leisure suit
LowInformal, Historical
Definition
Meaning
A style of casual suit for men, popular in the 1970s, typically consisting of a matching jacket and trousers made from soft, often synthetic, fabric.
A symbol of a specific, often ridiculed, era in fashion; can refer to any outdated or excessively casual attempt at formal wear.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a historical/cultural reference with strong connotations of the 1970s. Use often implies nostalgia, irony, or criticism of poor fashion sense.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is understood in both varieties, but the item itself was a more prominent cultural phenomenon in American fashion of the 1970s.
Connotations
In both, connotes outdated fashion. In the US, it is a more specific and recognizable cultural reference.
Frequency
Used with similar low frequency in both, primarily in historical or humorous contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] found/dug out an old leisure suit.The leisure suit [was made of/was fashioned from] polyester.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Dressed like a leisure suit salesman (implies being tacky or outdated).”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Virtually never used except in very specific contexts (e.g., fashion retail history).
Academic
Used in cultural studies, fashion history, or sociology when discussing 1970s trends.
Everyday
Used humorously or descriptively when referring to old photos, retro parties, or bad fashion choices.
Technical
Used in fashion design history to describe a specific garment style of the mid-70s to early 80s.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- He had a very leisure-suit vibe about him.
American English
- The party had a leisure-suit dress code.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My grandfather has a photo in a blue leisure suit.
- At the 70s party, many people wore colourful leisure suits.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'leisure' time in the '70s – people wore loud, comfortable LEISURE SUITS for parties.
Conceptual Metaphor
FASHION IS A TIME MACHINE (the leisure suit instantly transports conversation to the 1970s).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calque like *'костюм досуга'*. The concept is best described as "костюм в стиле 70-х" or the borrowed term "лизар-сьют" (transliterated).
- The word 'leisure' here does not translate to 'свободный' in the sense of 'free time attire'.
Common Mistakes
- Misspelling as 'leasure suit'.
- Using it to refer to any casual jacket, like a tracksuit.
Practice
Quiz
In which decade was the leisure suit most popular?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily, yes. It was a distinct menswear trend, though women's pant suits from the era are sometimes loosely referenced with the term.
They were often made from synthetic fabrics like polyester, which was cheap, durable, and gave the suits their characteristic sheen.
No. A tracksuit is for sport and is made of jersey material. A leisure suit was intended as casual social wear and was tailored (with a jacket and trousers).
Its combination of loud colours, shiny synthetic fabric, and flared trousers is seen as a peak of 1970s fashion excess, which contrasts sharply with later minimalist trends.