For almost a year now, I've been interning and working as an assistant to Canton-based designer
Colette Wasdahl. Colette designs her own eco-friendly day and evening wear, while also redesigning commisioned work and selling unique, hard to find vintage pieces. About two months ago we opened a new room of the shop which we essentially refer to as "resale"; too new to be considered vintage. Among the plethora of blazers, casual skirts, and sweaters, we boast a rather large section of pant and skirt suits. This is something that I think both she and I feel a lot of love/hate towards; these suits are unique, sometimes best when pieces are separated and mixed and matched. But they aren't selling! With the easy access to thrift stores and professional clothing shops in the mall, no one seems to be in the habit of purchasing a full suit anymore...... But is that about to change?
Colette headed me off a few months ago to the spring suit trend. It's something that, at least within the fashion community, does seem to be taking off. How long (and if) it will trickle down to every day majority wear is still up for speculation.
There is something to be said for a good, strong suit; fine tailoring is empowering, no? I think as the world continues to ebb and change, women seem to enjoy floating between glamorous femininity and bluntly noted equality within their style of dress. This is best exemplified in remembering the origin of the statement suit: Yves Saint Laurent's Le Smoking suit from 1966.
Noted as being the first suit of its kind to grab public attention and acceptance, Le Smoking suit encouraged women to begin donning clothing reserved for men in positions of power. During the intense cultural shifts of the 1960s and 70s, it's no wonder the suit as daily womenswear was so widely donned.
The suit today has been re-imagined in modern cuts and edgy patterns; these are clearly not your mother's statement suits. The concept of one head-to-toe print is what makes these suits such statement pieces.
One of my personal favorites is Sonia Rykel's thought-provoking cotton-blend crepe resort creation. From a distance the pattern is Spring-like and abstract in a floral way; up close, the pattern is left to the imagination.
Fashion hub Who What Wear is encouraging those interested in this spring trend to mix and match statement suit pieces for originality and maximum wearbility's sake. As Colette and I had discussed, this does seem like a good option, specifically when it comes to purchasing used suits. Considering the deal one may get on an entire suit, having it tailored is worth the cost, considering the unique wearibility it will bring.
I for one am a fan of all these lovely, fresh patterns this spring, but when it comes right down to it, I'm a true minimalist at heart. The above mixture of a Lauren Ralph Lauren blazer and T. Babaton pants in complimentary (but not commonly paired) shades of modern blue is impressive, classic, and in my book, statement making.
Yeah the patterned suit is pretty hip. I'd rock one if I could find one for the right price in my size. But I feel like it seems to be too "high fashion" for the average working American woman. Reason saying this because working at an office a few summers ago, all the women wore very similar outfits that were not loud and/or interesting. The few who did wear more interesting outfits were me and a few young twenty somethings who don't work there all year around. It's tough enough for women in the work place to get top positions in jobs, but looking the part has some play to it. I wish it didn't matter, but it does.
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