Yves Saint Laurent’s Women’s Tuxedo and Women’s Rights:
Is the Way We Dress a Human Rights
Issue?
By Joana Capaz Coelho
In
1966, the French designer Yves Saint Laurent presented the women’s tuxedo for
the first time: a set consisting of a sheer blouse and masculine-cut trousers.
At the time, the gesture was bold and deeply symbolic! More than an aesthetic
proposal, the women’s tuxedo represented a cultural and social shift — a clear
sign that women no longer had to follow the codes imposed on them, including
those related to the way they dressed. Until then, wearing trousers was, for
many women, a reason for censorship, discrimination, and even prohibition from
entering certain spaces, such as restaurants and hotels that restricted entry
to women dressed “outside the standard”.
As
Emma Baxter-Wright explains: “Designed to
make women feel powerful, Saint Laurent provided a modern alternative to a
traditional evening gown when he first presented his black tuxedo jacket known
as “Le Smoking” in 1966. Superb cutting of a masculine trouser suit juxtaposed
with overtly feminine pussy bow silk shirts played with topical ideas of sexual
ambiguity and, initially, the elegant tuxedo caused outrage, with women who
wore his trouser suits refused service in hotels and restaurants”[1].
This
passage highlights that the women’s tuxedo was not just a piece of clothing,
but a gesture of female empowerment and a challenge to the rigid social norms
of the time. By combining masculine tailoring with feminine elements, Yves
Saint Laurent defied traditional perceptions of gender in fashion. The negative
reactions, including the refusal of service to women wearing trousers,
illustrate how society resisted changes in gender roles and how clothing can be
a tool for political and cultural expression. This episode demonstrates that
fashion can serve as a catalyst for social and legal debate on equality and
individual freedom.
In
this context, fashion becomes a relevant entry point for reflecting on the law.
After all, what is really at stake when someone is prevented from entering a
public space because of their clothing? It is a matter of freedom, equality,
and dignity — values enshrined in various legal instruments, both nationally
and internationally.
At
the international level, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR),
adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, establishes in its
Article 1 that “all human beings are born
free and equal in dignity and rights”[2].
Although general, this principle forms the basis of all other rights and serves
as a reference for combating any form of discrimination.
Article
2 of the UDHR reinforces this idea, guaranteeing that everyone has the same
rights “(…) without distinction of any
kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion,
national or social origin (…)”. Article 19 of the same Declaration
recognizes freedom of expression, which includes not only the freedom to
express opinions but also the freedom to express oneself through clothing.
These
principles are further reinforced by the Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)[3],
adopted in 1979, which obliges states to adopt public policies and effective
legislation to eliminate gender-based discrimination. This Convention
practically recognizes women’s right to freedom of choice — including the way
they present themselves publicly — and the right to access all social spaces on
an equal footing with men.
In
Portugal, these international commitments are directly reflected in the
Constitution of the Portuguese Republic (CRP)[4].
Article
13 of the CRP enshrines the principle of equality, establishing that “all citizens possess the same social
dignity and are equal before the law” (No. 1), and specifying that “no one may be privileged, prejudiced,
deprived of any right or exempted from any duty for reasons of (…) sex (…)”
(No.2).
This
constitutional provision is particularly relevant when discussing clothing and
gender, as differential treatment based on what a person wears can constitute a
violation of the principle of equality. In addition, Article 26 of the CRP
protects the rights to personal identity, personality development, and private
life — rights that clearly encompass an individual’s freedom to express
themselves as they are, whether through words, behavior, or style.
Legal
and constitutional evolution has thus provided legal support for broader
cultural change. Today, it is normal to see women wearing suits and trousers in
any space, but this was only made possible through a progressive affirmation of
rights — sometimes triggered by symbolic gestures such as Yves Saint Laurent’s
tuxedo, which challenged the social limits of its time. Fashion, in this sense,
is not just a reflection of society: it is also an instrument of social and
political transformation.
Understanding human and fundamental rights — those written in laws, constitutions, and international conventions — is essential to ensuring that freedoms like these are not seen as privileges, but as what they truly are: universal, inalienable, and protected rights. The history of the women’s tuxedo is therefore more than a remarkable episode in haute couture. It is a story of resistance, affirmation, and achievement. It is a clear example of how law and fashion intersect at the same point: the freedom to be, to choose, and to exist, on equal terms with everyone else.
[1]Baxter-Wright,
Emma, Little book of Yves Saint Laurent, The story of the iconic fashion
designer, p.62.
[2] Universal
Declaration of Human Rights: https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights (consulted
at: 28/09/2025).
[3] Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women:
https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-elimination-all-forms-discrimination-against-women (consulted at: 28/09/2025).
[4] Constitution of the Portuguese Republic: https://www.parlamento.pt/sites/EN/Parliament/Documents/Constitution7th.pdf (consulted at: 28/09/2025).
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