FIRST LOOK SUIT YOURSELF
It’s time to get smart – jacket required
Sharpen up with the two-piece, styled your way.
THERE’S A MOVEMENT we’re so incredibly thrilled about this season that it’s hard to contain our sartorial excitement. It doesn’t involve bells, whistles or sequins for that matter (though we continue to wholeheartedly condone those). It’s not even particularly new and it’s definitely not a one-season wonder. You’ve probably already gleaned from the images on this page that it has more than a little to do with tailoring. Sharp cuts. Lean silhouettes. Yes, the suit has stepped back into the spotlight.
It’s hard to pinpoint the moment we knew the iconic twopiece was safely locked into new-season must-have status. Sure, it had been getting a lot of good PR off the back of Meghan Markle’s rise to internet domination (mum’s Suits season-one box set suddenly became hot property back in October 2016). But it was only when Emma Stone literally strode onto the Oscars red carpet earlier this year in Louis Vuitton’s slim satin suit complete with black cigarette pants and a classic-cool pair of pointed pumps, that we knew the tulle-littered tide was truly turning.
Stone’s brazen rejection of a gown in place of an unsurpassably chic trouser suit was a shift in the fashion paradigm. The suit has always been a symbol of empowerment and the pre-fall season designers were picking up on this strength. By the time AW18-19 swung around they were running with it. At Saint Laurent, the tux
took on new rock-star attitude, with creative director Anthony Vaccarello’s blazer and micro-shorts combos. Gucci’s skinny suits came in a madcap array of colours, brandings and embellishments in a breaking down of binary gender codes (the guys and girls wore similar suits). Dior riffed on the student rebellion of 1968 with matching school blazers and kilts and at Céline, while the design team wait for Hedi Slimane to make his mark, slouchy proportioned pant suits were an ode to the newly departed Phoebe Philo (*sob*).
Interestingly, no single silhouette dominated the runways. Because finding the suit that is right for you, that makes you feel powerful, that carries you into that project pitch (add shirt, kitten heels and sleek bag) or to that blind dinner date (no shirt, statement earrings and strappy shoes), or Sunday brunch (a crew sweater and white kicks) is a purely personal affair. Instead of tracking trends, make a solid investment in one carefully-chosen, quality suit that you love and will last a lifetime (see our Suit Up fashion story on p94). The key to longevity will lie in the styling tweaks. For Stone, that meant sparkly earrings and a pink bow tied around the waist. For you, the possibilities are endless.