Trendspotting: Double-Breasted Suiting

It's January, the heart of winter, which can only mean one thing - it's time to think about Spring fashions! 

In the Spring '13 shows, many designers had one thing in common — double-breasted tailoring.

For those who are unaware or need a refresher, the term double-breasted refers to a coat or jacket with wide, overlapping front flaps and two parallel columns of buttons or snaps; by contrast, a single-breasted coat has a narrow overlap and only one column of buttons. In most modern double-breasted coats, one column of buttons is purely decorative, while the other is actually functional.

Popular from the mid-1930s until the late 1950s, and again from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, means that it's come time for this look to have a proper comeback:

From left: Anthony Vaccarello, Jean Paul Gaultier, Barbara Bui

While some silhouettes proved '80s-inspired and others focused on an overt tuxedo reference, we can all likely agree that the double-breasted trend certainly injects a more formal feel to our dress code.

From left: Rachel Bilson in a print maxidress layered with a double-breasted coat and accessorized with suede platforms; Katie Holmes in a Carven sweater and a gray felt skirt topped with a double-breasted jacket, velvet oxfords and a bold red bag; Kate Winslet in Kors Michael Kors ankle-strap sandals paired with a House of Lavande bracelet, Helmut Lang LBD and the label's double-breasted blazer.

It's an easy look to pull off in the workplace, though it might seem to some of your (older) co-workers as if you belong in a different decade.  Regardless, take a chance.

Here are some similar styles so that you can make this look your own:

From left: ASOS Tailored Blazer With Power Shoulders, was $105.54, now $63.32; GREYLIN Double Breasted Colorblock Blazer in navy/cream, $128.00; Silence & Noise Oversized Double Breasted Blazer, was $89.00, now $49.99.

Source: FabSugar