by the self-proclaimed champions of the new world, ridiculed by Silicon Valley leaders, devastated by the Covid crisis and the advent of the comfort era: the anachronistic men’s suit seems more than ever on the verge of extinction. Unless?
The suit’s surge of pride
It was in this decidedly moribund context that we achieved, at Hast, the best year in our history for suit sales.
Whether summer pieces in linen or more wintry wool styles, we have observed - not without surprise and pleasure - unprecedented enthusiasm for our two-piece suits. How can this be explained?
Hypothesis no. 1: the eternal return
An open secret: fashion is a cycle in which outdated pieces never remain so for very long. After leaving the streets and then the workplace, retaining an exclusive domain only for ceremonies and special occasions, perhaps it was time for the suit to make a comeback?
Hypothesis no. 2: the battle for elegance
In response to the rise of streetwear, it does not seem unreasonable to imagine the emergence of a counter-current advocating a return to the enduring values of classic elegance. A deeper movement, the renewed interest in sartorial matters observed in France in recent months seems to confirm it.
Hypothesis no. 3: a backlash from the Covid crisis?
The various lockdowns and the widespread adoption of remote working initially benefited sweatshirts and jogging trousers. After this wave of relaxation, could men once again feel like dressing to the nines for the beauty of the gesture? It is possible.
Hypothesis no. 4: social and the reinvention of the suit
Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok are inexhaustible sources of inspiration. While the traditional suit may seem to have lost some of its lustre, it is clear that a contemporary vision of it is gradually taking over thanks to the new standards conveyed on these platforms : separates, casual, modernised, paired with trainers or shaped through innovative volumes.
Hypothesis no. 5: the growth of second-hand
Driven by environmental awareness, a decline in purchasing power and/or changing consumption habits, second-hand has unearthed many gems straight from the past. Along with its lines, materials and aesthetic, it is an entire style that the 21st-century man has (re)discovered upon encountering these relics; a style from which he seems to draw increasing inspiration.
The suit according to Hast
At the crossroads of all these conjectures, the revival of the suit is wonderful news for lovers of elegance such as ourselves. The embodiment of refinement impervious to the passage of time, this iconic ensemble is - along with the shirt - the beating heart of any wardrobe worthy of the name. Ours included.
At Hast, we approach this sacred monster of the wardrobe with passion, humility and exacting standards ; deeply convinced that excellent ready-to-wear is better than poor bespoke.
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By working with balanced cuts and selecting fine, certified natural materials, we offer today’s men elegant, coherent suits with clean, harmonious lines.
Respectful of tradition while firmly rooted in their time, our creations claim a balance between the immortal lines of yesterday and the realities of tomorrow’s world, becoming allies for everyday life.
From the most classic to the most original, you will find on our rails these legends, so often condemned and so often returned: these invincible heirs to a certain idea of Beauty.