Michelle Willliams, Gwyneth Paltrow and More Step Out in Short Suits

Ladies have always loved dipping their well-heeled toes into the menswear arena. We love when a girl has the chutzpah to wear a pantsuit! But this time Hollywood’s IT girls are ditching the trousers in favor of shorts and giving the short suit trend major legs, so to speak. 

Gwyneth in Armani

Gwyneth in Armani

Gwyneth Paltrow stepped out in Armani Privé for the premiere of Iron Man 2 in a short suit just to remind us that her legs put just about everyone else’s to shame. After we booked a few pilates sessions, we clicked back to the picture and actually looked at the suit itself. We loved how she mixed textures (the shorts have a sheen and the jacket has a subtle pattern, too) and contrasted the icy white of her suit with black accessories.

Notice anything missing? Gwyneth upped the sex appeal by skipping a top, and we hope that the single button keeping her in her jacket had some major reinforcement. The shorts add a major dose of femininity to the severe tailoring at the shoulders of the jacket, so any semblance to the ’80s power dressing is completely gone. Here’s hoping she’ll feature something on GOOP about how she keeps those gams looking shorts ready all year.

Eva Longoria in Bocanegra

Eva Longoria in Bocanegra

Eva Longoria left a Letterman taping wearing a sleek navy short suit by Bocanegra (a label also worn by Reese Witherspoon and Mila Kunis). Known for tailored pieces — like suits — the label is a recurring red carpet staple, but Longoria opted for stepping out in a short version.

We love the tuxedo detailing (like the satin lapels on the jacket and stripes on the shorts), and how she went completely monochromatic from top to bottom. Sometimes, keeping things simple makes the biggest impact.

Like Paltrow, she upped the ante by eschewing a top and putting all of her best assets on display. Legs? The petite actress looks like a towering amazon. Cleavage? No comment there, we’ll just say there’s ample room for compliments and commentary alike.

Amanda Seyfried in H&M

Amanda Seyfried in H&M

If you think the short suit is just for fans of high fashion, think again. Amanda Seyfried attended the London premiere of her movie In Time sporting a cerulean stunner by…wait for it…H&M. A part of their Conscious Collection, the electric blue suit is made of eco-friendly materials and manufactured under fair conditions for employees and everyone along the production line.

While H&M is known for fast, throw-away fashion, the Conscious Collection is striving to lower the carbon footprint of the company and pushing the boundaries of technology to find newer materials and new methods of re-using some of the company’s waste products. Seyfried’s proving that using recycled goods can look just as glam as any gown (she’s on a red carpet, after all). She paired her short suit with a black blouse (also H&M) and Sergio Rossi platforms. We love the fact that she’s skipped the expected and went for a something out of the boys’ playbook. 

Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton

Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton

At this year’s Independent Spirit Awards, Michelle Williams wasn’t just helping to promote her film My Week With Marilyn, she was showing that the short suit’s not just for bombshells. With her pixie cut and her intellectual clutch — an Olympia Le-Tan embroidered version of Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye — she brought the shorts suit hemline to even more stellar heights. Like Gwyneth’s mix of textures, her Louis Vuitton shorts tux mixes navy and black, adding some visual interest to an already sartorially superb ensemble.

Milan Street Style

Milan Street Style

We couldn’t resist mentioning that the short suit is anything but a girls’ exclusive. Shot by Tommy Ton, this photo shows that the gentlemen of Milan know that this trend has major legs for the guys, too.

Sure it helps to have a year-round perma-tan and close proximity to any area dubbed “the Riviera,” but Italian guys also really know their tailoring. They manage to pull off a look that is both impeccably tailored and completely casual. While we don’t think hoards of guys this side of the Atlantic will be donning their blue blazers with shorts any time soon (outside the Hamptons, at least) we give these Italians a hand for their leg up on this sartorial standout.

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Author:Fashion Trends Daily Staff

Fashion Trends Daily Editors deliver the scoop on fashion, beauty, celebrity and runway trends.