Haute Couture Vintage Cross-Dressing?

Not exactly... but close. Vintage tuxes for women are... surprisingly in! From Fendi to Burberry, each and every designer this season has put out their own line of unisex tuxedos.


Could I pull off the tuxedo look? Er, not exactly, but the models showcasing it make it look like a luxurious silk Versace gown. Well, that is their job after all.


Most of these tuxedos are modeled after the 1920's and 1940's era. Some are very flapper-like, showing off 20's style, while some can remind you of the glamorous Hollywood days of the 1940's. Even though I am a lover of those two times, you wouldn't catch me dead in one of these. I apologize.

For those of you who haven't been watching the runway shows this season, here are the basic looks for the tuxes:

You have the 1940's doctor style. Very masculine, yet feminine looking if you know what to pair it with. Edgy is the word here (photo: Rag & Bone Fall 2007 runway).

Then you will see the 20's, 30's, and 40's based suits made to model around the time of women independence. Time for a little history lesson. During those years when the men left for war, women were often left with their jobs either working in a factory or as a welder. We couldn't dress the way we used to anymore, in skirts and ornate blouses. So along with the men's work jobs, we picked up their clothing as well.

Long dresses soon became pants and dress blouses became plain shirts. This tux, done by Salvatore Ferragamo, puts the emphasis on that era.