Suit Up

A nod to the Fabulous Forties. A nod to the Elaborate Eighties. Or maybe it’s the Thrifty Thousands. (Sad face.) But the suit has transcended Hilary Clinton and crawled onto the catwalk. Fall 2009 provides a variety of styles suitable for (haha) both office and scandal-laced rendezvous. Think Casablanca on cocaine. Break out your shoulder pads, pull on your gloves and if you feel inspired, you can even sport a brooch or two.

From Rachel Roy to Ralph Lauren, the neatly tailored nod to the recession is running a mill of department stores and boutiques. Dior paired a taupe faille wool jacket and skirt with pearls and prim toque. (Faille fabrics appear textured as a result of a faintly ribbed woven pattern. They are often more structured and less likely to wrinkle.) Yves St. Laurent plays for team badass with leather corsets, dark knee length skirts and heels that never end. And in case you thought hipsters lack appropriate office attire, Phillip Lim set out to prove you wrong. His Fall 2009 RTW collection proved that business, whether good or bad, doesn’t have to be boring. Lim spiced up suits my mixing shades, adding metal and varying lengths. Zac Posen (right) spiced up his neutral suits with structured shoulders and a pop of color.

If the thought of sporting the entire ensemble scares you – or if you can’t afford to, like us – choose one or two stand pieces to mix with suits you already own. Don’t be afraid to mix blacks, neutrals and navy with pops of color. And if the polished suit doesn’t power you up enough, lift yourself with some stilettos. Honestly, in today’s economy, it’s totally kosher. Plus, someone has to lift the mood. Why shouldn’t it be you?

Emma Dinzebach

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Posted by Emma Dinzebach at 12:00 AM
APPAREL , bargain news , STYLE/BEAUTY , TRENDS |