The best short suits to power walk your way through spring
If you're after a summer trend that's work-appropriate, then short suits are for you. Once considered a mum-sy trend best left to the 90s (although it did always look great on Julia in Pretty Woman), it started having a bit of a renaissance last year, thanks to designers such as Tibi, Versace, Saint Laurent and Off-White.
SS19 saw more of a shift towards athleisure, thanks in no small part to the rise of the cycling short, which you might be pleased to hear isn't as present this season. For SS20, shorts are also getting longer, with labels such as Frankie Shop, ACNE STUDIOS and Gauchere putting a fresh twist on bermuda shorts.
Though if you're still into short shorts, fret not, there are still plenty of those around. I'm particularly loving the classic tailoring of Veronica Beard and the safari-inspired two-piece by Alexa Chung. There's no escaping leather in all its guises either, and Peter Do has a great vegan leather brown ensemble.
Shades are a bit more subdued this season, with bold colours giving way to watered down greens and pinks, and earthy shades of khaki, brown and beige.
Over on the cobbles, Janelle Monae, Leonie Hanne and Kaia Gerber were amongst the many fashion influencers and celebrities that gave the trend their seal of approval during fashion month. The beauty of short suits is that they're not only perfect for work, there is literally a style to suit every taste and mood.
For a dressed-down take on a classic, team a tan linen suit with a Gucci t-shirt and Tevas or your ugly sandal of choice, for a fancier take, try a satin suit with a minimal heeled sandal - influencer-fave STAUD has a great one right now. Or, go with a floaty floral blouse for an eccentric 70s spin a la Gucci.
For the high street, look to & Other Stories and Zara, but if you've got a bigger budget, then you can't go wrong with a bit of TIBI, ACNE or Max Mara.
Shop my edit of the best short suits below.
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Penny Goldstone is the Contributing Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK. She writes about catwalk trends and the latest high street and Instagram sartorial must-haves. She also helms the Women Who Win franchise.
She has worked in fashion for over 10 years, contributing to publications such as Cosmopolitan, Red, Good Housekeeping, and Stylist.
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