trouser suitn.
/ˈtraʊzə suːt/, /ˈtraʊzə sjuːt/, U.S. /ˈtraʊzər ˌsut/ 1. A boy's suit consisting of short or long trousers and a matching jacket (and sometimes waistcoat). Now historical and rare.Chiefly in commercial use, and usually in contrast with other types of suits for boys, e.g. knickerbocker suits (knickerbocker suit n. at knickerbocker n. Compounds 1), sailor suits (sailor suit n. at sailor n. Compounds 2), etc.
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the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > set or suit of clothes > [noun] > for specific people > for boys
skeleton suit1836
button-up1839
shell suit1860
trouser suit1864
monkey suit1876
skeleton1879
1864 Liverpool Mail 16 Apr. 1/6 (advt.) Boys' Knickerbocker Suits At very low prices. Boys' Trouser Suits; A large quantity to fit Boys from five to twelve years of age. A capital Suit for 12s. 9d.
1885 A. S. Ballin Sci. of Dress vii. 100 Sailor suits should..be made with trousers, and may be worn till the boy is old enough to wear ordinary trouser suits.
1917 Gentlewoman 7 Apr. 342/3 The fifth figure in the row depicts a youth's flannel trouser suit, thoroughly shrunk and in a nice shade of school grey.
2010 C. Rose Making, selling & wearing Boys' Clothes in Late-Victorian Eng. viii. 222 The changes in clothing practice, with trouser suits worn at a younger age, corresponded neatly to the interests of mass manufacturers.
2. A woman's suit consisting of a matching jacket and trousers. Now chiefly British.In North American usage the usual term is now pantsuit (pantsuit n. at pant n.3 Compounds 2).
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the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > set or suit of clothes > [noun] > for specific people > for women > trouser suit
trouser suit1898
slack suit1940
pants suit1964
pantsuit1964
1898 Med. News (U.S.) 10 Sept. 347/1 Most young German women during their turning exercises wear trouser suits that are extremely comfortable and certainly not ungraceful.
1925 Vogue 15 June 25 (advt.) Chinese trouser suits.
1939 Vogue Dec. (verso front cover) (advt.) Digby Morton, famous tailleur, created this trouser suit in a bright tartan ‘Viyella’.
1975 D. Lodge Changing Places v. 174 She was waiting for him..in a cream-coloured trouser-suit.
2013 Daily Tel. 18 Jan. 29/3 What works is classic, drapey, slouchy, hip-looking dresses or trouser suits that aren't trying to be too edgy.
Derivatives
ˈtrouser-ˌsuited adj. now chiefly British wearing a trouser suit.
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the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > wearing clothing > [adjective] > wearing a suit or set of clothes > types of
pyjamaed1883
blue-suited1884
bloomered1895
zoot-suited1942
bikinied1959
sailor-suited1960
trouser-suited1966
sack-suited1978
shell-suited1991
1966 Times 10 Oct. 13/1 Trouser suited nurses drew wolf whistles from doctors at a Devon hospital when they first changed over from dresses.
1973 ‘D. Halliday’ Dolly & Starry Bird iv. 47 The girls were thin, trouser-suited and purposeful, with Pat Nixon hairdos.
2003 Daily Mail 11 Feb. 6/1 The trouser-suited actress..was all in black.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2021).
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n.1864