Spring 2017 Trend Report: How to Wear the Pantsuit

Date February 24, 2017

I am woman hear me roar! A strong, feminist message was woven into many spring 2017 collections, including Dior, where a white tee featured five powerful words. But despite the rallying cry (or maybe because of it?) the pantsuit is the comeback kid of the season. It’s even dabbling in politics, too, thanks to longtime fan Hillary Clinton and her Pantsuit Nation. Pop stars like Beyoncé and Katy Perry have also recently rocked this look.

The classic 9-to-5 staple may roll with the Old Boys Club, but designers like Michael Kors and Simon Porte Jacquemus have taken this iconic two-piece look and reimagined it into something fresh and new—and covetable. Think power dressing 2.0. Saint Laurent’s black tailored tux look (worn with a bra top) is this season’s answer to the LBD, while Dolce & Gabbana’s gold metallic leopard print pantsuit is ideal for prowling the town after dark. If you’re a jeans girl, wear the cropped statement jacket with distressed denim—et voilà, two looks for the price of one. At Nina Ricci, the textured lavender pantsuit had a cool 70s vibe—styled with a skinny scarf, it’s the ultimate glam rock look to try this spring. Impeccable tailoring and a rich, dark palette (who doesn’t feel like money wearing midnight blue?) added a luxe, sophisticated spin at Lanvin.

Proportions play a starring role, too, in this season’s pantsuit parade with Vionnet and Michael Kors leading the way. The former included oversized double-breasted jackets, while the later showed pristine white versions, featuring jackets cinched at the waist and flowy wide-leg pants. At Céline, the suits had jackets with shrunken sleeves and pants with rolled cuffs—could this be the new casual Friday uniform?

From cool girl to slick n’ sexy, we’ve rounded up our favourite power pantsuits below from the spring 2017 runways. Throw one on and be the change!