The return of the power suit

From Gucci’s sensual approach to Loewe’s irreverent, casual take, suiting has a louche cool this season that’s giving the two-piece a new lease of life, explains Marie Kelly.

After a decade of menswear dominated by the influence of Alessandro Michele at Gucci and his fantastical, gender-flouting aesthetic, ‘mainstream’ is having a moment, and no more so than at the Italian house under the new creative direction of Sabato de Sarno. Gone is the cacophony of prints, colours and textures that redefined brand Gucci for a new generation. Gone, too, are the severed heads and cyborgs. De Santo’s debut was entirely gimmick-free, focusing instead on quality clothes with widespread appeal. And the biggest story for autumn/winter at both Gucci and its luxury counterparts is that, for the first time in a long time, the suit is back. Yes, that loaded emblem of 20th-century masculinity long linked with brash, tough-talking men is back, but without the ball-breaking connotations.

Like his predecessor, De Sarno asks questions about what binds menswear to masculinity, but rather than shredding the rule book, he has slowly picked apart the seams, offering nuance rather than ostentation. His focus has been to tone down the patriarchal messaging of the traditional two-piece with a sensuosity and tactility once reserved for womenswear. Literally and figuratively, he’s taken a softly softly approach. How well it will resonate with consumers remains to be seen, but it’s certainly struck a chord with celebrities; both Ryan Gosling and Mark Ronson chose Gucci by de Sano for the Academy Awards in March. 

De Sano’s mentality is one that was mirrored across brands and cities throughout fashion month earlier this year, with stalwarts of suiting like Giorgio Armani, Saint Laurent, Dior and Valentino, as well as avante-garde brands from Loewe to Comme Des Garçons, bringing a soft power to suiting that had feminine flair without appearing overtly womanly. Pierpaolo Piccioli went so far as to employ techniques traditionally reserved for women’s haute couture. After years of spotlighting models in skirts and A-list actors in gowns, it made for a much-needed change of pace. 

For many men, suits have always been a wardrobe linchpin. Dublin-born, New York-based violinist Gregory Harrington has played for presidents (including Biden), politicians, dignitaries and celebrities in some of the most prestigious venues around the world. For him, there’s a ritual around wearing a well-chosen two-piece that never loses its appeal. “I always enjoy the act of putting on a suit, especially before an important performance. It makes me feel more focused,” he explains, “and it shows an appreciation for finer details,” he adds. 

For his wedding in October, he’s chosen a made-to-measure Irish linen tuxedo with satin lapels from Manhattan tailor Proper Cloth. “Structure, fabric quality and fit are my priorities,” he says, “I like a contemporary but classic look that won’t date.” He relies on Tom Ford, Zegna and Hugo Boss for refined ready-to-wear options. (Keep an eye on Hugo Boss this season as it launches its collaboration with David Beckham, who will “design and curate” both the brand’s formal and casual menswear collections.) But suits don’t have to be serious, he says. “Paired with a simple T-shirt or a hoodie, they can be worn for every day. Making a suit work in this way has a lot to do with the attitude you bring to it.” 

It’s a perspective that’s been reflected in collections from JW Anderson to Auralee and Loewe. The latter showed suit trousers that appeared haphazardly tucked inside white socks – curated, certainly  – in fact, they were attached – but careless looking, imbuing the two-piece with a modern irreverence. Zegna, meanwhile, introduced sloped shoulders and roomy cuts in supple fabrics, subverting the suit’s correctness into something more cocooning; perhaps nodding to the long-term impact of our lockdown lifestyles – comfort remains key. The brand’s preoccupation with tonal dressing – two pieces came layered with knits and coats, all in dulcet tones of dove grey, ochre and cream – leaned into the latest version of quiet luxury, which was both aspirational and wearable.

Zegna introduced sloped shoulders and roomy cuts in supple fabrics, subverting the suit’s correctness into something more cocooning.

At Dries Van Noten, it was silhouette that stood out. Wider legs and longer lines subverted standard proportions, creating a looser, freer aesthetic that was punctuated by nipped in waistlines for a distinctly feminine sensibility. Saint Laurent took the idea of fluidity a step further, describing the fabric as “an illusion” “dissolving” into “liquid”. Trouser hemlines pooled luxuriously like floor-length evening gowns, while double-breasted jackets boasted a butter-soft tactility. American label Amiri, meanwhile, elevated its louche, pyjama-style tailoring with satin and jacquard fabrications for a look reminiscent of Hollywood’s Golden Age.

Dubliner Séan McGirr made his much anticipated debut at Alexander McQueen, and while it’s clear he intends to bring a new youthful energy to the house that will demarcate it from Sarah Burton’s 13-year reign as creative director, he did maintain many of the house’s signature suiting codes: peak lapels, strong shoulders and defined waistlines. From these traditional touchpoints draped fluid jackets and billowing trousers, mockingly at odds with the stiffness of suiting as we know it. Languid shapes and roomy cuts also defined Emporio Armani’s offering and Paul Smith’s. De Sano, meanwhile, introduced two fits, one relaxed, the other rigid, but richly textured.

For those who’d rather forgo fluidity in favour of a more conventional cut, there was plenty of that on offer too. Dolce & Gabbana’s runway collection was fittingly called ‘Sleek’ and it drew on mainstay evening wear codes. Immaculately cut dinner jackets, narrow waistcoats and silk cummerbunds had a classic refinement that was punctuated by contemporary details like cropped hemlines and crystal embellishments. 

At Prada, suits had a 9-5 efficiency but without the banality of standard corporate uniforms. Co-creative director Raf Simons referenced “the businessman, the working man, the thinking man” in his show notes, but there was no shortage of the house’s signature eccentricity, as two-pieces were paired with the unlikeliest of accessories – swimming caps. More subtle updates included blazers with a slightly boxy fit and exaggerated lapels, while colourways ranged from prudent navy to impulsive pink. Hermès, meanwhile, reimagined skinny suits in tactile Prince of Wales check with a slightly cropped ankle for a more effeminate aesthetic. 

Spezzato looks – two-pieces where the fabric of the jacket and trousers don’t match – were popular too, showing up at Dries Van Noten, Amiri, JW Anderson and Zegna. A popular style in Italian menswear since the 1950s, it offers an a lá carte approach to tailoring, ideal for those who find two-pieces too prescriptive. 

There’s nothing prescriptive about the suits designed by Irish tailors Beggars Run. Founded by Sligo native Cian McAuliffe and Dubliner Edward Hussey, it has two showrooms, one in Shoreditch in London and the other in Nolita, New York, and specialises in unusual fabrics like pink 10-wale corduroy, seersucker and burgundy herringbone flannel. McAuliffe describes their style as “a softer approach to English tailoring”, offering clients the opportunity “to step outside the grey and navy box”. They are as innovative with colour as they are with fabric and they’ve attracted a broad spectrum of customers with one thing in common. “They’re all looking for something a little bit different.” 

Spezzato looks – two-pieces where the fabric of the jacket and trousers don’t match – has been a popular style in Italian menswear since the 1950s and offers an a lá carte approach to tailoring, ideal for those who find two-pieces too prescriptive. 

It’s this kind of experimentation that is proving to be the suit’s saviour, and on runways, too, designers’ played with our preconceptions, swapping flannels for utilitarian denim, with jean co-ords styled to look more like formal wear than work or streetwear. It was double denim, but not as we know it. Accessorised with ties – also made of denim – and overcoats at Prada, it retained an off-duty appeal, but with a gentlemanliness that felt novel. It was a similar story at Louis Vuitton where Pharell Williams’ ode to the American West included a polished look of boot-cut jeans and slim-fitting shirt styled with blazer and man bag. 

The discrete, uncomplicated polish of the two-piece was directly reflected in outerwear options, specifically a trend towards a softer style of trench coat. Its military undertones were offset by cape-like silhouettes at Junya Watanabe, flowing double layers at Sacai and alternative fabrications at Dries Van Noten and Dolce & Gabbana. Beyond the trench, overcoats at Lemaire, MSGM and Valentino had the effortless ease of bathrobes – elongating, enveloping and swaying. 

There were still plenty of boundary-pushing looks this season for those who want them, from tube dresses at Fendi and frilly shorts at JW Anderson to pretty embroidered headscarves at Givenchy. Skorts, in particular, kept the gender-fluid trend alive, but made it more accessible than the skirts of previous seasons. They came pleated at Yamamoto, flared at Sacai and in tactile corduroy at Fendi. 

But all-in-all this season was a more sober one; the return of normcore, some have said, though this undersells a season that was rich in detail and big on desirability. The narrative may have been built around wardrobe staples, but there were enough plot twists to keep things interesting. No severed heads necessary. 

This article originally appeared in Irish Tatler, September 2024