A series of unconfined undrained triaxial tests were performed, on compacted and reconstituted samples of clayey soils, at different degrees of saturation. Pore water pressure changes were recorded. Stress-strain-suction relationships were studied and analyzed. The soil water retention curve (SWRC) or any scanning curve exhibit an S-inverted shape. At low suctions the curve has a small gradient which increases and tends to be constant at intermediate suctions. Two different stress-strain-suction behaviour patterns were identified depending on the initial position (before shearing) of the soil sample on the SWRC. Samples initially located in the zone of small gradient, of the SWRC, exhibited a stress-strain-suction behaviour which is similar to that of normally consolidated samples (i.e. strain hardening), whereas samples initially in the higher gradient zone, of the SWRC, exhibited a similar behaviour to that of over-consolidated samples (i.e. dilatancy occurred). On shearing, the behaviour of the soil at peak conditions was not dependant of the initial fabric. There was no influence of the suction history of the sample before shearing.