A Suitable Style: The Revolutionary History of Men’s Suits

When the American Revolution transformed global ideas about governance, it also sparked an upheaval in style. As the new nation distanced itself from European royals, its leaders rejected the ornate fashions of the aristocracy in favor of sober suits. These styles would become the foundation of menswear for the next 250 years, explains historian Chloe Chapin. Tracing the evolution of the modern suit, Chapin explores what it has meant to the men who created it, the women who later adopted it, and those who rebelled against it.