FASHION Magazine

Happy Birthday Hillary! In honour of the presidential candidate’s birthday we’ve rounded up 10 of the best birthday suits…well, pantsuits that is. Hillary’s signature style has inspired us to search for a whole bunch of seriously fashionable options. The powerful politician look doesn’t have to be drab, a sharp tailored suit in a bold colour or print adds […]

The post 10 Pantsuits in Honour of Hillary Clinton’s Birthday appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

A spate of strong leading ladies has been holding court on television lately, women like Scandal’s Olivia Pope and The Mindy Project’s Mindy Lahiri, who refuse to cheer from the sidelines. While USA Network’s hit legal drama Suits—onto its fourth season—might seem like a boys’ club in comparison, it does its best to reject stereotypical power dynamics, thanks to female characters whose strength often rivals that of their male counterparts.

In fact, many of the women on the show play powerful dealmakers, stealth lawmakers and unapologetic ball breakers. “Beyond the fact that they’re strong women who aren’t just playing a wife, a girlfriend or this pretty little thing, these are all flawed and interesting women who are relatable as much as they are aspirational,” says 32-year-old actress Meghan Markle, who plays one of Suits’ most ambitious characters, a by-the-book paralegal by the name of Rachel Zane.

Unlike in many shows that typecast non-white characters, Markle—who is African-American, English and Irish—is not the token ethnic girl. “In the past, the dream girl would be blonde-haired and blue-eyed. It wouldn’t be me, who’s biracial and freckled,” she says.

See the tuxedo suit on the Spring 2013 runways »

Sometimes a woman feels like puttin’ on the Ritz. Whether it’s worn by Marlene Dietrich, Bianca Jagger or Rihanna, a tuxedo suit has the power to ignite a room faster than any little black dress. With its sharp lines, classic appeal and feminine details—a frilly shirt here, a rhinestone bow-tie there—it’s little wonder that fashion houses like Lanvin, Stella McCartney, Saint Laurent and Ermanno Scervino have reimagined this iconic eveningwear look for Spring 2013.

The first haute couture tuxedo suit—a black velvet pantsuit with a matching vest and a white shirt with ruffled cuffs—was designed by Yves Saint Laurent in 1966. Dubbed Le Smoking, this gender-bending look instantly caught fire, and soon afterward the designer launched his ready-to-wear label, Rive Gauche, with more accessibly priced smoking suits. The timing couldn’t have been better, since the second wave of the women’s emancipation movement marched into the history books that same decade. Power dressing after dark was now an exercise in equal opportunity.

When YSL took his final runway bow in 2002, he had played on countless variations of this signature ensemble in his 45-year career. “Fashions come and go, but style is forever,” he once said. May the tuxedo suit always burn bright.

See the suits and matching accessories now »

All the cool girls from the best 1980s and 1990s movies wore suits. In Heathers it was a colour-coded way of life, and for Cher Horowitz, the power suit was a staple in her amazing technologically advanced closet. Everyone, and we mean everyone, knows her classic yellow plaid mini-skirt blazer combo.

Enter Fall 2012.

From base layers to varsity jackets, we’ve got your 21 must-have wardrobe updates for fall.

View our lust list now »