The skirt suit, usually associated with bankers and lawyers is no longer merely a stuffy, three-piece outfit. Popular on Fall and Spring runways this year, this staple has evolved into a glamorous work ensemble with tremendous style potential.

Most commonly linked with Chanel, the skirt suit has become synonymous with the brand as Coco Chanel had revolutionised fashion by replacing the traditional corseted silhouette with the comfort of simple suits. Composed of a knee-length skirt and trim, boxy jacket, traditionally made of woven wool with black sewing trim and gold buttons, the classic Chanel suit was a symbol of wealth and elegance in the upper social stratas. Karl Lagerfeld has since then experimented with it, playing with different colours and fabrics, modernising it whilst still retaining the original essence.

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was an ardent lover of well-designed skirts paired with jackets that she commonly wore with pillbox hats as she hit the campaign trail with husband President John F. Kennedy. More recently, Republican Presidential candidate, Governor Sarah Palin’s choice of attire has been creating quite a stir in the media. For her debut beside Senator McCain, Palin chose a slim black skirt suit with surprisingly sexy shiny red heels which had fashion blogs abuzz.

This season designers have worked hard to create some stimulating deviations from the normal. Nicholas Ghesquière for Balenciaga crafted geometrically sharp cut suits with slit skirts. At Christian Dior, John Galliano created some luxuriously feminine cashmere pieces in bright red and orange. Tweed lovers will not be disappointed with Karl Lagerfeld’s twist on the staple Chanel look with skirt-and-jacket combos in washed-out tweed, belted jackets and varying skirt lengths. A style statement, in every generation, the skirt suit is here to stay!

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