Give your wardrobe that touch of class

Sep 13 2007 by Laura Davis, Liverpool Daily Post

The suit just got smarter. Laura Davis makes the case for the ever-popular two-piece ensemble

Daniel wears grey suit, £500, aqua shirt, £65, tie, £57, from TM Lewin; Kirsti wears Shelly blouse, £89, Treacle grey skirt, £99, from LK Bennett; models’ own shoes

SOME women are born to wear skirt suits – stern headmistresses, 1950s trolley dollies . . . the Queen.

Meanwhile, the rest of us are doomed to fret over ladders in our tights each time the look comes back into fashion.

Kirsti wears rock grey Galor shift dress, £140, from Tommy Hilfiger; and black court shoes, £71.99, from LK. Daniel wears black pinstripe suit, £575, pinstripe shirt, £115, striped tie, £69, by Gieves & Hawkes

But just because this ensemble hasn’t been seen on the catwalks for some time, it doesn’t mean women stopped wearing skirt suits to the office, and, while a badly-cut jacket can pile on pounds, a well-fitted one is incredibly flattering.

Pencil skirts are the height of elegance on the right figure, emphasising a narrow waist, while a flared style hides broader thighs.

Shelly blouse, £89, Treacle grey skirt, £99, and matching jacket, £199, from LK Bennett

Despite the recent relaxation of men’s office attire, this season’s offerings are smarter than ever with heavier fabrics giving suits a feel of luxury.

* KNOWSLEY Hall, the ancestral home of the Earls of Derby since 1385, is the location for this week’s fashion shoot.

Steeped in history, this unique venue provides a truly magnificent setting in which to hold a wedding, event or conference.

Set in 2,500 acres of parkland designed by “England’s greatest gardener” Capability Brown, Knowsley Hall is also suitable for away days and team building packages, which include quad-biking, archery, a 4x4 course, and the newly opened Aerial Extreme – a high-adrenaline adventure ropes course.

Left, Daniel wears grey suit, £500, aqua shirt, £65, tie, £57, from TM Lewin; Kirsti wears Rock grey Galor shift dress, £140, from Tommy Hilfiger; black court shoes, £71.99, from LK Bennett. Right, Daniel wears black pinstripe suit, £575, pinstripe shirt, £115, striped tie, £69, by Gieves & Hawkes; Kirsti wears purple striped shirt, £57, from TM Lewin; grey skirt, £115, matching jacket, £175, from Tommy Hilfiger; and black court shoes, £71.99, from LK Bennett

Notes

Location: Knowsley Hall, Prescot, www.knowsley.com or tel: 0151 489 4827

Models: Daniel Ankrah and Kirsti Hatch, of Impact Models, www.impactmodelsagency.co.uk or tel: 0151 495 2266

Stylist: Laura Davis

Photographer: Andrew Teebay

Hair: Kayla at Voodou, 98, Bold Street, Liverpool, tel: 0870 870 5666

Make-up: Leanne at the Bobbi Brown counter at John Lewis, 20 Basnett St, Liverpool, tel: 0151 709 7070

Stockists: Gieves & Hawkes, LK Bennett, TM Lewin Tommy Hilfiger, all at Metquarter, Whitechapel, Liverpool, tel: 0151 224 2390

lauradavis@dailypost.co.uk