The Quiet Return of Tailoring: Why Soft Suits Are Defining the Season
Relaxed shoulders, fluid trousers and a palette borrowed from the desert — this season's suiting is built for real life.
By Mira Sen
For years the suit was a uniform for the office and little else. This autumn it has slipped its collar. The shoulders have softened, the trousers have widened and the fabrics now drape rather than hold their shape.
The change is partly practical. People who spent years dressing for home now want clothes that feel just as easy outside it. A soft suit gives the polish of tailoring without the stiffness that made it feel like a costume.
How to wear it now
Start with colour. Sand, clay, olive and a deep brown read as warm and modern, and they mix with almost everything already in a wardrobe.
“The best suit this season is the one you forget you're wearing.”
Wear the jacket open over a fine knit, and let the trousers pool slightly over a flat shoe or a low boot.
Most of all, treat the two pieces as separates. The jacket works over a slip dress; the trousers work with a white T-shirt. A good suit is really three outfits.