Should you wear a trouser suit to a wedding?
The trouser suit, it’s fair to say, is having a moment. If you’ve always championed them (wearing one for your job because your boss says you have to doesn’t count) and are rolling your eyes, stop now, because you probably haven’t been wearing the kind of trouser suits in the sort of shades I’m talking about.
The 2018 trouser suit comes in myriad options: from pastels and brights to pops of neon, with clashing or toning trims, in discreet-ish polka dots (playful), brocades
(for that Miss Havisham meets Prince look) and florals (the non-girlish way to wear flowers). It also comes in checks. Lots and lots and lots of checks.
Yes, you’re thinking, but who’s actually going to wear them? We are. I write as someone who has been observing the trouser suit warily for a couple of years now, as it trudged its way from pipe dream to serious contender. Watching, but not
actually wearing, except, occasionally, in the evening. It’s odd because I love jackets. I love trousers. Katharine Hepburn, Lauren Bacall and Phoebe Philo are up there on my style goddesses list. By most algorithms, I qualify as an ideal trouser suit customer. The thing is, until recently, matching trouser suits tended to come only in black, navy or white. As far as trouser suits were concerned, we were living in the People’s Republic of Limited Options.
That said, in smart evening-appropriate fabrics, I found them perfect for events that require some polish and signs of effort, without being remotely high maintenance. No between-leg-waxing-appointments issues. No dithering over tights. Just add jewelled shoes, major earrings, good hair – and in the case of the white one, mates’ rates at your dry cleaners. Actually, now I think about it, a white one is quite demanding, especially if you don’t feel you’re at your fighting weight. But it doesn’t look effortful or fussy, and that’s often half the style battle. Daytime trouser suits, on the other hand, seemed high maintenance (what to wear underneath?) and also either too formal, too corporate, or just a bit much. Even when I bought a velvet one I ended up wearing the jacket and the trousers to death – but never together as a suit, not during the day. (Note to self: velvet trousers have a much shorter life expectancy than any other kind. It’s the knees – they can’t take the pace.)
With all the patterns, colours and different silhouettes now on offer, this is the year it really will be fine to wear one to all those dos you’ve always wanted to, but chickened out because you worried it might give The Great Aunts heart attacks. It’s a big investment though, so needs to be thoroughly thought through. Colour’s a key consideration. Pastels might make a trouser suit feel more special than a dark colour, especially if you’re planning to wear it to a summer wedding, but could also limit its afterlife. A more versatile choice could be a suit in one of those inbetween hues – petrol, teal, sea green. If you’re set on grey or navy, look for luxurious fabrications. You could even risk a subtle sheen (Gabriela Hearst has several options, with top-end prices).
You can always pimp your jacket with a cluster of brooches, some feathers (Christopher Kane’s comes ready-mixed) or a corsage – either silk, velvet or real. I love the satin roses in various hues from Alex Eagle, from £10 (alexeagle.co.uk).
Good trouser suit fabrics should have some drape, a little give (but very little stretch; no sausage legs please), be light to midweight and crease-resistant. Paul Smith’s A Suit To Travel In delivers on its promise, despite being 100 per cent wool – something to do with a high-twist construction (from £440 for a blazer, £240 for trousers, paulsmith.com), and for the quality is excellent value.
It has narrow lapels, so works best on slimmer frames. An angular, wider lapel is generally good on all shapes and, I think, looks dressier. I love it when lapel tips graze the tops of the shoulders: shades of masculine-feminine ambiguity, in a Helmut Newton way.
Other factors are length: a jacket that brushes your lower thighs might seem tempting as camouflage, but if you’re short, it can make legs look stumpy. Better to draw the eye away from the thighs altogether by opting for a mid bottom, hip or even waist length. And trouser suit jackets don’t have to be blazers. They could be a cropped Chanel-esque jacket, or even a coat.
What’s important is how it buttons up. I hardly ever wear shirts or blouses under jackets – it starts to look fussy and/or bulky, especially if you’re wearing a slim fit. A jacket that fastens high enough to wear nothing beneath is a more modern option. It’s also feminine and seductive without overdoing it.
There seems to be a belief floating around that doublebreasted jackets don’t work with bigger boobs. I have seen evidence that conclusively disproves this. It depends on the tailoring.
Blazé Milano’s jackets, often spotted on the front row, are cut loose and relatively straight, so they work on anyone, with one caveat: they’re quite long, so they’re not great if you’re under 5ft 6in.
One idea worth borrowing from Blazé is the contrasting lapels, which make it easier to mix and match trousers yet still look coordinated. You could pull off a similar trick by changing the buttons on a plain suit to a different or toning colour, or replacing them with jewelled ones.
Trousers can be whatever you want – apart from bulky around the waist. Sash ties are not ideal. Full length and flowing can look elegant, but require heels or flatforms. If you’re opting for a slim leg, it’s important to show some ankle – it counteracts any masculine overtones – and it showcases shoes, which throws up the delight of shopping for some. There are so many gorgeous slingbacks, bows and embellished pairs around – and a lot of them can look a bit mumsy with calf length dresses. No such problem if you wear them with trouser suits. On my wishlist are Aquazzura’s black jewel buckled mules which show off lots of bare foot (£590, aquazzura. com) – not very practical, but hell, the trouser suit takes care of that.