DEAR Mattie:
What style of suit should I be wearing in the office? Seriously into Styling in Seymour
Dear Seymour:
Suits are gorgeous this season. There are unique styles accentuating this season's layering trend. By layering, I mean textures as well as pieces.
Suits have come back in style with traditional fabrics. Tweed, herringbone, Prince of Wales check, and pinstripe are all in fashion, in their classic colours and pattern size. The cut of the pieces is what updates the suit. Two-piece as well as three-piece suits are very trendy and are a professional look. Yes, woven vests are back in fashion.
Every suit begins with the trouser. Most of the pants this season are lean and cropped to the ankle. Or, they are long and wide. All pants should have a texture, so that they look modern. A new and popular texture is the tone-on-tone black brocade. You can find this pattern in pants and skirts and especially blazers.
There are also straight-leg options for those who aren't keen on the cropped or long look.
Many of the straight-leg pants are going to have pleats around the waistline. These pleats should create a bit of shape to the silhouette, but not too much. The look of the pant is slender and not rounded at the hip.
Skirts are also an option. Although the pant suit is more in fashion, I still like the look of a skirt suit. Skirts are just as professional as pants. If you can find a four-piece suit, which entails a pant, a skirt, a vest and a blazer in a matching pattern, with a modern cut, then you have the potential to mix and match this ensemble like a true hipster. These pieces will be an investment, because the patterns are traditional and the silhouette is clean.
Pencil skirts are still in fashion. Sharp A-line skirts that have a swing are trendy. Even though the traditional patterns look heavy, they are not. Fabrics are lightweight and they are cut to sit properly on your body, without feeling intense. Suits have a structured look, which is also comfortable.
Sweater vests and cardigans are a softer look of the traditional suit. This look can be frumpy, so look for knits that are modern. Most of the designs will be horizontal (which is not flattering). The design should also have a folkloric motif, as though you picked it up on an exotic business trip, but not in a market. The knits are a high-end look.
No suit is complete without the blazer. Blazers this season are the cherry on top. They must look great and not plain. The pattern blazer should match the pant or skirt.
The best blazers are shapely, with back vents, fullness in the shoulder and a nipped-in waist that enhances the female curve. The military jacket with an accordion-pleated back vent is a fresh look.
Blazers add finesse to the lean silhouette, with a cut that is clean and modern, and a style element that offers maximum punch.
Adieu, Mattie
Mattie à la Mode is a monthly fashion advice column. Mattie is a freelance writer and fashion expert. She can be reached via E-mail: [email protected] or visit her blog mattiealamode.com.
