Resort 2013: Suiting Up

I’ve never really been a fan of pants suits on women. Most of my dislike finds its roots in the fact that so many people wear suits that don’t fit them. Conveying an air of professional polish is often the point of a suit, but an ill-fitting one proves only the opposite. When I realized that pants suits were emerging as a trend for the 2013 Resort season, I made a face at my computer screen. That face quickly faded when I set eyes on this Alexander McQueen option.

I decided to open myself up a bit. To allow myself to be wowed. To not let my history of disdain get in the way of appreciating what was being presented to me. That openness allowed me to discover what I had been missing all along. Suits are as ripe for reinvention as any classic garment. All it takes is the right hand. The right line. The right color story.

The options furthest removed from that standard office workhorse were the shorts suits that popped up in a number of collections. Inappropriate for all but the most liberal and creative of workplaces, the addition of that summertime staple injected a level of whimsy into the garment that was often enhanced by the inclusion of equally non-serious tees.

At Jill Stuart

At Boy by Band of Outsiders

At Oscar de la Renta

At Tucker

At Jen Kao

At Vivienne Tam

The more bold suits on offer often referenced David Bowie. Some played with concepts of gender. Others infused shocking brights into classic silhouettes. These were suits for only the most adventurous.

At Francesco Scognamiglio

At Diane von Furstenberg

At Constume National

At Versace

At Yigal Azrouël

At Tibi

 Suits are rarely, if ever, described as relaxed. Yet these, with the loose-fitting sleeves of their jackets pushed up and the legs of their slouchy pants casually rolled, were just that.

At Costume National

At Preen

At Rag & Bone

At Burberry Prorsum

At Elizabeth and James

Finally there were those with the more classic tailoring one might expect of a suit. But often the lines were tighter. The fabric choices were unusual.

At Viktor & Rolf

At Burberry Prorsum

At Versace

At Iceberg

At Philosphy

At Roberto Cavalli

Sometimes even the less adventurous choices contain a bit of mischief.  



Photos via