Suits Are Fall’s Simplest—and Most Popular—Trend, Thanks to Everyone from Young Hillary Clinton Fans to the Hadids
Hillary Clinton might not be president, but even without the reigning queen of pantsuits in office, suits are still showing up everywhere this fall thanks to everyone from Gigi Hadid to Jennifer Lawrence. Of course, in many cases, these aren’t stuffy ensembles you might be expecting: Earlier this month, during New York Fashion Week, Bella Hadid, for one, stepped out in a glittery gold Max Mara three-piece complete with a bra for a shirt, only to step out a week later, this time in Milan, in a matching leopard-print blazer and trousers. She then followed up on both of those ensembles with a simpler black version—this time sans shirt, but plus Matrix sunglasses.
The latter look was in fact quite similar to a black suit that Cara Delevingne wore on the red carpet this summer—a week in which she also wore a wildly weather inappropriate blue velvet suit, and Isabelle Huppert and Aymeline Valade followed suit (sorry) in pastel pink and shimmery gold ensembles of their own.
Gigi Hadid, Jennifer Lawrence, and Evan Rachel Wood Have All Embraced the Formal Suit For Fall
Gigi Hadid attends the 2017 Harper’s Bazaar Icons at The Plaza Hotel on September 8, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Jim Spellman/WireImage)
Nicole Kidman attends the screen talk: Nicole Kidman & Dev Patel during the 60th BFI London Film Festival at Picturehouse Central on October 12, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for BFI)
Amy Adams poses backstage at the 2016 IFP Gotham Independent Film Awards Co-Sponsored By Landmark Vineyards at Cipriani Wall Street on November 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Landmark Vineyards )
Tilda Swinton arrives at the red carpet of the premiere of film “Doctor Strange” on October 13, 2016 in Hong Kong, China. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)
Ruby Rose arrives at People’s Choice Awards 2017 at Microsoft Theater on January 18, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images for Fashion Media)
Rebecca Ferguson attends the ‘LIFE’ Photo Call In Berlin at Akademie der Kuenste on March 14, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Matthias Nareyek/Getty Images for Sony Pictures)
Octavia Spencer attends the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 8, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage)
Victoria Beckham heads out of her hotel on May 13, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Gotham/GC Images)
Rihanna seen out in Manhattan on May 22, 2017 in New York, New York.(Photo by Josiah Kamau/BuzzFoto via Getty Images)
Ellie Bamber attends the Lost In Space event to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the OMEGA Speedmaster, which has been worn by every piloted NASA mission since 1965 at Tate Modern on April 26, 2017 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
Isabelle Huppert (L) and Jessica Chastain attend the 70th Anniversary Dinner during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at on May 23, 2017 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Kristina Nikishina/Epsilon/Getty Images)
Zoe Saldana seen leaving ‘Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen’ in Soho on May 03, 2017 in New York, New York. (Photo by Josiah Kamau/BuzzFoto via Getty Images)
Rita Ora wears a light blue suit on June 20, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Gotham/GC Images)
Cate Blanchett at the San Diego Comic-Con International 2017 Marvel Studios Panel in Hall H on July 22, 2017 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
Aymeline Valade attends the European Premiere of “Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets” at Cineworld Leicester Square on July 24, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/WireImage)
Cara Delevingne attends the “Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets” European Premiere at Cineworld Leicester Square on July 24, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)
Evan Rachel Wood arrives at the 69th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 17, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Jennifer Lawrence attends The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on September 12, 2017 (Photo by: Andrew Lipovsky/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
Amber Valletta attends the Giorgio Armani show during Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2018 on September 22, 2017 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Jacopo Raule/Getty Images)
Bella Hadid attends dinner hosted by Rimowa & Alexandre Arnault to celebrate the 80th Anniversary of Rimowa’s iconic aluminium suitcase at Restaurant 1728 on September 26, 2017 in Paris, France. (Photo by Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty Images for Rimowa)
Lauren Hutton attends the Green Carpet Fashion Awards, Italia, wearing Giorgio Armani for the Green Carpet Challenge at Teatro Alla Scala on September 24, 2017 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Eco-Age)
All that happened around the time Shayne Oliver was reimagining his hotly anticipated version of Helmut Lang, which debuted during New York Fashion Week. While there plenty of suits on hand amidst the bondage-like ensembles and clear briefcases, one in particular stood out: an extremely layered white version which differentiated itself from another all-white suit just two looks before it with a pair of white heels and a newspaper-turned-shopping bag, which the model used to shield his eyes.
From left: Milly blazer; Alix bodysuit; Attico pants; Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini belt; AGL shoes. Tibi blazer, skirt, and shoes; Joe’s sweater; Milly shirt; Sorelle earrings; Fogal tights; MCM Worldwide bag. Golden Goose Deluxe Brand coat; Rag & Bone shirt; the Kooples pants; Aldo boots.
Oliver, in fact, had politics on the mind when he was making up his mind about how to re-invent the house. And while he ultimately decided on creating an antidote to what he’d interpreted as the recent hollow politicization of fashion, for some, Clinton has made those types of all-white ensembles bear an unavoidable political significance. Around this time last year, she wore an ivory asymmetrical pantsuit to dominate Donald Trump in the third and final presidential debate, a version of which she defiantly reprised on Trump’s inauguration day.
Clinton may be famously divisive, but her look of choice seems to be one thing everyone can agree on: It resurfaced this month thanks not just to the sensually minded Oliver, but to a little girl who hadn’t even yet hit double digits, and yet still managed to pull together her own white suit to meet Clinton at a book signing earlier a few days ago, not unlike the one Evan Rachel Wood wore on the red carpet just last week.
From left: Herno coat; G-Star top; Furla bag; Stuart Weitzman boots. DKNY coat; Karl Lagerfeld Paris shirt; Tibi corset and shoes; Kate Spade New York pants; Kathleen Whitaker earrings; We Love Colors socks. Rag & Bone blazer; Topshop Unique top; Leon Max Collection pants; AGL shoes.
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