Suits you: the new rules

Fashion has smartened up its act, and the trouser suit is back. Victoria Moss casts her eye over the season’s tailored perfection

If you’ve not come to grips with fashion’s recent obsession with moving sportswear out of the gym and firmly in your workwear wardrobe (velvet tracksuits, posh jewel-covered trainers, luxe leggings – although the latter might still not guarantee your entry onto a United Airlines flight) then be calmed by the incoming yang to ath-leisure’s yin…

Tailoring, specifically the trouser suit, is very much back on the agenda. While that may cause any of you who enter a traditional corporate workplace every day to surrender a little eye roll in this direction, bear with us – it’s your moment, which means you can at least survey the souped-up options coming your way.

The search engine Lyst.com has noted a 37 per cent increase in demand for women’s trouser suits in the past year, with the most viewed coming from Gucci, Max Mara, Alexander McQueen and Mango. Interestingly – especially in the light of Nicola Sturgeon’s devoted relationship with her tomato number – red is now the fourth most popular suit colour after black, navy and grey.

What’s a political reference without a triumvirate you may be thinking… indeed. While Hillary Clinton inspired an army of pantsuited support, and Theresa May

has been giving tartan some love not seen so publicly since the Bay City Rollers debuted their mullets, it’s perhaps merely a moment of serendipity that these two happen to have hit upon fashion’s current trend du jour.

Are we supposed to be dressing for a new serious, post-Brexit, Trumpian era? Perhaps, if you’re a celebrity with an overt point to make. At the Golden Globes earlier this year the actress Evan Rachel Wood sported a tuxedo in homage to Marlene Dietrich and David Bowie, commenting that “I’m not trying to protest dresses but I wanted to make sure that young girls knew that they aren’t a requirement. You don’t have to wear one if you don’t want to”.

The new way to wear an evening suit is (thankfully) not the naff Nineties nightmare of pairing it with nothing but a bra (see early era Posh Spice – and note the rebranded Beckham now works a far more executive, tailored, covered-up Serious Business Woman look).

Wood wore her Altuzarra black tux with a crisp white cotton pussy-bow shirt. For something more low-key when one hasn’t got a red carpet appointment (it happens), a black suit paired with a well-cut T-shirt and simple heel is a new compromise agreement that works well. (See Anja Rubik, above – and also note the glitzy earrings that throw in an extra shot of glamour and femininity to balance it all out). Emma Watson is another celebrity to have realised the suit’s power as a means to underscore one’s serious feminist UN-speech-giving credentials. She recently wore a vintage Yves Saint Laurent grey number (its long-time previous wearer being Charlotte Rampling no less) for her appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel show in the US, seemingly signalling that just because she’s promoting her role as Belle in Beauty and the Beast it doesn’t mean she’s a Disney-ditz.

At recent fashion weeks, alongside the distinct decline in trainers on the front row, there was equally scant ironic sloping around in £1,000 trackies. Ellie Pithers, fashion features editor of Vogue, is a fan of Gabriela Hearst’s slim-fit suits: “Those high-waisted trousers are startlingly flattering – and I love Tibi’s relaxed tailoring, which is so comfortable it feels like you’re wearing pyjamas.

“The key is to wear it with a simple T-shirt or camisole – no starched shirt collars here – and to avoid the teetering high heel. A low block heel with a cropped ankle-length looks chic, as does a pair of kitten heels. Or try it with a pair of Marni chunky flatform sandals come warmer weather – you’ll be surprised how easy it is to sling it on with flats.” For anyone bored by the classic navy/black/grey suit incarnation, Caroline Issa, publisher of Tank Magazine, offers great schooling in the colour-clash. “I love bright coloured suits, or ones that are unexpected in texture or fabric,” says Issa. “Gucci suits are perfectly tailored but might come in a baby- blue with velvet lapel ribbons.” She recommends British heritage brand Connolly’s unisex suits, as well as Petar Petrov’s striking colours.

The key to the new suiting rules is to be open to all: mix and match jackets and trousers, play around with proportion (look out for Balenciaga-inspired bold-shouldered numbers – Zara is a good source), cropped trouser details (all the better to show off a good shoe) and don’t shy away from mashing up your colours. This isn’t the stern old days of power-play masculine dressing – it’s a feminised, fashion interpretation – ie, much more fun.

Natalie Kingham, buying director

‘The key is to wear it with a simple T-shirt or camisole and avoid a teetering high heel’

at Matchesfashion.com, points out that the suit is simply “a great way to feel polished and pulled together all day. Dolce & Gabbana and Alexander McQueen offer great jackets for curves and offer slim or wide pant options.”

She also recommends Saint Laurent for slim-fit styles, Racil and Blazé Milano for their bold colour ways and for blazers that work equally well with a dress or skirt as in a two-piece ensemble.

Arguably, suiting is an area where it’s wise to invest: cut – especially with jackets is key. For the ultimate personalised touch, try Phoebe Gormley, of Gormley & Gamble, Savile Row’s first women’s-only tailor ( gormleyandgamble.com). At an affordable notch down, Paul Smith’s “A Suit to Travel In” collection not only offers classic single breasted styles in jaunty colours (check out the aubergine and dark green varieties) as well as navy and black, but is also constructed from a crease-resistant wool twill.

Max Mara also offers excellent quality for not too eye-watering prices; as does Joseph, which currently has a very chic widelegged, double-breasted deep navy style (Bailey jacket, £495, Mika trouser, £295, joseph-fashion.com).

If one is tempted by the fruitier colourways, why not test the highstreet waters first? Topshop has this great pink two-piece which would make an excellent wedding or summer event outfit, or equally a fun weekend look with flat sliders or trainers.

Zara and Mango are also on target: between them they’ve ticked off every suit variant of the season, from tuxedo to pearl-buttoned, doublebreasted and pinstriped to pink.

The worthwhile point to remember is that even if you flinch a bit at forking out in the first instance, each piece will work brilliantly on its own, and offer a cool shot of sharpness to existing outfits.