“I realized a long time ago that skirts are useless. Every time I hear a man say that he prefers a woman in a skirt I tell him, ‘Put one on, put a skirt on,'” Katharine Hepburn defiantly states in the 1993 documentary All About Me. What’s more, no matter how much Hollywood dressed her in dresses and long skirts in the vast majority of films she starred in, they never managed to model her taste. A fan of pants and classic tailoring, when asked by journalist Barbara Walters in 1981 if she had any skirts in her wardrobe, she replied: “Yes, I have one. “I’ll cut it for your funeral.”
Marlene Dietrich, Sofia Loren, Carla Bruni, Twiggy, Madonna and Brooke Shields, Bella Hadid and Hailey Baldwin are just some of the actresses and celebrities who love the men’s suit and have defended it even when the law in France still prohibited its use by women! And nothing more and nothing less than until 2013!
As a symbol of empowerment and equal rights, the suit has been a perennial garment in the collections of women’s clothing brands for decades, but this season it resurfaces with a specific print, the pinstripe, the undisputed protagonist of this fashion. autumn is the result of Gen Z’s taste for tailoring and their willingness to subvert the meaning of any garment. Thus, the most formal wardrobe has become the wild card for everyday looks.
This fine striped print was born in London at the end of the 19th century. The City bankers had their suits made to measure in the tailoring mecca, Savile Row, in high-quality fabrics in dark tones and matching vests, from which they pinned their gold pocket watches. “It was all about the power or status of the employee. The separation between the stripes was closer if one held a higher rank in the company and, very soon, the pinstripe print conquered dandies like Beau Brummell or Lord Byron and, later, Oscar Wilde, who even wore it in taffeta. green silk. Very soon this look crossed the pond, but in New York and Chicago it was the favorite of gangsters like Al Capone and the rat pack led by Frank Sinatra. What they were looking for was to also symbolize economic power through their clothing,” explains Juliette Moore, pattern making teacher at Central Saint Martins.
“The youngest wanted to emulate these scoundrels and singers, also carried away by the hedonistic vision of life after the Great Depression. In the case of women, this print became very fashionable in the sixties, with Twiggy’s androgynous look and the birth of streetstyle. Italy echoed this trend and many actresses like Sofia Loren used it in bar jackets over pleated skirts,” adds Olivier Jordan, stylist for Grazia.it.
At the end of the eighties, a film clearly demonstrated that women were clear that they did not have to give up management positions in companies or earn lower salaries than their male counterparts: Working Girl (Armas de Mujer in Spanish) with Sigourney Weaver, Melanie Griffith and Harrison Ford as protagonists. In the film, Weaver’s character is clear that clothing is essential when it comes to promotion: “Dress vulgar and they will only see the dress. “Dress elegant and they will only see the woman.” It was then when New York workers began to go to the office in suits and sneakers, a formula that we see today in younger women as well.
Beyond the loafer or the kitten sandals, currently a lot of girls in their twenties wear pinstriped suits with ugly sneakers and a tie, another trend that is sweeping this season. The icing on the cake: a hat or beret and lots of jewelry.
This season the pinstripe comes in numerous colors, from green or blue to pink, as demonstrated by Polo Club, Gant and Roberto Verino, but it stands out above all in black and white suits, as we saw at the Tod’s show in Milan, with Laetitia Casta, and in that of Dries Van Noten, with gold contrasts; as well as in ready-to-wear brands such as IKKS. Other proposals with this print that seek to become seasonless garments that age gracefully in the closet are the three ecru pieces from Mango, and the jackets and shirt dresses from Loewe.
“Gen Z also opts for combining stripes of different types. For example, wearing a loud, red and black color-blocked turtleneck sweater under diplomatic shirts. Likewise, they accompany tailored suits with oversized trench coats or without anything under the jacket, as we have seen in Bella Hadid or Hailey Bieber,” reveals Lucie Kyle, fashion buyer at Harvey Nichols London. They, and celebrities from our country like Aitana, also opt for this print on skirts and shorts, together or separately, seeking the greatest versatility in any garment. So much so that even pajama shirts from luxury brands like Tekla are used to go to the office or for dinner with friends. This Scandinavian brand has also just launched a collaboration with Stussy for the home.
Also breaking away from the quintessential pinstripe, but echoing its distinguished craftsmanship and unmatched finishes, we find the cushions by Missoni, the rugs by Nanimarquina and the armchairs by Alvar Aalto for Cassina. Timeless pieces, like a good pinstriped suit.
