Bianca Jagger made historic fashion waves by sporting a white Yves Saint Laurent blazer at her high-profile 1970’s wedding to Rolling Stones musician Mick Jagger. Little did she know that whilst her outfit of choice caused much controversy at the time, it would change the direction of women’s fashion transitioning between masculine and feminine style.
This year’s designers are influenced by the glamorous tailoring and feminine sex-appeal of the uber-flattering pant suit. This androgynous style reflects a sense of power mixed with a hint of femininity and makes men go gaga. Think of the steamy, pulse racing alley sex scene in the 1986 movie “9 ½ Weeks”, where Kim Basinger sports a men’s suit whilst seducing Mickey Rouke at a men’s only club.
It was Yves St. Laurent who brought the fashion world to its knees by pairing the suit jacket with pants down the runway in 1962 and a variation of the suit has appeared on the YSL catwalk every season from then on.
Sexy screen sirens such as Marlene Dietrich, Katherine Hepburn, Diane Keaton and Angelina Jolie have been big fans of this menswear look in the past and more recently, the Olsens representing The Row suit at the CFDA Awards in New York and the lovely Mila Kunis in a Boca Negra suit attending the Cosmopolitan Magazine’s Fun Fearless Males of 2011 Awards.
So, if you’re in the mood to try this menswear inspired style, which allows you to emphasise your body shape and bring out its best assets, stay feminine by avoiding pieces that resemble a shapeless male suit. Keep it feminine with the highest heels you can get your hands (draw inspiration from Christian Lauboutin Pigalle heels 2011 collection), add a style staple leopard print clutch and a well cut fitted jacket nipped in at the waist. A good rule to follow is, if the jacket is loose, the pants should be fitted and vice versa.
Indiana Holley 