Regaining Respect and Power
The 1980s were a time of heightened tension for the world and, more specifically, the United States of America. With Ronald Reagan as the president, excessive change and disruption caused many waves in everyday life and the media. The 80s saw a rise of feminism and women demanding their rightful place in society. While most people took to the streets to express their opinions, others took different approaches. Yves Saint Laurent used fashion to tailor men’s clothing to fit a feminine body. In 1966, he created a tuxedo called “Le Smoking,” a part of the “Pop Art” collection. The debut of the Smoking Jacket in 1986 helped further push the narrative of women taking back their power and gaining respect from their peers in society.
The smoking jacket is the epitome of elegance and a symbol of women’s elevation into men’s spaces. Men used a smoking jacket to protect their clothes from the smoke of cigars. A very manly activity, so where do women come into play? We can start with the padded shoulders, which aren’t unusual for the ’80s. However, the shoulders of this jacket are dramatically broad, establishing power or dominance, as if to say that women always know their worth and can finally project that to the rest of the world. To start a silhouette with a square isn’t just about the padded shoulders but also a sort of commentary on the “stiffness” of men, or, shall we say, rigidness. As we travel further down the jacket, we reveal more secrets about the period.
The tapering of the waist is the main subject of the smoking jacket—the remaking of a very masculine design to assimilate a feminine type of body. While the waist taper isn’t as overt as the broad shoulders, there is still so much to be said about the effect of the taper. A tapered/cinched waist goes back centuries in women’s fashion history, with the help of corsets in the Victorian era. An ideal of being the most restrictive item a woman can wear, being less about discomfort and more about showing off “natural” feminine curves. That being said, the jacket’s size conformed to the standards of its era. In 2025, when there is a push to cater to all sizes and shapes of women, there is something to say about the ideal woman of the 80s. Looking back at the history of fashion, there was a standard of using the smallest people known to man to model their clothing. So, while this jacket highlights women’s respectability, it ignores the higher bodily standards society imposed on women compared to men.
An interesting dynamic is happening with the silk satin and the singular button of the jacket. The material of the smoking jacket is entirely different from the material of the dress underneath. This is to highlight further the artistry of the jacket and all that it stands for. “Pay no mind to my bland interior, feast your eyes upon my mysterious exterior.” The finish gives it this ethereal feel that makes you want to bask in its glory. Adding the singular button provides the suit with a “manly” feel to an overtly feminine jacket. Commonly, men’s suits have one or two buttons for easy opening and closing of the suit. The opening and closing of a suit is a source of power for men who can easily command a room. Again, tying into the ideal of women in men’s fields, women are just as intelligent, capable, and, some would say, better than men. Women were historically looked down upon because they were too emotional, when we all know the most emotional gender is men, sorry, not sorry.
With the inclusion of pants in the working woman’s wardrobe, there has been a shift in the image of what a woman looks, sounds, and acts like. And as the LGBTQ+ community becomes more integrated into society, it makes the ideals of what a woman is less rigid. Fashion has been at the forefront of these movements by helping people express themselves without words. In recent years, fashion has shifted from being about haute couture to using your platform or creative outlet to move the culture/society. People who don’t always use their voice turn to other outward ways to express opinions that are not considered mainstream. Most creatives see the world around them and use their art to create understanding for themselves first and then for others. This smoking jacket is an excellent example of using your art to make waves for the communities it serves.
jada Davis 