After the rise of razor-sharp tailoring followed by a season of oversized fits (thanks Balenciaga), this slouchy, sexy replacement is a welcome third act. Recognisable by its mainstay add-on, a matching waist-belt, it does away with boring corporate connotations.
For many women, the main pitfall with trousers suits is the shape itself. Cheap creased fabric may be off-putting, but it is the boxy margins of a classic silhouette that do so little for women’s natural curves. The cinch is a simple trick but as seen at Duro Olowu and Chloé and on Emily Ratajkowski, Martha Hunt and Yara Shahidi, it’s an effective one. The soft power of the fluid cut and architectural appendage of a belt creates an attractive style for all shapes and sizes.
See And Shop The Look:
belted suits
1 of 9Yara Shahidi
2 of 9Arket, Fluid Wool Belted Jacket, £150
3 of 9Emily Ratajkowski
4 of 9Balmain, Belted Double-Breasted Woven Blazer, £1890
5 of 9Elaine Welteroth
6 of 9Balenciaga, Charm Chain Belt, £1295
7 of 9Martha Hunt
8 of 9Sies Marjan, Terry Belted Satin Blazer, £1155
9 of 9Thierry Colson, Braided Tassle-Trimmed Belt, £122
Riffing on the 70s, this is a feel-good fit - in more than one way. Newly relaxed, it’s a dose more comfortable than the constrictive tailoring of a structured suit. Following the double-breasted and masculine cuts of earlier seasons, this feels less alpha, like the whole concept of a suit has been reframed for the female form.
Look to Balmain, Sies Marjan and Arket for this trend fully-formed. Their suits are designed to facilitate the knot of a tie or the clinch of a belt. However, if you're keen to keep your current suits in rotation discover the benefit of the talking point waistline with the addition of a loose tassel belt like Elaine Welteroth and Martha Hunt have. For the latter turn to Saint Laurent and Thierry Coulson for this instant update.