The power pink trouser suit: Helena Morrissey shows how you can embrace the colour of the summer — and still mean business
- Celebrities from Sharon Stone to Phoebe Waller-Bridge have embraced the look
- READ MORE: New way to wear white and how it can be a statement at the office
When I want to wear something fun yet not frivolous, powerful yet feminine, there is one outfit I reach for. My pink trouser suit.
In a sugared almond shade, it is eye-catching without being too ‘in your face’ and is just the right side of edgy.
As a dress, this colour could be deemed too saccharine. But the trouser suit neutralises the cutesiness. In fact, the dichotomy of masculine clothing in the most girlish of hues lends the outfit a subversive glamour.
So I’m not surprised that pink trouser suits are having a moment, having made the transition from the catwalk to the High Street, with a wide variety on sale from Boden to Asda.
Celebrities from Sharon Stone to Phoebe Waller-Bridge have all embraced the look. The Princess of Wales has worn her beautiful blush Alexander McQueen version twice.
Blazer, £29.99, and trousers, £9.99, zara. com; shoes, from a selection at sophia webster.com
Had it been a grey or navy, the choice of a suit, rather than her usual midi dress, would seem austere, unfriendly even. It’s the colour that makes the outfit.
I have long been a proponent of pink power dressing, but with the arrival of the much-hyped Barbie film, it seems many are coming round to my way of thinking.
I bought my first pink trouser suit nearly a decade ago. In hot pink, it was too loud for my tastes and, quite frankly, a mistake. I gave it to one of my six daughters and chalked it up to experience.
But, as I was to discover, there’s a pink for everyone. Now I own two such suits: one in a pale, slightly cooler pink from Zara with a cropped, gold-buttoned jacket. The other, in the richer aforementioned sugared almond, is a glorious, sharply tailored Givenchy version.
I wore the latter recently to chair a board meeting; I wanted to wear a suit, but not in navy blue or black, which would have seemed too gloomy and traditional for a company going places. Like Kate, I wore it with a pink shirt; as I get older I’ve decided not to do things in half measures.
Contrary to what you might expect, it went down well. Finally, it seems, we’ve moved on from the old-fashioned view that pink is the reserve of little girls and Disney princesses and, as such, has no place in the office.
I didn’t feel the colour undermined my authority; instead, it boosted my confidence — as well as broadcasting to other attendees that I was self-assured enough to wear something slightly unconventional, and was not someone who would disappear into the background. The fact is, a well-cut trouser suit feels more current than a dress right now.
Fuchsia blazer, £416, trousers, £262, thefold london. com; shoes, from a selection at fendi.com
Blazer, £45, and trousers, £32, asda.com; top £115, meandem. com; court shoes, £299, lkbennett.com
Blazer, £325, and trousers, £185, meand em.com; shoes, £149, lkbennett.com
From the High Street, a double-breasted Mint Velvet version. which I dared to wear without a top, is my favourite. The deeper pink looked scary off, but was gorgeous on; bold but not a bit Barbie-esque. The classic cut gives it both wow factor and elegance.
Workwear favourite The Fold offers a deeper, raspberry-ish pink for those who don’t like pastels. The trousers are boxier than I’d normally go for, but they work well with a heel.
The Wyse London, in a warmer blush, is far more casual. The baggier style is very on trend and I can imagine wearing it on holiday with a pair of white trainers.
I loved the Me+Em trousers, which seemed too voluminous on the hanger, but had a polished stripe down the legs.
And the 1970s-style George at Asda trousers with Katharine Hepburn-esque pleats draped well; the jacket would suit larger sizes and had a nice lapel.
Boden, in a salmon shade, was the only suit I tried with a waistcoat. Again, the more masculine cut is balanced by the colour. There are plenty of options in the full spectrum of shades. So think past the pink prejudice and make a pretty powerful statement.
Doublebreasted blazer, £159, and trousers, £99, mint velvet. co.uk; shoes, £22, asos.com
Tailored suit blazer, £76, waistcoat, £59.50, and trousers, £55, all boden.com; shoes, £19.99, zara.com
Single-breasted blazer and trousers, from a selection at givenchy.com; top, from a selection at miumiu.com; shoes, £349, lkbennett.com
Blazer, £159, and wide-leg trousers, £126, wyselondon. com; T-shirt, £25, riseandfall.co; trainers, £195, meandem.com
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