THE WARDROBE: SKIRT SUITS

Not like Nancy Reagan.

I’ve spent the past two weeks with a skirt suit near-constantly affixed to my body. Call it the timelessness of being a lady or call it the trendiness of the Blazy effect, but either way a skirt suit is the only thing that feels fresh to me right now. It’s so much fun to style, and it bridges the gap between winter and spring perfectly, given that it’s an outfit with a jacket layer built in. The skirt suit that I’ve been fixated upon is the latest in our ongoing exclusive collaboration between Mess and Paris-based designer Delia Wade. I’m biased, but it’s really a thing of beauty. It’s done in this incredible lightweight lavender tweed interspersed with threads of sea foam green, pastel pink, and red. The jacket is a little bit cropped and the skirt is mini (and pleated!) which makes it feel far more flirty than a traditional tweed suit. Come in and try one on—they’ve been selling like hotcakes and spring isn’t even here yet!

Of course, if you’re not into tweed, there are so many other skirt suits to be had. How about a leopard or zebra faux fur?! (Very Fran Fine). Or maybe polka dots or pink plaid (or more pink plaid)?! Moschino Cheap and Chic does the best skirt suits if you love a cheeky print or detail. Courreges’s vinyl versions also perfectly toe the line between preppy and subversive. Better yet, I’m sure your local thrift store has plenty of 80s corporate castoffs languishing and dreaming of a better life. There’s nothing to fear—Nancy Reagan we are not! It’s all in the styling, so let’s get to it.