Here For The History - Why Do We Wear Suits?

From royal coronations to criminal trials, the suit is men’s go-to uniform. But why?

Alice Loxton and Ben Henderson reveal the suit’s origins in the court of Charles II, how the original dandy Beau Brummell shaped men’s style to this day, and how sporty Victorians forged the modern suit.

But with the rise of working from home, are the suit’s days numbered?

Key sources:
The Suit: Form, Function and Style, Christopher Breward
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen’s Men of Fashion, BBC Radio 4
A Stitch in Time, BBC FOUR
This 19th-century London dandy caused a style revolution, National Geographic, 2019
Suitably Dressed, The Economist, 2010

Published on Thursday, 30th July 2026.

Available Podcasts from Here For The History

Subscribe to Here For The History

We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the Here For The History webpage.