Something has happened to tailoring of late: it became the comfy option. For the current pioneer of this trend, look no further than Céline's Phoebe Philo, a woman who wears her slacks slouchy and loose, and often with trainers.

It's quite the turnaround for these garments, so often thought of as strict or buttoned up. So when did the transition happen? When did starch become slouch? And when tailoring turn into something you could wear in your downtime?

Click the gallery for our history of tailoring – suits and skirts, androgynous and feminine – spanning the twentieth century to now, and take some tips from the women who wore it well – be they sticklers for starch or flying the flag for crumpled chic.