Suit Up

Missguided Top* (similar sleeveless version here), Jacket* and Trousers* | Thomas Sabo Bracelet* and Enamel Heart Charm* | Zara Bag | Converse | ASOS Sunglasses

There's few outfits that look or feel more powerful than a suit. Is that a bit cliche?

For me, fashion has always been a sort of psychological escapism. Clothing has the power to transform you into whatever you really want to be. So cliche or not, I couldn't care less, because I always feel pretty badass when I'm wearing one.

Let's be real, but stereotypical: suits are a male dominated realm. If your face isn't pressed into someones armpit during the morning commute and you manage to get a glimpse around you, what do you see? Chances are you'll notice that it's mostly men doing the suit-wearing. But that's probably what makes wearing suits so much fun for us: it's something we're not that used to. Sure, most men might not get the same enjoyment when wearing a women's dress (apart from guys on stag do's dressed in drag) but that doesn't change anything. Slipping on a suit allows you to sink into a certain level of androgyny that so many designers can't seem to get enough of right now. It's dress up and it's fantasy, which is exactly what fashion should be.

As always with me, fashion and dressing is all about finding the right balance of pretty/ugly, masculine/feminine, sexy/casual. So rather than wear a full on shirt and suit combo (there's only so much androgyny a girl of my height and size can take before looking like a dumpy long-haired Charlie Chaplain) I decided to opt for something so quintessentially feminine and sexy: the low cut top.

Now I never wear low cut things. It leaves me feeling a little... exposed, and usually results in unwanted stares, glances, and whistles from builders and van men-classy. But when worn with a fundamentally masculine outfit you get the perfect contrast of mannishness and femininity (which surprising acts as a bit of a deterrent to these stares and whistles...) Cue a dainty heart charm bracelet from Thomas Sabo and a classic quilted handbag and you're almost good to go.

But the shoes? Well, it was always going to be classically cool converse. I love the ability trainers have to transform a pretty straightforward outfit into a slightly different dimension. The sexed up sheer panels and tailoring have to be dressed down somehow...