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What suit should I wear this winter?
I have a friend who answers any trivia question that he doesn’t know with “Tonga”. It’s surprising how often he ends up winning a free parma. In fashion, you can adopt the same tactic by swapping Tonga for Chanel.
In the 1950s and ’60s, the Chanel suit was the answer for any woman with a suiting challenge. It still is. Back then, it was a tweed or bouclé jacket-and-skirt combination with glittering buttons and trim details, the same style worn by Coco Chanel herself. Today, it’s the boxy, cropped, collarless jacket, designed by Chanel creative director Matthieu Blazy, often paired with low-slung pants and enjoyed by former first lady Michelle Obama and rising superstar Jacob Elordi.
People also turned to copies of the Chanel suit in the ’60s. Jackie Kennedy’s pink tweed suit with navy lapels and gold buttons – famously worn on the worst day of her life – was an approved copy by Chez Ninon. Australian versions were duly produced by Norma Tullo, Pizer & Co.
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If your budget is more parma-sized than Chanel-ready, there are versions of the style to be had on the high street and online. Don’t limit yourself to brown checks: black adaptations have the same sleek appeal.
The boxiness of the cropped jacket defines waists or generously creates the illusion of one, while the collarless style works equally well with a T-shirt or ribbed knit, depending on the temperature. The billowing pants with stiff creases flatter and will be as versatile in your wardrobe as a Tongan tupenu.
Got a style conundrum?
Email damien.woolnough@nine.com.au
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