IN fashion terms, there's absolutely nothing new about either trouser suits or the name of Gucci. But in Milan last March, these two came together to create the sensation of the international autumn/winter collections. It has been 18 months Since Texanborn designer Tom Ford took over as head of design at Gucci, a house that until his arrival at the helm appeared to be in irreversible decline. While Ford's first two collections caused a major stir among the fashion press and buyers, his latest range has had repercussions throughout the industry, setting the tone for the season ahead.
In particular, Ford and Gucci have been responsible for initiating the 1970s revival which is now fashion's favourite influence, and for making the trouser suit this season's must have item. For those of us who are sufficiently old to remember the 1970s in its original incarnation, the idea of a revival win not seem terribly attractive. But Gucci's version of The Decade Which Taste Forgot (as it was stigmatised during the 1980s) is actually quite palatable and even at times intensely seductive.
So when it comes to the latest interpretation of the perennial trouser suit, it bears definite traces of 20 years ago but gracefully mellowed with age. As with the finest work from the period produced by designers such as Halston, the overall cut is mannish in outline but not to any exaggerated extent. Gucci offered lots of pinstripe to emphasise the masculine tone and there is plenty of this fabric now around in other, less expensive collections. But women thinking of following the new trend need not worry about being mistaken for a man. The shape of jackets tends to counteract the traditionally male material by focussing on the feminine form beneath. The emphasis here is on the shoulders (narrow) and waist (nipped in) to give an overall closefitting garment. While the shoulder is tight and square, it ought not to be broad; pads are needed to provide definition without bulk. Similarly, darting on the main body of the jacket should pull it in gently at the waistline before flaring over the hips - a single or double vent at the back will help achieve this effect.
Obviously, the overall length here is longer than has been the case of late, the short form simply doesn't have sufficient presence to work with this season's pants.
These can be either flat-fronted or pleated - the waistline is very much according to choice and comfort - but to look absolutely right for autumn/winter 1996, trousers have to flare out below the knee. Flares are probably the most unattractive legacy of the mid 1970s in most peoples' minds but the latest version isn't so much a wide flap of redundant material as a relatively modest widening of the leg to ensure the hem falls over the shoe ankle. Ideally, these shoes should have little platform; again think just a tiny lift rather than several inches. Finding flared pants isn't yet easy as they're still very new, but it's worth hunting them down because they define the fashion moment like nothing else.
WHEN it comes to colour, the strongest story right now is brown which has been so long out of favour that it barely features in most wardrobes any more. Every designer has included brown in his/her current collection but if it doesn't suit you, there are other options around. As mentioned, pinstripe is another popular choice but black (naturally enough) retains its ubiquity and deepest Prussian and navy blues are much in evidence too. For day, wool in its various mixes is the clear winner while velvet trouser suits will definitely be much in evidence at night.
Velvet gives a comfortable softness to trouser suits and provides additional help in dispelling a too overt masculinity. But - as these photographs show, mannishness definitely isn't much in evidence anyway thanks to the sensual nature of the new shirt which is heavily darted and - again following the lead of Gucci - left provocatively unbuttoned almost to the navel if you dare. Not only will the result look decidedly unmasculine, it won't even seem terribly wintry. To achieve the full Gucci impact here, you're going to have to keep the central heating high. So the greatest flare will probably be on the system's pilot light.