The return of the 3 piece..
October 29th 2011
Every so often, fashion editors get very excited about the return of tailoring. Who can blame us? The world looks better in lapels. Thinner, straighter and obviously, smarter. Plus, so the reasoning goes, if a person can be bothered to button or zip themselves into a fitted suit rather than slobbing around in a nylon trackie all day, chances are, they're probably quite interested in how they look, ergo readers of the fashion page. What's not to like?So imagine how thrilled everyone is this autumn. That's everyone in my tiny little world at work on the fashion desk. I'm guessing that Nelson Mandela or Aung San Suu Kyi aren't that fussed.
But on the fashion prairie, we are. So here I am in a three piece. It's supposed to be vaguely Bianca Jagger-esque (the white Tommy Nuttall maxi skirt and jacket she wore to meet Mick at the altar in 1971, is still in my top five chicest wedding rigouts ever), but I've a nasty suspicion it's veering towards the Steptoe end of the spectrum. I think you probably wouldn't wear all three pieces together. That wouldn't stop me getting the waistcoat though - it's a useful option in the winter when you want the effect of a suit without the bother and bulk of having to wear a jacket under a coat. At night, you could wear the waistcoat with nothing underneath, and, in the day, with a white shirt or thin jumper. Can't get much simpler than that. Except for the shoes. When I tried this lot on with brogues, as seen on the Dolce & Gabbana catwalk, I felt like the scary one in Tipping the Velvet . I'm just too short for full-on androgyny to be remotely alluring. Heels it is. The sexier the better!