How To Nail Timeless Tailoring

There are few things more empowering than slipping into a perfectly tailored suit. Whether you’re stepping out at an event or heading to the office, a strong-shouldered blazer paired with a neatly pressed pair of pants is the ultimate confidence boost. We’ve known this for decades, of course. Thanks to the likes of Coco Chanel and Marlene Dietrich, many pioneering women were already wearing pantsuits as far back as the 1920s. And since then, each new generation, from Katharine Hepburn in the ’40s to Diane Keaton in the ’70s, have been putting their own spin on the menswear-inspired look. But there’s one decade that has become the ultimate reference point for timeless tailoring among the style set: the 1990s.

Cast your mind back and it’s easy to see why. Suits at the time were typically cut in relaxed, slightly oversized silhouettes that would make anyone wearing them feel both poised and totally at ease. So much so that they became a hit on the red carpet as much as they did in the workplace. Who could forget Julia Roberts accepting the award for Best Supporting Actress at the 1990 Golden Globes in a men’s suit by Giorgio Armani, tie and all? The moment has become so iconic, Roberts broke the internet again recently in a near-identical look, this time by Vivienne Westwood, while promoting Luca Guadagnino’s After The Hunt. Co-star Ayo Edebiri also paid homage to Roberts’ original outfit earlier this year at the very same event in an impeccably tailored ensemble by Loewe.

To replicate the look yourself, team Alaïa’s double-breasted wool-gabardine blazer (size up to achieve a looser, ’90s fit) and straight-leg pants with a crisp white shirt by Victoria Beckham underneath, buttoned all the way to the top. If ties aren’t your thing, try accessorizing with a silk scarf or a sculptural brooch instead. Then, to finish, slip on a pair of sleek black loafers or kitten heels.

Elsewhere, embrace a ’90s palette with Sasuphi’s dark-chocolate suit – the tuxedo-style blazer and wide-leg ‘Bogart’ pants are minimally detailed and perfectly capture the decade’s pared-back aesthetic. All you need to complete a chic day-to-night look is a pair of kitten heels or loafers, like Saint Laurent’s burgundy leather pumps, and sculptural jewelry – Tabayer’s 18-karat gold ‘Oera’ choker is our top pick.