AMAL’S WARDROBE MASTERCLASS

THERE ARE HUNDREDS of reasons to admire Amal Clooney, a woman who’s so impressive that being married to a Hollywood A-lister is arguably the least interesting thing about her. So many in fact, that it would feel almost reductive to admire and analyse the international human rights lawyer’s style – if she wasn’t so clearly having fun with it herself.

Returning to Columbia Law School as a visiting professor earlier this month, having previously taught there in 2015, Amal has been serving up look after superlative look of spring workwear over the past couple of weeks. A queen of on-off dressing (‘on’ in that her look is always very together; ‘off ’ in that it’s a little off-kilter), this is a musty tweed and patched cord free zone. Amal’s academic fashion aesthetic is bold, unstuffy, elegant, even quirky – but still means business.

And while we wouldn’t normally look to an A-lister for sensible workwear solutions, her New York groove is worth pondering if you’re looking to hit refresh on the nine-to-five. Here we decode three ingredients of the Amal Clooney spring workwear masterclass – it’s easy as P,P,P…

1. POLISH

Amal’s Columbia look could best be described as: ’70s American gloss. Think generously lapelled coats and A-line skirts. The effect is meticulous; nothing semaphores ‘got it together’ quite like a bouclé Chanel skirt suit. Warm weather leather – from butterscotch Diane von Furstenberg to teal Michael Kors – is an unexpected but deliciously luxe choice for outerwear. Detail is key: discreet jewellery, Jackie O-style shades and a very bouncy, very New York blow-dry top off the look – no chipped nails here.

2. PRACTICALITY

OK, so the price tag of Amal’s work look is in the fantasy realm, but nonetheless the pieces are firmly rooted in reality. Wide-leg trousers are easy to move in, knee-length dresses are demure and flattering, plain black knits and tees are a go-to building block. But if you invest in one thing? Make it a proper, grown-up handbag (Amal favours Dior’s Bar bag) big enough to tote hefty files around in.

3. PERSONALITY

Amal is proof that glamour and gravitas aren’t mutually exclusive. Colourful coats, ladylike leopard print and directional heels ( below) all headline her workwear wardrobe – winks of individuality in the buttoned-up world of academia. There aren’t many professors who would buy the same piece as Cardi B (an Alexander Wang leather jacket/trench hybrid) but Amal has always revelled in making unexpected sartorial choices (remember the muchdebated mismatched shoes?). She is proof that to indulge in the frivolity of fashion does nothing to diminish one’s credentials as a serious person with a Very Important Job; you can be fluent in both Michael Kors and Kofi Annan. There is nothing apologetic about how Amal dresses, no hiding her femininity or flamboyance under a corporate mask, and for that we love her even more.