The death of the suit

It’s not often we talk about men’s suiting at Fashion North and for good reason. The men’s suit is dying a slow death. It appears less and less on red carpets and when it does, it’s more than likely just the same black tux we have seen many times before.

So many times in-fact that we wouldn’t be surprised if the male population revealed they had four identical black suits that they all simply share.

Classic tailoring is so-called because of its years of history, but it lacks the invention or versatility of another wardrobe classics-a least for men. The men’s suit even disappeared from the inflation basket of the office of National Statistics, in favour of the formal blazer or jacket.

Whilst formal-wear hasn’t died completely (and probably never will) the traditional mens three piece suit is on its final legs. But we want to change that.

In the spirit of stripping the gender from clothes and making the fashion world more inclusive, we urge women and girls everywhere to raid the men’s sections of shops or even the wardrobes of their dads/boyfriends/brothers to claim their tailored sets for their own.

As suggested in a now-viral Harpers Bazaar article by Jill Gutowitz, sapphic dressing or ‘dressing like a lesbian’ is in and what better way to channel this fluid, oversized style than with a men’s suit.

Whilst naming it ‘lesbian dressing’ may raise a few eyebrows and questions, it’s fair to say we agree with Gutowitz’s main point: it’s powerful and it’s sexy.

 

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Paired with a chunky pair of heels, boots, trainers or (possibly, we haven’t tested it yet) sandals, the mens suit has a whole world of possibilities for women, fitting with multiple aesthetics and the often being the perfect charity shop find for those of us who are second-hand shoppers.

Head to @Fashion_North to let us know your thoughts.