They have an ability to effortlessly seam comfort, colour, cut, and quality into a single design. When looking for workwear, this is exactly what you want; pieces that are going to elevate your presentation and convey confidence.

Think of the people you admire and respect, when they enter rooms, what do you see, feel, and think? There is one commonality to these rare set of people that we give our admiration and respect to; the way they present themselves. It is the first thing we see, the first message that we hear about who they are. 

Clothes play a key factor in this impression. The way they fall over ones body to seamlessly fit at all the right places, the way the light glimmers off the fabric that shows the neatly tied fibres of a quality piece. Or even the way the colour illuminates their skin and you can see the subtle accents of the design that take up a small space, but go a long way to the entirety of the look. 

We have carefully selected five timeless Fall styles that can take your presentation to the next level in your workwear. This is based on what professional leaders are wearing and our expert stylist recommendations. 

1.) The Trench Coat

The first style we have is the trench coat. What would Fall be without this transitional staple; light enough to layer, while being warm enough for the brisk autumn months. There is a universal comfort in a trench coat. The style is timeless and first originated in the 1850’s by Aquascutum and then a little later by Burberry during the world war. 

It wasn’t until the war finished and there was a surplus in trench coats, that women movie stars began to popularize them. The style has been around for over 150 years and is not going anywhere, anytime soon. It has weathered the ever changing nature of fashion and art to evolve to where it is today. 

When purchasing your trench coat you need to look at two major factors. The first is going to be fabric. When you purchase for Fall it is important to think about not just the style but the functionality of a piece. The fabric of a coat is especially critical because it determines how well it can hold heat and most importantly, last throughout time. 

 Cotton by-stretch water repellant twill is the gold standard for trench coat fabric, naturally these will be priced higher, but when you think about their ability to last and be worn for many seasons to come, it is an investment. Not only can the coat be worn in Fall, but you can also bring it back out in late Winter/early Spring.

2.) Notch Lapel and Peak Lapel Suit Jackets

This would not be a workwear style guide without a suit. To understand its importance in women’s fashion, we must look at its history. In 1870, actress Sarah Bernhardt was the first woman to courageously wear a suit in public. She defied all social norms and started a fashion revolution that didn’t take long for the rest of the world to follow. 

 There are many different ways a suit can be worn and designed, but these two subtle cuts have withstood the test of time to be sensational pieces for you step into the office with. The lapels of the suit are the pieces below the collar and we are going to go over the two most classic ones; the notch and peak lapel. The notch lapel is where the bottom of the collar meets the lapel at an angle and creates a v-shaped notch like we can see in the picture below on the left.

 The next is the peak lapel, which is much more of statement piece as they convey a sense of authority and are more formal. The distinctive feature of a peak lapel is that it ends in a point that is longer than the collar and is pointed upward rather than downward like the notch lapel. It symbolizes power and formality which is why we see the peak lapel featured on tuxedos.

3.) Double Breasted Suit Jackets

Bold and sophisticated, the double breasted jacket is a timeless piece that has endured its style through the years and may be worn for many seasons to come. It exudes formality beyond  the single breast jacket, which is interesting considering it originally was worn as a sporting jacket back in the 1850’s. 

 Its evolution began after the war in 1920 when the Duke of Windsor eloquently donned them. Conveying a sense of confidence, style, and authority that immediately compelled many others to follow in his wake. 

 As with anything, the way one must wear these jackets is dependent on each person’s shape and physical features. For petite frames, light fabrics such as cool and a trim fit will compliment your curves well. Whereas bulkier fabrics, like tweed are more suited to taller frames.

Double breasted jackets are often worn open by women and so we see that women naturally feel more fluidity in their fashion. Fit and shape play a major role in bringing forth ones femininity while wearing this power suit making tailoring essential so all your best features can be accentuated. 

 Like everything in this list, before purchasing make sure you know what fabric is being used. The gold standard for suits is wool, which can be woven in many unique patterns that we see such as twill, houndstooth, or herringbone. Its held in high regard because it is a real fabric that is breathable, soft, durable, and versatile.

 Factors that are essential when it comes to comfort and your desire to want to continually wear it. Trying something on and doing it one time is easy. The true value resides in your desire to want to do it again and again. This is what separates disposable clothing from investment pieces.

 While wool is popular, cotton, linen, velvet, and silk are also great options that are event specific. For example a linen suit is ideal in hot months as the fabric is light and it is semi-formal. While, silk would be suitable for an evening event rather than a day one because it is delicate and lacks durability, so wearing it regularly would not be ideal. 

The history of this suit is rich, full, and has a depth equal to its impact on fashion. The 1920’s was shaped by constrictive clothing for women that gave few freedoms to not just how they dressed, but their lifestyle as well.

It was not until the Coco Chanel genius that struck households to deliver an instant classic which merged elegance and comfort into one. This gave women the answer they needed to step into their power when achieving their goals outside of the home.

The distinctive feature of the Chanel suit is it’s collar-less jacket and slim skirt set that was not just defined by its cut, but also the real textiles, colours, and accents that gave new life to women’s fashion. Today there are many takes on this classic design that incorporate a collar less jacket and why we have featured it onto our list.

This is an example of the need for classic style rather than trends. In what we may think of as a simple suit, it has transcended time to remain a key part of women’s fashion on the global stage. It was not just the look of the design and suit that made it timeless, it was the way it felt, the message it conveyed, and its rich materials that brought it to where it is.

We too should look for these aspects when we are trying to purchase our clothing because in this guide we have seen how it has worked for many others and how it can work for us as well.

Conclusion

At W10 Colours Inc we work to cultivate and develop the unique style of not just our clients, but our community through our tips and guides. Subscribe to our newsletter and join our growing community to stay update and learn how to discover your unique style. If you want to take action and start investing in your wardrobe with timeless and classic styles made just for you, our FALL // WINTER 22 line is a showcase of styles that compliment the different demands of the season. It is launching September 5th and if you strive for the best then, surely you will want to step into the W10 experience and build a wardrobe for life.