Suit Up!

The transition from winter to spring is always a tricky one; how do you capture the SS13 trends early enough to remain ahead of the curve whilst remaining appropriately covered up in the wintry conditions of January and February?

This post identifies one possible solution. The pant suit.

The colours vary from bright shades of red to subtle hues of grey but the arrangement remains the same, it's the season of the alpha female.

On the catwalk:

Balmain SS13

Calvin Klein Collection SS13

Cedric Charlier SS13

Christian Dior SS13

Jonathan Saunders SS13

Mary Katrantzou SS13

Mulberry SS13

Pedro Lourenco SS13

Saint Laurent SS13

Stella McCartney SS13

Theyskens Theory SS13

Trussardi SS13

Victoria Beckham SS13

On the celebs:

Amanda Seyfried during Paris Fashion Week in October wears a 3-button suit from the Prada Resort collection teamed with purple Mary Jane platform shoes.

Christy Turlington shows off a slime silhouette in a black and white combo at The Tracy Anderson Method Pregnancy Project in New York City, October.

Actress Emma Roberts wears a Nanette Lepore outfit in a subtle black and grey geometric pattern teamed with a Claire Vivier clutch and Christian Louboutin shoes in New York last October.

In a grey suit and patterned shirt, Gabriella Wilde goes for a preppy look at Burberry's SS14 Womenswear Show in Kensington.

Kate Hudson wears a striped blazer and trousers by Alexander McQueen to the September premiere of Glee in Los Angeles

Mandy Moore wears a slim-fitting suit at the Centre Studios, New York, in September.

Similarly to Emma Roberts above, Nicola Roberts incorporates subtle print into her trouser suit, wearing a soft animal print at the Stand Up To Cancer fundraiser in October.

Swedish actress Noomi Rapace wears smart green and mustard separates at a London premiere of Great Expectations in October.

Rachel Zoe during Paris Fashion Week in October wears a 70s-style Hutton suit from her own collection.

On the high street:

By investing in a statement trouser suit (by statement this could mean: print / colour / amazing tailoring) you can swap and change the accessories and layering to keep the outfit season friendly, this also helps with the transition of A/W > S/S!

Here I have chosen a very bold floral trouser suit from Topshop to prove the above, in the first outfit picking out the black in the collar and the stripes running down the sleeves and leg makes the floral seem autumnal and wintry, if you add black tights you have an outfit that is also practical for those bitter mornings.

1. TOPSHOP floral blazer, £68

2. TOPSHOP floral cropped trousers, £40

3. NEXT perfect shirt in black, £35

4. LK BENNETT ava leather envelope clutch, £350

5. HOBBS invitation adria shoe, £169

I the second outfit option we see a composition and is reminiscent of springs ever-recurring trend of pastel and floral. By using layering and accessories in paler colours, this highlights the pale flowers in the suit creating a fresh look that is great for the start of Spring, which let's face it, in England, is still bitterly cold..

1. TOPSHOP floral blazer, £68

2. TOPSHOP floral cropped trousers, £40

3. REISS silk front t-shirt in cream, £59

4. LK BENNETT ava leather envelope clutch, £350

5. LK BENNETT abigail patent leather strappy sandal, £295