The Most Rakish Power Suits in History

Say what you like about Anthony Eden, the man knew how to dress. At a time when British style was almost stiflingly formal and one might even say becoming rather stagnant, he was one of the first public figures to embrace the altogether more expressive suiting of the Jazz Age. His style ingeniously captured the populist trends of the period – broader lapels, a more angular silhouette, lower-breaks and bold, earthy striped flannel fabrics – whilst retaining the distinctly aristocratic aesthetic befitting an early twentieth century politician. This particular suit is a case in point; with its heavy worsted sharkskin cloth, strong shoulder line and full-bellied double-breasted waistcoat, it feels empowered and suitably presidential. Note also the jacket’s fascinating button stance; rather than fastening with the top button on the waist, his coat buttons sit directly above and below the natural waistline. The effect places emphasis on Eden’s chest and torso, strengthening his stance. Pair this suit with a stately homburg and impressive stride, and you’ve achieved art-deco power-dressing perfection. AC.

When The Prince of Wales formally announced his engagement to Camilla Parker-Bowles back in February 2005, some questioned his motives, others asked why he was dressed like a steward on a cruise ship. But make no mistake, this is a very powerful outfit - an idiosyncratic black tie version of the Windsor Uniform - the undress version of a style of court dress dating back to 1779. The dark blue coat, worn with black evening trousers, boasts a red collar and cuffs, and has gilt buttons bearing the emblem of The Order of The Garter. Needless to say, this dashing item of clothing can only be worn by the most senior male members of The Royal Family – its as exclusive as can be. Who knew that? Only the select few, and this dress code sends a direct message to them: serious power dressing from the future monarch. CM.

Michael Caine’s Jack Carter clearly understands the power of the three-piece midnight blue mohair suit; when cut with a perfectly proportioned, acute-angled notch lapel and strong shoulder line it commands respect. The accompanying sky blue shirt and textured navy tie are complemented by the most epic cufflinks; both of which feature an oversized circular design with a bascule back, anchored with a chain outside of the shirt cuffs - serious accessories for a man on a mission. CM.

What can one say about Mr Elkann? It goes without saying that he’s a rake of highest order; international jet-setter, luxury Italian sunglass designer, horological aficionado and former automotive magnate, but what really makes him special is his status as a leading modern proponent of the power suit. Bold colours, fancy checks, confident proportions and a sporty edge are all hallmarks of his modern, flamboyant aesthetic. Naturally, the effect is one of spontaneity, but dig a little deeper and one starts to sense the mentality of a true sartorialist at play. Whether he is playing with the muscularity of his look; juxtaposing tight, slim waists and bold broad-lapelled chests, or else experimenting with clever tonal colour combinations and powerful patterns – his tailoring is undoubtedly the stuff of legend. AC.

Alan Flusser famously designed the power suits that Michael Douglas wore as Gordon Gekko in Wall Street, but it’s a little known fact that the superb tailoring worn by Al Pacino’s character in Scent of a Woman was also created by him. Lt. Colonel Frank Slade is a blind army veteran with a penchant for expensive cigars, good whisky and fine tailoring. Dressed in strong peaked lapelled, three-piece suits and the most immaculately knotted silk tie with a sharp tab-collar; he exudes confidence, taste and power. Whether he is exposing the hypocrisy of a privileged prep school or dancing the most sensuous Argentinian Tango, he commands the room. CM.

The generous peak lapels and bold stripes on Dandy Dan’s dark flannel double-breasted three-piece are effortlessly complemented by the slimmest of moustaches and his reppe striped silk tie, rakishly pinned. All classic components of the confident dresser. But this movie is all about the flower worn in the overcoat lapel. The Boutonniere is Dandy Dan’s reminder to his syndicate that failure is not acceptable. When the boss is handing out flowers, make sure he has one for you. CM.

I’m sorry to say it, but Baz Lurhmann’s cinematic interpretation of The Great Gatsby, like it or not, was filled with sartorial imperfections; whether it be coat collars standing off the neck, bizarre cuts of double-breasted waistcoat or suspiciously slim linen trousers for 1912, it represented a rather poor effort on the costume front. The same should not be said of the 1974 version, directed by Jack Clayton. For this film, Robert Redford as Gatsby was dressed immaculately by Mr Ralph Lauren no less, and it shows. This chocolate brown chalkstriped three-piece is but one of several exquisite representations of 1920s power suiting seen in the film, with just a touch of louche 1970s style added. Super-broad notched lapels, a punchy double-breasted waistcoat with a wide-wrap and rich forward-pleated trousers set the tone for an almost impossibly nostalgic look. Pair that with a starched shirt collar, striped shirt, jacquard tie and watch chain, and you’re set to redefine the parameters of ‘dress to impress’. A bright yellow Rolls Royce doesn’t hurt either. AC.

Like his Grandfather, Prince George knows that how you dress sometimes says everything you need to say, before you ever utter a word. When faced with the most powerful man in the world, the future King of England wore his monogrammed towelling dressing gown to perfection. He may have to wait his turn, but this head of state in-waiting does not have the limit of a fixed term in office. CM.

The much of the tailoring worn by the immortal David Bowie represents a very different kind of power dressing – that of the slim, slinky and ever so slightly androgynous sex symbol. Bear with me here, although not a traditionally masculine dresser, Bowie’s style was confident, charismatic and presents a fashionable take on traditional sartorialism, one which was fantastically counter-cultural when he first embraced it in the mid 70s. He challenged the notion that men had to dress (and behave) like Neanderthals, empowering the modern man to be more expressive with his clothes in the process. Just look at this suit; the waist is slim, the shoulders and lapels are fantastically boxy (which in itself creates a tension between chest and waist) and yet its cut with a radically short skirt to draw attention to the crotch instead. As far as formalwear goes, this is a cultural game-changer. AC.

Forgive us for saying it yet again, but cream suits are just impossibly cool – particularly so during the warmer months. For a lesson in off-white magnificence a thoroughly underrated source of inspiration is Jack Nicholson’s character J.J. Gittes, a sharp suited, silver tongued private sleuth, with a taste for broad lapels and double-breasted suits. Nicholson’s cream three-piece though is particularly imposing. It has a dreamy quality with its smooth, glossy gabardine cloth and polished mother of pearl buttons, which rather jars against the macabre, nightmarish elements of the film’s narrative (and the bandage wrapped around Nicholson's nose for most of the movie). In an environment that grows ever darker, it becomes an unreal symbol of the moral credulity that simply doesn’t exist in Chinatown – its one hell of a power-statement. AC.