Roots of the suit

From its appearance in the 60s, the woman’s suit has been on a journey, taking in all sorts of styles

AFTER the aesthetic overload of the 80s, the 90s came as something of a palate cleanser. Shoulders were toned down, patterns were kept to a minimum, and there was less of a focus on power dressing for the office.

As with much of 90s dressing, the general vibe was minimalist, with a healthy does of sex appeal, as increasingly suits were worn with nothing underneath.

However, this isn’t to say there wasn’t room for any experimentation at all. Perhaps the most famous suit of the decade comes courtesy of singer Celine Dion, who wore a John Galliano backwards white tuxedo to the 1999 Oscars. This avant-garde outfit caused even more of a splash at the time as women still largely wore dresses for formal and high-profile events. THE 2010s brought with them the realisation suits don’t have to be overstyled – they are powerful enough on their own. On the red carpet, female tailoring has proved it’s more than just a trend and is here to stay.

The fashion for the moment tends to revolve around sleek, well-fitting two-pieces – at premieres they’re often worn with just a bra underneath for extra sex appeal.

Luckily, nowadays women don’t feel quite so compelled to wear carbon copies of male suits to assert their dominance in the workplace. It’s become more of a place of experimentation, and women have started playing around with patterns and colours.

Suits have become so prevalent they’re no longer reserved for the red carpet or boardroom but work just as well with trainers or comfortable boots out on the street.