The traditional two-piece suit just got an upgrade and it’s sexier than ever

The 2022 definition of a suit goes well beyond the conventional shirt-tie-jacket-pants look

When it comes to fashion, 2022 has been the year of emergence. After spending two years mostly in sweatpants and elastic clothes, this year saw the return of sexy through form-fitted corsets, bare midriffs, cut-outs and tighter silhouettes that have been made popular by the Instagram and TikTok generation. This idea of sexy has further been translated into suits with labels such asVersace, Gucci, Fendi and Christian Dior opening their shows with their versions of sexy suits for Spring/Summer 2022. Whether you pair a cropped top with your blazer or prefer to go shirtless under your jacket, the 2022 definition of a suit goes beyond its traditional shirt-tie-jacket-pants look.

Beyond workwear

“Suits have always had the main character energy when it comes to power dressing. Initially created as a mode of expressing your professional self at a workplace, a tailored suit has gone on to become a classic piece of clothing. But it was about time that people fell out of this stereotype of suits being meant only as office-wear,” says designer Vaishnavi Bala, whose genderless streetwear label Balav features blazers and suits with a baggier upgrade, comprising longer jackets and bigger pockets. “As a designer, I’ve always played around with blazers and added my personal design language to them, by blending silhouette experiments and multiple pockets,” she adds.

The idea of wearing oversized, baggy suits is perhaps apt when it comes to the current hybrid work scenario, where comfort is key. Take Brad Pitt’s linen suits for example, worn during his promotional tour for the film Bullet Train. Looser silhouettes in menswear soften up tailored strictness that suits usually come with, making them more relaxed, casual and accessible to wear at multiple occasions. When it comes to womenswear, who can forget Lady Gaga delivering a powerful ’80s look in an oversized Marc Jacobs suit in 2018?

Menswear designer Jayesh Shah believes that while historically, wearing a suit was thought to convey elegance, authority and professional mastery, modernising a ‘Marlene Dietrich classic’ has become a key element of non-binary fashion trends. “Suits aren't what they used to be anymore, which is wonderful because dressing down, working from home and preferring comfort with bolder designs have fundamentally changed what it means to wear a suit. However, at the same time there has also been a resurgence of traditional men's clothing among people who don't have to wear suits but do so out of preference for how they feel and look while wearing them,” says Shah.

Sexy suits you

“Suits are full of joy. They are the sartorial equivalent to a baby’s smile,” said Neil Patrick Harris’ character Barney Stinson in the popularAmerican sitcom How I Met Your Mother. While yes, sartorially, suits exude poise, sophistication and dapperness, with the concepts of gender, power, status and non-conformity being reimagined with the rapidly changing cultural times that we live in, the uniformity and the rigidity of a suit, too, has changed. The new version is cooler, sexier and versatile.

At the 2022 Oscar red carpet, Dune actor Timothée Chalamet wore a cropped embellished jacket with tailored trousers by Louis Vuitton, choosing to skip the shirt and instead go bare-chested. Kristen Stewart broke the Oscar red-carpet norm and wore a shortened version of a suit in the form of a short-suit by Chanel. She paired it with a white buttoned-down shirt and a pearl necklace. Zendaya, on the other hand, opted for a pointy-shouldered power Sportmax suit that cinched at the waist, giving her a flattering hourglass silhouette at the Vanity Fair party earlier this year.

Trust Versace to break the Internet after singer Dua Lipa strutted down the runway wearing a cut-out jacket and a matching slashed skirt held together with safety pin details that has become the brand’s identity. Or take Sarah Burton’s version of suits for Alexander McQueen’s Spring 2023 menswear collection that came with cut-out details and harnesses that cinch the waist.

It’s not just the silhouette of the suit that is changing, it’s also the kind of fabric used and its texture that adds an element of surprise. “In recent years ‘suiting up’ is all about becoming more relaxed with more texture and vibrant colours in a soft, unstructured jacket that is occasionally even made of a knit fabric, which is incredibly flexible and has a more sweater-like feel than a standard suit jacket. The casual three-roll-two jacket with more natural shoulders and a slender design has also grown in popularity in recent years,” says Shah.

Bye bye boring

So how do you make something as structured as a suit sexy in your own way? If you’re going for a Hailey Bieber-esque ‘it-girl’ look, then, for Bala, it’s the oversized blazers that are her go-to picks to elevate her look for any outing. Her advice: experimentation is key. “Picking fun colors and patterns when it comes to blazers always helps, but playing around with bigger silhouettes adds an edge to your look. The first step to not look boring in an outfit is stepping out of your comfort zone and experimenting,” she says.

Shah believes that unconventionality is the flavour of the season when it comes to suits. “Suits now are wider through the chest and shoulder with similar wide-legged trousers. You can now get them in softer and stretchier fabrics that are less structured than the earlier versions," he says. Whether you go for a bold colour or a looser fit, the great thing about suits is that they are surprisingly versatile, regardless of your gender or body type. So next time, don’t think twice about suiting up.

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