Reality Check: Should We All Be Dressing Like 1970s Bankers?
Welcome to Reality Check: a new regular franchise from the ELLE fashion editors that asks: how well do the season's biggest trends really work in the wild? This week, we take a look at how we're actually tackling 'Tenniscore' this summer.
The suit and tie is back. So is fashion’s favourite, Bella Hadid. After a two-year catwalk hiatus, Hadid made her return to the runway during Saint Laurent’s Paris show earlier this week, wearing a menswear-inspired suit and oversized, geekish glasses. When rumours of her comeback began circulating, expectations were high, and on day one of Paris Fashion Week, Hadid stepped out on Anthony Vaccarello’s runway.
After taking time off due to Lyme disease-related health issues, Hadid has kept busy, launching a sell-out fragrance brand and starting a new relationship with cowboy Adan Banuelos. Now, she’s trading the rodeo for the runway once more.
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Paying homage to Yves Saint Laurent’s own 1970s wardrobe, Hadid wore a slouchy double-breasted blazer with exaggerated shoulders and lapels, layered over a crisp white shirt and a satin necktie. Far removed from the hyper-sexualised office siren trend we’ve seen previously, this twist on the brand’s iconic ‘Le Smoking’ tuxedo—the first of its kind designed for women in 1966—was both a nod to the past and an exercise in modern tailoring.
Hadid's appearance marked a shift from her last runway moment in October 2022, where she walked the Miu Miu SS23 show in a micro-crop top and low-rise skirt. The contrast was stark and reflective of fashion's broader pivot from the skimpy, bearing all looks that have dominated recent seasons and red carpets.
Kendall Jenner, too, was recently spotted in an oversized suit while in Paris—hers a grey wool number, paired with a chocolate brown Hermès handbag and signature stilettos. The look, much like Hadid's, balanced masculine style codes with just the right amount of feminine touches, echoing the iconic suiting choices of Julia Roberts, notably her 1990 Golden Globes get-up.
This return to baggy tailoring taps into a broader trend toward power dressing and androgynous style, as seen on the Bottega Veneta and Ferragamo SS25 runways too. And you’ll be pleased to know that 1970s banker-inspired dressing is not just reserved for the workplace or the runway, a great suit can become a wearable look when done right. As demonstrated by Hadid and Jenner, throwing on a slouchy-but-tailored suit with a pair of heels and oversized specks is something you can incorporate into your everyday wardrobe—no nine-to-five needed.
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