the desirables
Glenda Bailey celebrates
the return of the tuxedo
that revolutionized
women's fashion.
forever
le smoking
ILLUSTRATION BY KELLY BAILEY
f there is one piece I could
never part with, it's my Yves
Saint Laurent tuxedo. It has
never failed to make both a
powerful and undeniably
alluring impression. "A woman wearing
a suit is anything but masculine," said
Yves Saint Laurent, creator of the
legendary Le Smoking. "A strict, clean
cut accentuates her femininity, her
seductiveness, her ambiguity."
When it debuted in 1966, his
impeccably tailored black tuxedo—
borrowing from classic menswear
while adapting it for the female
form—forever changed the course of
women's fashion. Six decades later,
Saint Laurent Creative Director
Anthony Vaccarello's interpretation for
Fall/Winter 2026 honors that legacy
while amplifying its attitude, balancing
commanding padded shoulders with
plunging necklines and sculpted waists.
Few garments inspire confidence
quite like the tuxedo. Wear it with
nothing underneath, just as it
appeared on the runway, for the
ultimate expression of after-dark
elegance. It's a timeless uniform for
making an entrance—and ripping up
the dance floor.
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