If Business-Core Comes Back, Blame ‘Suits’

Prepare your pencil skirts.

If you haven’t seen the USA Network drama Suits, you are probably still aware of it as Meghan Markle’s most significant acting job. You know, the one she starred in when she started dating Prince Harry — and left in season 7 before marrying him. The show focuses on a fictional N.Y.C. law firm — they both wear suits and defend lawsuits, get it? — where one top partner inexplicably decides to hire a young college dropout and pretend he’s a lawyer (a literal crime) for funsies. It was a respectable hit in its time, premiering in 2011 and running for nine seasons, but, truthfully, didn’t seem like it would be particularly memorable in the grand scheme of TV history after it ended in 2019.

Which brings us to 2023, and the show is, suddenly, everywhere. It’s now streaming on Netflix for the first time, and is breaking all sorts of streaming records. After all, it's a perfect binge-watch: The banter is witty, the plots are utterly unbelievable but fun, and you’ll wake up at 2 A.M. tortured by the theme song stuck on repeat in your head. But I also harbor a secret theory that it makes us nostalgic for a fantasy version of Office Life — a fantasy that maybe never really existed, but that we’ve moved even further away from in the recent past.

Related: The Producer of 'Suits' Wants Meghan Markle Back for a Revival

The show ended just the year before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and you have to admit that even if you never worked in a high-powered law office with (very fake) views of New York City, the subsequent work-from-home culture changed everything for most people professionally — including fashion. We let go of our heels, dry-clean-only blouses, and fitted skirts in favor of more relaxed, often stretchy styles. And though the world has emerged into a new normal with a return to the office, many of us still have no idea what to wear to the office.

But the women of Suits are a different breed. Casual Friday? They don’t know her. Athleisure at the office? Simply could not be them. Yes, the men wear, well, suits — and wear them well, I might add — but if you’ve seen one hot guy in a suit, you’ve seen them all. The men’s suits on this show are expensive, well-cut, and as interchangeable as one of the many plotlines where a legal matter gets resolved by blackmail. (Seriously, has any lawyer at this firm ever won a case on actual merits?)

The fashion eye candy of the show is courtesy of the women, particularly the three main leads, played by Meghan Markle, Sarah Rafferty, and Gina Torres, each of whom has a distinct wardrobe. Let’s break down what makes each of their wardrobes so winsome (and consider yourself warned if you haven’t yet binged, as there may be some mild plot spoilers ahead).

Related: The Palace Requested a Specific Meghan Markle Line Get Scrubbed From 'Suits'

Meghan Markle as Rachel Zane

Rachel Zane is the firm’s top paralegal who secretly wants to be a lawyer and falls in love with her scam of a coworker. She is whip-smart and stunningly beautiful, and so good at her job she gets an office usually only reserved for associates. Her wardrobe is jam-packed with polished business separates, including a seemingly endless collection of pencil skirts. She is basically a walking pencil skirt. She holds the Guinness World Record for most pencil skirts and least ability to breathe, probably.

I am not sure where a paralegal gets the budget for the amount of tailoring (or Drybar visits) she has done, but every single one of her skirts fits her like a glove. She pairs them with crisp blouses or cardigans, and frankly, based on her outfits alone, I would absolutely trust her with my life.

Sarah Rafferty as Donna Paulsen

Donna Paulsen is the fiery red-headed secretary (it’s giving Joan from Mad Men) turned COO who knows everything and everyone. While she’s every bit as professional and polished as the legal staff, she gets to have a little more fun with her wardrobe. “Donna’s spunky,” Suits costume designer Jolie Andreatta once said in an interview with Slate. “Her personality is able to pull off a lot of prints and bolder stuff with character to them.”

She favors dresses with interesting necklines, revealing just enough skin to stoke the smoldering chemistry with her smoking hot boss, while still being work-appropriate. There is no one I want to have a drink with after work more than Donna.

Gina Torres as Jenna Pearson

And last but certainly not least, we have Jessica Pearson, the firm’s powerhouse name partner. She’s hardcore, ruthless, brilliant, and the way she was written off the show will haunt me for years (albeit for a spinoff). But I digress! Despite being a rare woman in a suited men’s world, you won’t see her in a masculine pantsuit — she wears the hell out of sculptural dresses, rich color palettes, and handbags that cost more than mortgages.

The decision to keep her professional wardrobe more feminine was purposeful and meant to convey the character’s confidence. “Jessica is very comfortable in her own skin, so even if I put her in a really fitted dress, and she’s got to go to court, she’s going to be comfortable in it," Andreatta explained. Love that for her! 

Business-Core in 2023

Business-adjacent trends like pinstripes, ties, power suits, and, yes, even pencil skirts popped up all over the the fall 2023 runways. Can we officially tie Suits to this resurgence? OK, probably not. But there’s no denying that executive style is working its way back into fashion just as the show is reaching a larger audience than ever. If the two aren’t officially related, it’s still a great excuse to curl up on the couch, watch an entire season in a day, and pause for notes on outfit inspiration for your work wardrobe.

For more InStyle news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on InStyle.