For a long time, women have shied away from claiming what seems to come more naturally to men: having fine clothing made for them. To this day, only 10% of the UK bespoke market is accounted for by women. Why?

Is it the ‘fashion’ versus ‘style’ conundrum? The common understanding is that women like to change their wardrobe more often than men, being more likely to go with the latest trends. I’m not so sure this is entirely true. There comes a point in time when a woman knows exactly what she likes in terms of style but might be swayed by the endless parade of ‘must-haves’ fashion designers now conjure up four times a year, and, in the case of the fast fashion labels, pretty much on a weekly basis. The truth is that nobody ‘must have’ clothing just because it has been declared the latest and most desirable by the marketing hype of the fashion world.

A truly fitting garment (in both, the literal and proverbial sense) is a coat or suit that has been made to your very own specification. The design you favour, a material you love and a fit tailored to your shape will give you that unique feeling of being at home in your own skin. Shed the corset of standard sizing whilst you’re at it.

A true wool or cashmere cloth will last a lifetime. If you go for a timeless cut, you will be able to combine your suit in an unlimited variety of ways – use that to your advantage. There is hardly any look more sexy and empowering than the combination of a sharp, masculine cut and the soft, curvaceous lines of the female shape.

Image credit: Cate Blanchett and Emily Blunt by Peter Lindbergh