Style’s boiling right now
creative director embraced the new feminist readings of the classical world (cues taken from Madeline Miller’s Circe, Pat Barker’s The Silence of
Margaret Atwood’s Penelopiad, and the recent release of Emily Wilson’s translation of The
– the first by a woman – explaining the idea of clothing as armour. And what does a modern Amazon wear? With a nod to its ancient warrior origins – a one-shouldered boiler suit, with a roomy satchel slung across – uninhibited (unlike, say, those old-fashioned heavy totes that require being lugged around in-elbow).
Giorgio Armani, that master of languid, easy tailoring, struck gold with a button-through shimmering take in his Emporio Armani collection – worn, note, with a serviceable flat sandal. And if you still need a bit of frill, see Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini, where a happy medium was reached with pouffy-shouldered perfection.
Stylist and self-confessed boilersuit obsessive Natalie Hartley has three pairs – in navy, black and cream. ‘‘They’re the best pieces I’ve ever bought. It’s my daily uniform – practical but still stylish. I wear mine loose so I can move around easily... and they’re machine washable.
‘‘I dress them up for meetings, with smart boots, and layer with a roll neck in winter. You can do so many things with them, that you don’t actually need anything else in your wardrobe. I’m all about effortless dressing, these don’t need much else, as they’re statement and versatile enough as it is,’’ she says.
But there are more, outside the shows. In New York, London and Milan, those prancing peacocks, more used to flapping about in coloured feathers to get the attention of the snappers, had toned it down, and industrial-looking boiler suits abound.
Gigi Hadid and Kylie Jenner are fans – this is covered-up cool, not flashy, bottom-showing stuff. See also Net-a-Porter’s Lisa Aiken and Cate Blanchett – often spotted in all-in-ones.
Last time the boiler suit had a serious moment was the 1970s – where hardline feminists adopted it to their cause, eschewing makeup and any other feminine fripperies (less Charlie’s Angels, more Lynne Franks).
The revamp is being worn with a clumpy sandal or a heel, or a trainer or a boot. The point is that it’s completely versatile. Be comfy yes, but be comfy your way. Glamour isn’t the antithesis to a boiler suit either – do your hair, pop on a blazer and you’re in a board meeting or out for dinner. And frankly anything can be jazzed up with giant earrings.
The concept of power dressing – see Melaniaesque tropes of tight-dress, vamp-heels – is shifting and being questioned, and ultimately diversifying. What strength is there in an outfit so constricting that you need to wear a pair of stringent cycling shorts as underwear? What is powerful about not being able to move nimbly in a pair of vertiginous heels? That isn’t power, that’s just patriarchalpleasing discomfort.
A resurgence of #MeToo came this week across social media, the new water cooler, as women – including Julianne Moore, Reese Witherspoon, Kerry Washington, and Tracee Ellis Ross – posted a ‘‘serious’’ picture of themselves, wearing black in support of Christine Blasey Ford.
That shows clothes remain a live issue in the search for empowerment, especially on instagram. Sartorial impact is key. Fashion power is no longer