The Power Suit

At around the age of six or so, I remember small stacks of foam shoulder pads placed by the sewing box, ready to be stitched into all of my mother’s coats and jackets. With the fashion excess of Melanie Griffith’s Working Girl having safely been left in the 80s, I think they were purchased in order to achieve an ‘off-duty’ Princess Diana look seen in the early 90s. Striking in its casual, low-key chic. My mind always returns to these soft wads of cotton when I hear the phrase ‘power dressing’ and all that it implies. Fast forward 22 years and I find myself at the end of Fashion Month, certain that 80s power suits are having a moment again.

From the punchy shoulder pads seen at Tom Ford to the relaxed tailoring at Helmut Lang, the trouser suit has been invited back into the A/W 18 wardrobe fray. What’s more, there are few rules when it comes to styling them.

Personally, I wanted to do something a little more casual and paired-back with the styling of this lightweight, mansy check suit from the ASOS Design collection. It’s blend of smart tailoring and slouchy lines neatly straddles something both Don Draper and Don Johnson would be comfortable in, so I felt it could stand up well to being paired with a plain cotton t-shirt and white canvas trainers. The blue check cut into the suit ensures things remain interesting and lends an almost graphic edge to what you pair it with, so I also tried it with a navy cashmere sweater, to pick out this colour and also to ensure a more season-friendly outfit.

With the accessories, I wanted to pay homage to the All-American, Hollywood appeal that Katherine Hepburn introduced on the set of The Philadelphia Story and thought these simple tortoiseshell frames met the criteria nicely.

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