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What does “sartorial” connote? Looking it up, sartorial means relating to tailored clothing, possibly “high fashion”.

Just how old fashioned is it? Is it used more often for men than women? Was it originally used one way and now connotes something different?

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    CD includes 'mainly men's clothing' and Collins adds 'formal'.
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Commented Feb 15, 2022 at 15:51
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    It's still used in journalism, some magazine writing and in literary writing or by people like me when I chose to use high-falutin' words. Does that answer your question?
    – Lambie
    Commented Feb 15, 2022 at 15:56
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    @Lambie, Edwin Those sound like they could be made into answers.
    – Mitch
    Commented Feb 15, 2022 at 16:42
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    Welcome to SE EL & Usage. Are you sure this is not a question for English Language Learners? If not, we expect you to do a little research yourself. You can perform internet searches for words, check dictionary definitions, and find usage from Google ngrams.
    – David
    Commented Feb 15, 2022 at 20:09
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    It is obvious from the question that the OP is already familiar with the definitions of this word that can be found in the standard dictionaries; the question calls for an explication of the nuances that go beyond what can be readily found in such sources. Such a question fits this site far better than the English Language Learners' site.
    – jsw29
    Commented Feb 16, 2022 at 16:21

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Sartorial comes from the Latin sartor meaning tailor, and in the narrow sense it refers to tailoring and tailored clothes. (Merriam-Webster) However it is used more generally to refer to clothes in general, especially those with an understated elegance, in contrast to terms like "fashion" which refer to ephemeral styles. It is the sort of word directed towards educated, "in the know" audiences, not mass-market media.

Tailoring, as Wikipedia says, refers to a specific set of techniques and practices, generally involving making made-to-measure suits, coats, and similar clothes, using specific fabrics such as wool, woolen blends, and linen. There is a set of traditions and standard practices, many connected with Savile Row in London, the traditional centre of tailoring. Most people do not get made-to-measure clothes these days, and even if they do, there are various other expressions such as which are more precise than "sartorial" - a tailor is more likely to advertise as "tailoring", "made-to-measure", or "bespoke". So this technical sense of "sartorial" is not terribly common.

But sartorial also has a wider meaning related to clothes in general. Lexico has a good set of examples. Many of them use fixed phrases like "sartorial elegance" or "sartorial style"; sometimes you see the opposite, "sartorial nightmare/disaster".

"Sartorial elegance" in particular is a common phrase for a certain type of sophisticated, attractive dressing, that aims for classic good looks. The connotation is different to "fashionable", "trendy", or "stylish", which imply adherence to the changeable rules of fashion. Classic style denotes clothes that are understated and well made, and so will last and will remain stylish. (Here's a fairly typical example of a magazine telling its readers how to dress in classic style; such guides are regularly published and the notion of what is classic changes gradually).

The main usage seems to be in elite journalism and fiction (rather than mass-market publications), where a more unusual and elegant-sounding word denotes class, style, and elegance. It is also often used to refer to people who fail to meet up to standards: "sartorial disaster", "sartorial faux pas"; here again the word denotes certain standard, that in these cases is not being met.

There is no gender divide in the word, based on Lexico's examples. Both men and women can dress in classic style, and be praised for their "sartorial elegance" or "sartorial style". The latter phrase is distinct from "fashion sense" which implies more of a knowledge of what's trendy; "dress sense" is similar to "sartorial style" but I get the feeling that "sartorial" is used because it sounds more sophisticated, and hence relates to being better-dressed. "Sartorial" is a less common word than "fashion" and thus requires a more elegant audience.

Typical usage would be:

  • "Such-and-such a celebrity is known for their sartorial elegance." Used in something like Vanity Fair or the New York Times rather than a tabloid.
  • "Such-and-such a person (often the author) made a sartorial error/mistake/slip-up." Used in humorous journalism in a similarly sophisticated publication, or in middle-class fiction, to indicate that someone who should know better has worn the wrong thing.

You wouldn't use it to talk about clothes with no connotation of elegance; or for "fast fashion" that will be in the bin next year.

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  • This very well brings out the nuances of the word, but are you confident that 'there is no gender divide' in its use? Like the OP, I have an impression that it is used more often (but not exclusively) in connection with men's clothing, but don't have any definite proof of that. Note that the explications of the meaning of the word often use the word tailor and that this word is typically used for those who make traditional men's clothing (although one can speak of women's clothing being tailored).
    – jsw29
    Commented Feb 24, 2022 at 16:11

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