If you walk into an office, you may see a woman in dress pants or a blazer. Celebrities like Zendaya have had many iconic looks strutting in a suit or tuxedo, but this powerful fashion statement wasn’t always celebrated for women to wear.
At the 2026 Paris Fashion Week, Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) brought back their iconic and history-changing collection Le Smoking, or Tuxedo. Although it may sound like just another runway within the event, the comeback of this look brings its deep history to the surface and allows for a fresh look into the significance.
In the 1960s, women were typically expected to wear dresses or skirts as evening wear. Even simple pants were looked down upon. Yves Saint Laurent, however, decided to break this barrier with his Le Smoking collection.
The Tuxedo was introduced in his 1966 Autumn-Winter collection. Pieces included tailored pants, satin lapels, and crisp blazers strutting across the runway. A woman, for the first time, is seen in a tuxedo.
Saint Laurent states, “For a woman, the tuxedo is an indispensable garment in which she will always feel in style.”
With a sharp contrast to the elegant dresses seen on women at the time, Le Smoking pushed the boundaries of femininity into something new and unseen.
This look was a revolutionary piece, bringing a statement to women’s fashion: power. The look was a rebellion to fashion standards at the time, receiving backlash from fashion critics who felt uncomfortable by the blurred boundary between women’s and men’s fashionwear, especially when some women were even rejected by restaurants for wearing pants.
Despite the backlash, the style pushed through into women’s fashion. Actress Bianca Jagger helped make the style mainstream, marking it as her signature look. The actress even wore an all-white suit to her wedding.
Saint Laurent decided that he’d continue debuting new women’s tuxedos within his runway shows. Many, if not all, of his runways showcase women wearing suits or tuxedos. His designs were seen as a symbol of freedom within the women’s fashion industry.
Le Smoking became a YSL signature until its retirement in 2002, where it had consistently made an appearance on the runway up until this point.
However, this spring, YSL decided to bring back its signature, premiering it on the first night of Paris Fashion Week 2026. Women casually strutted down the catwalk, hands in their pockets, in suits of different fits and styles.
Contrary to the original collection, these suits had an ’80s fit that was slightly boxy and slouchy. These looks were paired with dark, smoky eyes and red lipstick. A bold look to mark the boldness of this line.
Alongside the suits, the collection consisted of lace dresses and slips. The duality of the line stands as a representation of femininity. It doesn’t have to look a certain way; a woman just needs to embrace it.
There’s no one way to be feminine, or a certain way to dress as a woman. YSL again took a new approach to women’s fashion with this sharp contrast.
It’s been 60 years since the original Le Smoking collection made its debut, and it hasn’t failed to leave its mark on women’s fashion. The line revolutionized eveningwear for women, going beyond the boundaries women were tied to at the time.
The comeback of women’s tuxedos continues to echo the power fashion can give to women, and the statement that it can make.
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