Tailoring has come a long way since the oversized and overly shoulder-padded power suits made famous by the 1980s cult classic film Working Girl.
Thanks to their formidable wardrobes and corresponding characters, stars Melanie Griffith and Joan Cusack became poster women for female empowerment, and are largely credited for literally changing the shape of women's workwear.
Suddenly, office workers everywhere traded drab greys and frumpy fits for enormous double-breasted blazers and structured mini skirts in a bid to channel their unique aesthetic.
Since then, suiting has become a the ultimate plaything for fashion designers, with vivid jacquards and razor-sharp cuts among the favoured trends.
And judging by the spring/summer 2019 runways, this season’s suits are set to get even more experimental.
We saw splashes of tutti frutti shades illuminate the catwalks of Roksanda, Peter Pilotto and Boss while Balenciaga championed its classically boxy blazers and oversized silhouettes.
Even in styles that came in more conventional colours, such as at Alexander McQueen and Gabriela Hearst, they too enjoyed a makeover thanks to bulging shoulder pads, cinched-in waists, and kick flare trousers.
According to global fashion search engine Lyst, searches for “suits” have surged by 23 per cent in the last three months, with “pink” and “bright” among the most common search terms, reflecting a unilateral craving for suits that are vivid and vibrant.
Leading the way in terms of brands, a spokesperson tells The Independent, is Jacquemus, ASOS and, of course Gucci.
The Italian fashion house positioned itself at the vanguard of quirky tailoring in 2015, when designer Alessandro Michele was appointed as creative director.
Now, the label has become renowned for its iconoclastic aesthetic – think brash brocades and gender-fluid florals as loved by Harry Styles – which is most evident in its tailoring.
Net-a-Porter is experiencing a spiked interest in suits across its site too, so much so that the luxury online retailer has increased its tailoring by 30 per cent for this season.
Top performing brands include Tibi, which is leading the way with double-breasted crepe blazers in Tiffany blue and dark current; OCHI, renowned for its pleated shorts style, and Rejina Pyo, whose sheer organza skirt offering is a playful nod to the aforementioned power suits of Working Girl fame.
As for how suits re-entered the sartorial sphere with such vigour, look to celebrities like Lady Gaga and Cara Delevingne, both of whom have made headlines in recent months for their subversive suiting.
For Gaga, it was an oversized Marc Jacobs suit at a Women in Hollywood event in October, a wardrobe choice that bolstered the empowering words in her speech that evening:
“As a woman who was conditioned at a very young age to listen to what men told me to do, I decided today I wanted to take the power back. Today I wear the pants,” the singer said to rapturous applause.
The singer’s big suit energy moment was preceded by Delevingne, whose royal wedding morning dress ensemble – top hat and Emporio Armani tuxedo – caused such a stir that people could speak of little else in the days that followed Princess Eugenie’s nuptials to Jack Brooksbank.
Elsewhere, model Gigi Hadid, actor Tracee Ellis Ross and singer Janelle Monae are among the ever-expanding roster of A-listers in favour of the snazzy suiting trend.
“There’s nothing corporate or sombre about this season’s suits,” explains fashion stylist and former Selfridges buyer Anna Berkeley, who suggests opting for either one bright colour or an “out there” silhouette so as to avoid a sassed-out sartorial overkill.
“For super-sized shapes, look to Acne Studios, Jil Sander and Rokh,” she tells The Independent, suggesting The Kooples or Claudie Pierlot for something slightly more demure.
“If you’re tall then choose Joseph, Stella McCartney or Victoria Beckham,” Berkeley adds.
“If you have suits you already love, consider adding a belt and cinch it all in. Just a simple tan belt should suffice but if you are very long in the body you could go for a thick corset style instead. Or use a belt bag.”
For more tips on how to style your suits this spring, check out our outfit slides above.
