A tuxedo suit designed for women

Where does the name come from?

The French term for a tuxedo, from the smoking jacket

What happened when socialite Nan Kempner was refused entry in trousers?

She removed the trousers and wore the jacket as a dress

How did Saint Laurent treat Le Smoking over his career?

He showed new versions in collection after collection

Le Smoking Quiz: Yves Saint Laurent's Tuxedo for Women

Trousers on women were still banned in some smart dining rooms when a Paris designer showed an evening tuxedo cut for women, and this Le Smoking quiz tells the story. Play 10 interactive questions on Yves Saint Laurent's 1966 collection, the name's origin, Helmut Newton's 1975 photo, Catherine Deneuve, the Rive Gauche boutique, Pierre Berge and the YSL museums.

Start Le Smoking Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Designer
Who created Le Smoking?
Garment
What is Le Smoking?
Name
Where does the name come from?
Photo
Which photographer shot a famous 1975 image of Le Smoking on a Paris street?
Star
Which French actress was a famous client and friend of Saint Laurent?
Boutique
Which ready-to-wear boutique did Saint Laurent open in 1966?
Partner
Who co-founded the fashion house with Saint Laurent?
Restaurant
What happened when socialite Nan Kempner was refused entry in trousers?
Repeat
How did Saint Laurent treat Le Smoking over his career?
Museums
In which two cities did Yves Saint Laurent museums open in 2017?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Who created Le Smoking?
Answer: Yves Saint Laurent
He presented it in 1966.
Q2: What is Le Smoking?
Answer: A tuxedo suit designed for women
It reworked menswear for evening.
Q3: Where does the name come from?
Answer: The French term for a tuxedo, from the smoking jacket
Smoking means dinner jacket in French.
Q4: Which photographer shot a famous 1975 image of Le Smoking on a Paris street?
Answer: Helmut Newton
It appeared in French Vogue.
Q5: Which French actress was a famous client and friend of Saint Laurent?
Answer: Catherine Deneuve
She wore his clothes for decades.
Q6: Which ready-to-wear boutique did Saint Laurent open in 1966?
Answer: Saint Laurent Rive Gauche
It brought his designs to more women.
Q7: Who co-founded the fashion house with Saint Laurent?
Answer: Pierre Berge
He managed the business side.
Q8: What happened when socialite Nan Kempner was refused entry in trousers?
Answer: She removed the trousers and wore the jacket as a dress
The story became fashion legend.
Q9: How did Saint Laurent treat Le Smoking over his career?
Answer: He showed new versions in collection after collection
It became a house signature.
Q10: In which two cities did Yves Saint Laurent museums open in 2017?
Answer: Paris and Marrakech
He loved Morocco.

Le Smoking Quiz – Yves Saint Laurent's Tuxedo for Women

Le Smoking is a tuxedo suit for women that Yves Saint Laurent presented in his autumn-winter 1966 collection. Its name comes from the French word for a tuxedo, taken from the smoking jacket.

At the time, women in trousers were still turned away from some formal restaurants. In one famous story, socialite Nan Kempner was refused entry and simply removed her trousers, wearing the jacket as a dress. Helmut Newton's 1975 photograph of the suit on a Paris street became iconic.

Saint Laurent, with partner Pierre Berge, also opened the Rive Gauche ready-to-wear boutique in 1966. He reinterpreted Le Smoking in collection after collection, and museums dedicated to his work opened in Paris and Marrakech in 2017.

What This Quiz Teaches

Fashion fans will enjoy these questions.

Who created Le Smoking
Where the name comes from
Why it was daring
Who wore and photographed it
How its legacy lives on

Did You Know?

Catherine Deneuve wore YSL in many films.
Saint Laurent retired in 2002.
Le Smoking influenced power dressing.
He started at Dior as a young designer.
Many fashion houses now make women's tuxedos.