Get in on the trend for summer suiting

From miniskirt suits to pastel tones, PRUDENCE WADE picks out the best ways to wear tailoring this season

Few things are as classic as a suit – and tailoring has come a long way.

Once the reserve of menswear (with women wearing the odd skirt set), it slowly made itself into womenswear on the red carpet, and is now firmly part of our everyday fashion vocabulary.

However, suits can still be a bit daunting – you might think they’re only for formal events, or feel a bit heavy for summer, for instance.

But one look on Instagram will tell you summer suiting is having a massive moment right now. It’s also an easy way to express your personality, while looking chic and put-together with relatively little effort.

This is how to wear warm weather tailoring this year…

 

In pastels…

Pastels for spring might not be ground-breaking, but there’s a reason it’s a classic look. Pale pinks, baby blues and spearmint greens are all perfect for standing out from the crowd in your tailoring.

This year, the trend is overwhelmingly for slouchy, relaxed fits. These styles are incredibly versatile – wear with a crisp shirt for office days, a plain white T-shirt and trainers for the weekend, or you could even dress up with heels and silk vests, or corset-style tops underneath for nights out or summer weddings.

 

In skirt suits…

Channel your inner Cher from Clueless or Fran Drescher from The Nanny in this year’s retro take on suiting. While the last few seasons have been all about suits worn with matching shorts, skirts are back in a big way – and the shorter, the better.

In May, Selena Gomez showed us how to wear the modern skirt suit while promoting the new series of her TV show Only Murders In The Building, donning a yellow mini paired with a matching jacket. The look feels fresh with a short-sleeved blazer and pearl accent buttons – and Gomez turned to the high street for her look, nabbing the outfit from Mango.

Either go for pastel colours like Gomez, lean into the retro vibe with checked prints, or go all-out in bright colours for a really kicky look.

 

In interesting materials…

Linen blend suits are perfect for summer weather, but what if you want to give your tailoring a bit of a twist this year?

We’re seeing a growing trend for choosing classic silhouettes in interesting materials – and it would seem like faux leather snakeskin is having a particular moment.

Lil Nas X first showed us how to style a snakeskin suit on the red carpet in 2019, wearing a blue two-piece with a black mesh top underneath. It’s taken a while, but the trend has finally made its way into womenswear – and for a more relaxed take on the look, choose brightly coloured snakeskin prints. Or opt for monochrome if you want a dressier vibe.

 

In separates…

Wearing a full suit can sometimes feel a bit formal, but if you separate the two pieces you’re basically doubling up on potential outfits in your wardrobe.

Tailoring can add a bit of effortless cool to any look – so either try tapered trousers with a plain T-shirt and a light knit over the top, or wear the blazer on its own with jeans. It’s a chance to play around with the items you’ve already got in your closet, creating whole new looks to suit how you’re feeling on a given day.