HONESTLY, I did not expect suiting to be the thing that pulled me into fall. But ELLE Canada put "The Suit Reboot" on its fall 2026 trend list, Yves Saint Laurent's Le Smoking turns 60 this year, and pinstripe suits made a splash on the runways at Givenchy by Sarah Burton and Dolce & Gabbana. At some point you have to admit the jacket is having a moment.

What I like about this round is that nobody is asking you to dress like a banker. The suit is getting looser, longer and a lot more personal: a pinstripe blazer over a plain tee and jeans, a tuxedo jacket over a lace tank, an actual necktie with a cropped tux shirt. Below are two ways into it, with three looks for each that I put together myself, and every single piece is shoppable further down.

Pinstripes were all over the fall runways, but the version I actually want to wear is the relaxed one. Canadian stylist Jillian Vieira told The Globe and Mail to look for a fit that "feels a little looser," which could mean a blazer that sits a little on the longer side. She also suggests pairing your trousers with a matching pinstripe shirt or vest. That first note changes everything for me. A pinstripe that skims instead of grips reads less boardroom and more borrowed from your dad's closet, in the best way.

The first look is the easiest way in: Max Mara's double-breasted pinstripe blazer (it is jersey, so it moves like a cardigan) over a Toteme tee and Khaite's Danielle jeans, finished with Saint Laurent's Le Loafer. The second keeps the stripe on the bottom only, with Isabel Marant's Noanda pants, a soft gray Toteme cardigan and pointy Toteme kitten pumps. The third is my take on the vest idea, a Victoria Beckham pinstripe vest worn as a top with a Saint Laurent chalk stripe pencil skirt. My test: if you can lift both arms over your head in the jacket, it is loose enough. What I would skip is the skinny, perfectly matched suit with a stiff collared shirt. It looks like a uniform, not a choice.

Top right: Max Mara Pinstripe Blazer, Toteme Tee, Khaite Danielle Jeans, Saint Laurent Le Loafer, Saint Laurent Chain Pouch, Jennifer Fisher Huggies, Gucci Cat-Eye Sunnies. Bottom left: Toteme Cardigan, Isabel Marant Noanda Pants, Toteme Kitten Pumps, Savette Pochette, Saint Laurent Creole Earrings. Bottom right: Victoria Beckham Vest, Saint Laurent Pencil Skirt, Saint Laurent Jeanne Slingbacks, Khaite Audrey Clutch, Saint Laurent Cassandre Hoops, Miu Miu Regard Sunnies.

Le Smoking, Yves Saint Laurent's women's tuxedo inspired by men's formalwear, turns 60 this year. To understand why it mattered, ELLE Canada points out that socialite Nan Kempner was denied entry to a Parisian restaurant in 1968 for daring to wear trousers. Anthony Vaccarello, the current custodian of the house, included several versions of the suit in his fall collection, so the anniversary is not just nostalgia. The tuxedo is back on the runway, and it is coming for your going-out wardrobe.

The fourth look is the purist one: Saint Laurent's oversized double-breasted blazer, Tom Ford's silk-trimmed suit pants, a Tom Ford tuxedo shirt and a Balenciaga bow tie, with black leather Saint Laurent loafers so it never feels like black tie. The fifth flips the colors, with a white Max Mara tuxedo jacket over Saint Laurent's lace-trimmed silk tank and Frame's Saturday jeans. The sixth is my favorite, The Attico's satin-trimmed blazer and wide-leg pants with a cropped Tom Ford tux shirt, a brown Loro Piana tie, Saint Laurent's Babylone flats and a green Bottega Veneta Andiamo clutch. The trick is one soft or casual piece per look, whether that is lace, denim or a flat shoe. What I would skip is a shiny tux with satin everywhere. Keep the satin on the lapel, where it belongs.

Top right: Saint Laurent Oversized Blazer, Tom Ford Tuxedo Shirt, Tom Ford Suit Pants, Balenciaga Bow Tie, Saint Laurent Laurent Loafers, Saint Laurent Grain de Poudre Pouch. Bottom left: Max Mara Tuxedo Jacket, Saint Laurent Lace Tank, Frame Saturday Jeans, Saint Laurent Stone Pumps, Jennifer Behr Nimah Hoops, Saint Laurent SL 751 Jeanne Sunnies. Bottom right: The Attico Blazer, The Attico Wide-Leg Pants, Tom Ford Cropped Tux Shirt, Loro Piana Tie, Saint Laurent Babylone Flats, Bottega Veneta Andiamo Clutch, Khaite x Oliver Peoples Sunnies.

A suit only works if the bottom half pulls its weight. The two pinstripe wide-legs here, from Max Mara and Gucci, have that long, easy line, and Isabel Marant's Noanda pants are the straighter, more everyday version. If trousers are not your thing, Saint Laurent's chalk stripe pencil skirt gives you the same stripe in a narrower shape. Tom Ford's silk-trimmed pants and The Attico's wide-legs cover the tuxedo side. Then there is denim: Khaite's Danielle and Frame's Saturday are both straight, clean jeans that let a serious blazer feel casual. My tip is to buy trousers long enough to graze the top of your shoe in a heel, then wear them with flats anyway. What I would skip is a cropped, tapered suit pant, which fights the whole relaxed idea.

Shoes are where a suit gets its attitude. Saint Laurent's Le Loafer Moccasin and Laurent Loafer keep things grounded, and Bottega Veneta's Monsieur Loafer Pump splits the difference with a loafer front on a heel. For a sharper finish, Saint Laurent's Jeanne slingback and Stone pump and Toteme's nappa kitten pumps all have the pointed toe that makes a wide trouser look intentional, and the Babylone slingback flat is there for long days. Bags stay small and flat: a Saint Laurent pouch on a chain, a Savette pochette, Khaite's Audrey clutch, a quilted Saint Laurent pouch and Bottega's Andiamo clutch. My rule is one shine per outfit, so if the lapel is satin, the shoe can be matte. What I would skip is a big structured tote, which drags a tailored look straight back to the office.

Suiting is mostly dark and plain, which is exactly why the small things matter. Gold does a lot of the work here: Jennifer Fisher's huggies and Triple Lilly huggies, Saint Laurent's Cassandre hoops and Creole Roche earrings, and Jennifer Behr's Nimah hoops. Sunglasses do the rest, from Gucci's cat-eye and Miu Miu's Regard ovals to the Khaite x Oliver Peoples 1967C and two Saint Laurent frames. And yes, ties. A Balenciaga bow tie or a Loro Piana wool tie is the fastest way to nod to Le Smoking without wearing the whole tuxedo. My tip is to wear the tie a little loose with the top button undone. What I would skip is stacking every piece at once. Pick earrings or a tie, and let the other one sit that look out.

The easiest way into all of this is one good jacket you can wear three ways: over a tee and jeans, with its own trousers, and over something lace for dinner. Every look above started from that idea. Le Smoking has had 60 years to prove a tuxedo belongs in a woman's closet, so wear yours however you like, with loafers, flats or a heel, and a little room in the shoulders. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Velvet jacket and Which Earrings Suit Which Neckline.