A pantsuit or pant suit, also known as a trouser suit outside the United States, is a woman's suit of clothing consisting of pants and a matching or coordinating coat or jacket. Formerly, the prevailing fashion for women included some form of a coat, paired with a skirt or dress—hence the name pantsuit.

What's the difference between pantsuits and suit?

On a man, a tailored jacket and matching pants are called a “suit.” Put these same garments on a woman, though, and they transform into a “pantsuit.” ... The term pantsuit dates back to at least the 1860s, when it didn't refer to women's clothing at all.

Who invented pantsuits?

A year after the tuxedo, Yves Saint Laurent proposed his first pantsuit in his Spring-Summer 1967 collection. It was an unusual design for a suit, which was traditionally worn with a skirt. Just as he did for the tuxedo, Saint Laurent adapted the traditionally masculine suit for the female body.