Why Men's Suits?

As a woman, I am often asked why I'm interested in the history of male clothing. The question that lies behind the curiosity about who wore what when is this: Why did men get a uniform, when women did not? In a room full of men wearing the same thing (be it military uniforms or business suits), they stand out for their actions. In that same room full of women all wearing a different elaborate evening dress, their faces and identities begin to blur together, and they are recognizable more for their decoration than for their personality.

I believe that the trends towards this style of dressing that developed during the nineteenth century put into place ideas about gender that still exist today. Many gender "differences" are clearly archaic notions, and I believe that it is important to trace their origins - through the visual culture of fashion.