Suiting Renaissance

No. 84

Welcome to Style / Substance, a newsletter about personal style, confidence, and the psychology of fashion. Features include outfit ideas, styling & clothing care tips, reflections on how style can transform you, and product/brand recommendations to make your life easier and ensure you present your best self.

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No matter your political affiliation, you can’t deny that Vice President Kamala Harris rocks the pantsuit. She is bringing it back into fashion. There’s a resurgence happening with this silhouette—watch and see.

New suiting styles have started emerging from retailers over the past two years. A response to the extreme swing to comfort in the midst of the pandemic. These days, it’s showing up in oversized jackets to the bright-colored fitted pairings of two and three-piece sets.

But suiting really hasn’t left our lexicon, or our closets for that matter. It’s really just been given a new look. And this isn’t the first time suiting's gotten a makeover.

Women’s suits entered the sartorial masses, most notably during the Suffragettes movement, as a response to relinquishing the constraints of corseting, quite literally and figuratively, and because of the flexibility women needed in their increased engagement in work, play, and community.

Fast-forward a century, and we have seen the power suit remixed again and again for women to take on new heights. It is often an attire that’s part of the iconography of women doing everything from running organizations to their first-ever job interview.

For Kamala Harris, she knows suiting well because she came up in her career as a prosecutor. There is a decorum that comes with this aesthetic. It’s a nod to self-respect, to the people she represented and those whom she engaged with daily.

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Suiting works so well for Kamala because she knows how to move in it, and it’s a natural extension of who she is—she’s comfortable, and thereby, she’s confident in her clothes. Her suits are tailored to fit her well, making them look unquestionably polished. Her secret power is how she moves. It’s her smile, her joy, her ease. All of this combined is what makes her style so real and so right.

Personally, wearing a suit makes me feel like a grown-up. In fact, I’m wearing a colorful suit for my upcoming TEDx talk from women-owned brand Argent. I know that suiting doesn’t fit into every single person’s wardrobe, but I do believe that we will see much more of it in the seasons ahead, and I’ll be curious to see how clients and friends are coming up with creative ways to incorporate these in sets, separates, or even tailoring-inspired renditions.

Suiting suits Kamala Harris. It can suit you, too.

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📲 Know someone who would enjoy this newsletter? Fashion is for all. Spread the love and share with them.

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Shop @SawyierStyle Suiting Ideas

Veronica Beard Tomi Matte Crepe Jacket // Veronica Beard Edia Matte Crepe Pant // Kobi Halperin Leni Stretch Silk Tie-neck Blouse // Ring Concierge Petite Floating Pearl Huggies // Sam Edelman Vienna Pointed Toe Heel // Jenny Bird Gia Bangle

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Argent Peak Lapel Blazer // Argent Pleated Trouser // Argent Everyday Shortsleeve Cardigan // Shashi Odyssey Earrings // Michael Kore Amara Kitten Pump // Cuyana Classic Easy Tote

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Favorite Daughter Phoebe Bustier // Favorite Daughter Phoebe Pant // Favorite Daughter Suits You Blazer // Cuyana System Zipper Pouch // David Yurman Sculpted Cable Band Ring // Dolce Vita Cross Heels // Jennifer Fisher Samira Mini Hoop Earrings //

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Tahari ASL Belted Asymmetrical Jacket // Tahari ASL Classic Pants // Mejuri Dome Huggies // Mejuri Puffy Charlotte Ring // Dolce Vita Haylee Heels // The Row Park Large North-South Tote Bag

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Club Monaco Relaxed Double Breasted Crepe Blazer // Club Monaco High-Rise Fluid Crepe Trouser // Good American Women’s Modern Tank Scuba Bodysuit // Agmes Synergy Ring // Clare V Petit Moyen Bag // Sam Edelman Julian Platform Heel

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Banana Republic Seahaven Slim Italian Cotton-Linen Blazer // Banana Republic Seahaven Straight Italian Cotton-Linen Pant // Chan Luu Pearl Mix Necklace // Vans UA Old Skool Sneakers True White // Madewell Triple Metal Keeper Belt // Zella Go-To Rib T-Shirt

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💡 Join me on September 6 for TEDx

It’s been a dream to give a TEDx talk, and that is coming true on September 6 in St. Louis! I hope you’ll join me for this inspiring afternoon of women’s voices being amplified in the region. My talk is “The Power of Style” — how personal style influences your confidence and self-image. It’s an opportunity to express this work that is so very important to me and impacts every single one of us.

Tickets are available here + Use code SAWYIER24 for 25% off General Admission tickets.

Share the word with friends and colleagues. Though this is a women’s event, men are absolutely invited. See you on the 6th!