How the skirt suit reclaimed its cool status in 2026

The Standard's journalism is supported by our readers.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

During the last great hurrah of the skirt suit, back in the eighties, it became a kind of neat shorthand for ‘successful career woman’.

There were shoulder pads and dinner-plate-sized buttons, all rendered in shades of citrus, salmon, and lavender.

Even at the time, fashion’s marriage of corporatism and femininity was a little too facile to be convincing — oh, you want to work in an office, but you’re a woman ?

Let’s swap those pants for a skirt.

Ta-da!

But now, the skirt suit is having a new kind of resurgence (and there’s not a pastel or Xerox machine in sight).

It all really took off at the spring/summer 2026 shows.

Dior sent out Bar jackets in cropped and flouncy form, paired with matching textured mini skirts.

It was a lighter, more playful version of the austere Dior’s New Look silhouette that defined a generation in the ‘40s and ‘50s.

Proenza Schouler and Tibi also went in on the trend, showing tailored co-ords in fresh but still structured styles — ones that reflected youthfulness rather than nostalgia, emphasising ease without being oversized.

But it’s who Chanel might have done the most for the recalibration of the skirt suit’s image: Matthieu Blazy set fashion hearts aflame when he sent out boxy cropped two-pieces for spring/summer, followed by relaxed tweed versions paired with I Love NY tees for Metiers D’Arts, and, most recently, undone bomber jacket silhouettes broken up with oversized shirts for fall 2026.

The skirt suit is a historic Chanel code, and has been interpreted by all of the house’s heads in their own way, but Blazy’s version is fresh and fluid, referential while still looking to the future.

It has famous fans: Dua Lipa recently wore a fiery printed skirt suit from the Metiers D’Arts collection, and ultimate London girl Lily Allen embraced the two-piece on the latest stop of her West End Girl tour.

Hanushka Toni, founder of vintage resale platform Sellier, has seen the uptick in demand firsthand.

“It’s been a while since this kind of polished, ladylike silhouette has felt cool,” she says.

“Right now, there’s a real appetite for something that feels different from the usual minimal separates or oversized tailoring we’ve been seeing everywhere.

And the skirt suit delivers exactly that.”
It combines polish and ease — knowing what exactly you’re going to match a piece with takes any prevarication and guesswork out of the mix.

Toni wore a lime-green Chanel suit to an event recently with a white tank to break up the “primness” of the set on its own.

“That balance,” she says, “is what makes it feel current again.”
Meanwhile, Australian-born brand Sir has been experimenting in breaking up the traditional silhouette with layers — a skirt worn over pants, a slouchy cardigan under the blazer.

Its latest season features a variety of tailored styles that feel utterly modern.

“Historically, suit skirts have a uniform look,” say Sir founders Nikki Campbell and Sophie Coote.

“Layering feels like a fresh take on an iconic piece.

Any opportunity to make something your own always feels more authentic.”
The best skirt suits to shop now
Reformation Chloe two-piece, £298, thereformation.com
Sir Bastille blazer, £460, sirthelabel.com
Sir Bastille belted mini skirt, £260, sirthelabel.com
Shushu Tong Grain de poudre jacket, £559, net-a-porter.com
Shushu Tong layered mini skirt, £425, net-a-porter.com
Shop now: Max Mara cropped blazer, £990, net-a-porter.com
Shop now: Max Mara Veranda linen skirt, £510, net-a-porter.com
Zara wool shoulder pad jacket, £119, zara.com
Zara wool midi skirt, £59, zara.com