Suits You

Among the many exciting FW18 trends, we can all delight in the prevalence of one of the most luxe and versatile materials: wool. Across the runways, this humble but elegant fabric threaded the collections together, from the sculptural knitwear at Chloé to the neat tailoring at Mansur Gavriel.

The Woolmark Company has a long history of supporting fashion houses and independent designers who use Merino wool in their collections – the company’s illustrious International Woolmark Prize, which has been running for over six decades, was scooped up by Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent back in 1954. By putting this unique and time-honored fibre into the hands of the world’s most creative designers, it is reinterpreted year after year, creating constant modernity from a heritage yarn.

For Brooklyn-based influencer Vanessa Hong – the brains behind leading fashion blog The Haute Pursuit – wool is one of the multifaceted materials that defines her day-to-day wardrobe. “Wool is so dynamic. When people think of Merino wool, they often picture big chunky sweaters and don’t necessarily think of a great matching blazer and pants,” says Hong, referring to a Gabriela Hearst suit she modeled for NET-A-PORTER. “Not only is it practical, it just makes you feel so comfortable. The Gabriela Hearst suit is so light that, for the shoot, I wore nothing underneath the jacket – but just a T-shirt would be really cool, too.”

While it’s a reoccurring trend in recent seasons, Hong sees a great blazer as the ultimate forever piece: “A blazer makes you feel so much more put together. Studies have been conducted on how a suit can really give you a sense of empowerment. To have a really well-structured jacket that cajoles you into standing up taller, holding your shoulders back and walking a certain way is something really powerful,” she says. For this season and beyond, investing in a well-constructed wool blazer is a style game-changer.

As well as statement suiting, wool separates are the perfect layering pieces in unpredictable weather. While it’s revered for its warmth, Merino wool is also a clever, breathable material that cools you down when your body temperature rises. As an active fibre, it reacts to changes in the body’s temperature; in warmer climates, it can feel up to two times cooler to touch than synthetic fabrics because it conducts more heat away from the skin. As a result, layering wool outerwear and knitwear is both a chic and practical way to dress on days spent running around the city to meetings.

Layering also creates a cool textural play and color contrast – try wearing a dark-colored blazer beneath a cream coat, or layering a light Merino wool turtleneck beneath a slate gray cardigan with a checked coat shrugged on top. “I never really want to be in a full head-to-toe look, and wool gives you that contrast,” explains Hong. “It’s super-luxe and beautifully made, so it brings the whole outfit back to earth and makes it more modern.” Some of her go-to brands for creating such looks include Proenza Schouler, The Row and 3.1 Phillip Lim.

Beyond its styling capabilities, one of the best things about wool is that it’s eco-friendly. As a natural, renewable and biodegradable fabric, once it’s disposed of, it takes only a few years to decompose and, as it does, it slowly releases valuable nutrients back into the soil. Aspirational, inspiring, elegant and renewable – it’s no wonder wool is such a key fabric this season.