A
whole of the year. Predominantly a personal
decision for Wood, she explained that it
was important to demonstrate to young
women that a dress is not the only option
should they want to look glam, although the
fashion industry and media can often make
it seem this way.
Bisexual Wood has struggled with gender
norms her whole life and regards the suit
as that grey area in between things being
black and white, which makes people feel
uncomfortable. “Sometimes grey areas need
to be embraced,” she explained. Other than
serving as a powerful reminder of equality,
her red-carpet moments have reinforced
that suit dressing can be beautiful, feminine
and striking as she rocked velvet and silk
jaw-dropping creations by Altuzarra teamed
with frilled blouses and plunging necklines.
Many labelled Wood’s move revolutionary,
despite the fact women have been wearing
suits for decades now. Th ere
is something about breaking
away from the traditional
image of femininity that
makes our ears prick up and
forces us to listen. What is it
about a woman in a suit that
makes us believe she must
have an underlying message
to be heard? Why must
this choice of attire be
politically
motivated?
Can’t women just wear
suits for suit’s sake?
Marlene Dietrich was
the fi rst movie star to
eff ortlessly pull off the
suit in the 1930’s, defying
sexual stereotypes as
she openly talked about
her
bisexuality.
By
the 1960’s the female
tuxedo became iconic
thanks to YSL and ‘le
smoking suit,’ which was
both androgynous and
sexy and immediately
adopted by models
of the era. It became
the symbol for great
change and breaking
the mould. So powerful
and important was
the message of the suit
that YSL has shown it in one variation or
another in every subsequent collection.
“It became
the symbol for
great change
and breaking
the mould."
18
woman’s place is
no longer at home
as we strive for
equal opportunities
socially, in work,
and
through
education. But for
all of our progress,
just how far have we come to accepting the
humble suit as part of a woman’s everyday
wardrobe? A woman in a suit no longer
shocks us, but it still remains a powerful
way to deliver a message to the world. It
is a statement of self-confi dence and self-
acceptance, one it appears can’t be told
with a simple dress. Never has the power
of fashion been so noticeable than when a
woman wears the trousers.
2017 has been dubbed the year of the suit
by the fashion industry. Barely a collection
was shown this year untouched by the
presence of a tailored alternative
to eveningwear, presenting itself
in a multitude of guises. Slim
cut, boxy, velvet or patterned,
the female suit kicked off the
year in a big way and shows
no signs of slowing as we move
into the fall season.
On the runway Mary
Katrantzou gave us velvet
patterned
blazers
and
matching trousers, whilst
Marni’s suits had a more
relaxed feel and came with
eye catching graphics.
Bigger is most defi nitely
better, with oversized jackets
and loose fi tting, bellowing
trousers set to be everywhere
this winter. On the high
street print is key, with suits
in brocade, fl oral prints
and stripes dominating.
For a dressier evening look,
velvet and silk options will
be in abundance, along
with softer pyjama inspired
styles following on from the
summer.
Echoing the runway
trends, actress Evan Rachel
Wood also found herself
devoting the year to the
iconic suit. She committed
to a promotional run of red carpet
appearances wearing only suits for the