Le Smoking: The YSL Tuxedo and How to Wear It Now

Le Smoking is the tuxedo Yves Saint Laurent cut for women in 1966, and it is still the centre of the house. Shop Saint Laurent tuxedo jackets and blazers and tailored trousers at Coveti, and read our wider guide to tuxedo suits for women.

A short history

Yves Saint Laurent showed Le Smoking in his Autumn Winter 1966 couture collection: a black dinner jacket with satin lapels and trousers with a satin stripe. It was the first tuxedo designed for a woman. Some restaurants refused women in trousers at the time, and the photograph Helmut Newton took of the suit in 1975 made it an icon.

What makes a Saint Laurent tuxedo

The house tuxedo has satin peak lapels, a sharp, built shoulder, a narrow waist and a long line. It is usually cut in grain de poudre, a dense wool with a fine texture, and the trousers are high and straight with a satin stripe.

How to wear it now

Wear the jacket alone with nothing under it and a long necklace. Put it over a sheer black lace top. Wear the full suit with a stiletto and a small clutch, and keep everything black. In the day, put the jacket over jeans and a white tank.

Complete the look with YSL heels and an evening bag from the YSL clutch edit.

Grain de poudre: the tuxedo fabric

Grain de poudre is a tightly woven wool with a fine, powdery texture, which is where the name comes from. It holds a sharp line, resists creasing and takes a crisp press, which is why Saint Laurent cuts its tuxedos and blazers in it.

Jacket, trousers and dress

The house makes the tuxedo as a single-breasted and a double-breasted jacket, as straight and wide trousers with a satin stripe, and as a dress cut like the jacket. Buy the jacket first: it works on its own over almost everything.

Fit notes

A Saint Laurent tuxedo jacket is close at the waist and built at the shoulder, so choose by the shoulder. The trousers are long, cut to be worn with a heel. See the Saint Laurent size guide.

Why the tuxedo still matters

Le Smoking proved that a woman could wear the most formal men’s garment and look more like herself, not less. Sixty years on it is still the most direct way to wear Saint Laurent: one jacket, one colour, and a sharp line.

Shop Saint Laurent tailoring

• Saint Laurent Single-Breasted Jacket in Tweed, Noir, $6,140
• Saint Laurent Pants in Chalk-Stripe Wool, $2,490
• Saint Laurent Double-Breasted Jacket in Chalk-Stripe Wool Mélange, Marron and Beige, $5,660
• Saint Laurent Cassandre Bermuda Shorts in Cotton, $2,330
• Saint Laurent Single-Breasted Jacket in Brushed Wool, $5,660
• Saint Laurent Pants in Chalk-Stripe Crepe, $2,800
• Saint Laurent Double-Breasted Jacket in Prince of Wales Puppytooth Wool, $5,190
• Saint Laurent Single-Breasted Jacket in Herringbone Wool, $5,030
• Saint Laurent Double-Breasted Jacket in Herringbone Wool, $5,190
• Saint Laurent Double-Breasted Jacket in Cashmere, $7,250

See every piece on the Saint Laurent brand page.

Saint Laurent at a glance

• Founded: Paris, 1961, by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé
• First couture show: 29 January 1962
• Logo: the Cassandre YSL monogram, drawn by A. M. Cassandre in 1961
• Signature: Le Smoking, the first tuxedo for women, 1966
• Owner: Kering, since 1999
• Creative director: Anthony Vaccarello, since 2016
• Made in: Italy for most ready-to-wear, bags and shoes, with some pieces made in France and Japan

Buying Saint Laurent at Coveti

Every Saint Laurent piece at Coveti is 100% authentic and checked before dispatch. Each product page lists the composition, the country of origin, the sizes Saint Laurent makes for that style and the brand’s own fit note. Coveti ships worldwide by DHL Express and FedEx International Priority, insured and signature required. Most regions ship Delivered Duty Unpaid, so local duties are payable on import. Browse the full Saint Laurent edit, and for sizing read the Saint Laurent size guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Le Smoking?

Le Smoking is the tuxedo suit for women that Yves Saint Laurent introduced in 1966.

Why is it called Le Smoking?

Smoking is the French word for a tuxedo, taken from the English smoking jacket.

Does Saint Laurent still make the tuxedo?

Yes. Tuxedo jackets with satin lapels and tuxedo trousers are part of every Saint Laurent collection.

How do you wear a YSL tuxedo jacket?

Over a sheer lace top in the evening, over jeans and a tank in the day, and as a full suit with a stiletto.

By Gemma Deeks, Fashion Editor at Coveti. Prices and availability checked on 18 October 2026.