Thesis   “A woman is only attractive in pants if she wears them with all her femininity not like a George Sand. Pants are coquettish, or enfranchisement. Liberty and equality are not achieved by wearing breeches- they are a state of mind” Yves Saint Laurent, quoted by Laurence Benaim, in Yves Saint Laurent, op cit., p. 157. Both Yves Saint Laurent and Giorgio Armani modernized the male pant suit by incorporating the essential qualities of the work garment, namely functionality and timelessness that showcased women empowerment and gender equality in their designs of the “Power Suits”. Can the power suit really give women power? In a workplace a neat matching suit and jacket with a pristine blouse underneath conveys an air of confidence. A power suit can be a suit of armor. However ,will it stay that way forever? Do women even need the power suit anymore? Thus, this paper will argue whether the power suit gives women the power of gender equality. It will focus on how the power suit has evolved since its origin and where it’s heading.

Yves Saint Laurent “ Le Smoking” 1st tuxedo suit designed for women. Created for the 1966-1967 Autumn/Winter collection and hailed by international fashion press, the tuxedo won only a success d’estime from the couture clients.  The singer Franchiose Hardy entered the rue de Tournon store shortly after the opening and saw the tuxedo, she tried it on and immediately picked it up for her next gala. The tuxedo known as the ‘Le Smoking’ was made for her and within days a photo of Hardy appeared on the front page of France Soir and ignited a burst of sales. The tuxedo is a good example of the early crossover between Laurent’s haute courture and ready-to-wear. Powerful, sexy and extremely femine. Was the focus of the power suit maintained within his collection?  Catherine Deneuve and Yves Saint Laurent at the opening of the first Saint Laurent Rive Gauche store, 21 rue de Tournon, Paris, September 26,1966. Spring-Summer 1967; First pant suit. Bianca Jagger’s white Le smoking tuxedo Franchiose Hardy

Giorgio Armani “When I started, my idea was always to make men and women seem contemporary but never ridiculous or obsessed by fashion”. Armani, 1999. Designed for the ”Career girls”, adding more seriousness to the pant suit. Blurring traditional sex roles by taking off the focus of the women’s figure. “[Women] have edged out their standing in the world. Today, they don’t have to wear a suit jacket to prove their authority.” Armani.

Comparing Yves Saint Laurent and Giorgio Armani’s style. “Masculine” is the most frequently used adjective in describing Armani’s pantsuits for women, and reference has often mistakenly been made to women dressed like men when talking about his style. The man’s garment is only the starting point, not the undisputed protagonist, of Armani’s female wardrobe. The idea of a man’s suit on a woman came from Yves Saint Laurent, who combined elements of male dress with female touch in the form of high heels.  Armani does the exact opposite. With him the mans garment is taken to pieces and refashioned on a woman: the lapels are widened, shoulders are rounded and the bosom is emphasized or sometimes exposed when the front of the jacket plunges low. Low sandals and embroidered slippers accompany these outfits, almost as if to emphasize that all this male inspiration must be transformed into something for softer and gentle.

Garment construction Initial idea final idea

Sources Su, Kevin Alexander. "Zoot Suit by Kathy Peiss." Fashion Theory 16, no. 2 (2012): 255-57. doi:10.2752/175174112x13274987924258. Yves Saint Laurent Style Style Style.