Suits you, madam

BRACE yourself ladies for the latest fashion news. If you want to look the business this season you may have to make a journey across the gender divide. Yes, a visit to your other half's wardrobe will kit you out with the must-have accessory for 2001 - a tie. Celebrating its 115th anniversary this year, the British tie has long been a staple for men in the style stakes.

But it is now branching further afield, thanks to the big revival of Eighties fashion which has brought masculine tailoring back into women's wardrobes.

The Guild of British Tie Makers is this week celebrating the knotted history of this particular piece of neckwear by urging men to buy more of them.

But since leading designers such as Dolce & Gabbana, Giorgio Armani and Alexander McQueen hijacked the tie for their new women's collections, perhaps the guild should try be selling their wares to the fairer sex?

Spice Girl Emma Bunton has already adopted the look - turning up to a recent awards bash dressed as a city gent. Not since the days of Annie Lennox in the Eighties has a pop icon made such a play for menswear.

However, the Eurythmics songstress was not the first female singer to dress like a man in the name of fashion.

Lulu cut a dash when she wore a red and white polka dot tie along with a dark suit and fedora during a TV performance of her 1974 hit The Man Who Sold The World.

From pop to politics, another woman associated with ties was Margaret Thatcher - or rather her puppet on the satirical TV show Spitting Image.

The implication was that Mrs Thatcher might have had a handbag, but she was as much a man as the males in her cabinet... if not more so.

The trick to wearing androgynous attire with flair is to somehow still look feminine. That's not hard when armed with an arsenal of girly goodies such as make-up, belts and high heels.

York image consultant Sally Ely explains: "This is the year of the suit and if we are talking trouser suits then it is a very masculine look. To feminise it, it's all about accessories: the make-up and hair."

Ties create a very manly image, says Sally. To soften that, she suggests teaming them with a prettily-coloured shirt, perhaps in pink.

As for which tie to wear, women are spoiled for choice. Just don't expect to find them in your favourite boutique. Not yet anyway. "You can hunt them out in the men's departments of major chain stores," advises Sally. "Women can get away with wearing flowery ties or bright-coloured ones."

M&S has a wide selection of ties, priced from £10-20.

At Tie Rack in Coney Street, York, there is also a selection of slimline ties, which would be particularly suited to women, priced at £12.50.

Another way to soften a tailored trouser suit is to wear a chain belt, jewellery and stiletto heels.

"We are seeing shoes in colours like pink and turquoise," adds Sally. "If you really want to create a feminine look, wear a coloured shirt underneath your jacket with shoes and a bag to match."

The trouser suit is not just a fashionable buy, but a flexible one too, says Sally. It can be easily transformed from daytime office wear to a chic and sophisticated evening look.

"Wear a crisp, cotton shirt during the day, but then change into a coloured camisole, add a belt and some stiletto sandals at night," says Sally.

When it comes to choosing the cut of a suit, Sally advises women to pick one which flatters their figures over a style which might be the height of fashion.

"Most people suit straight-legged trousers with no turn-ups, a jacket which rests just below the bottom and a single-breasted jacket," says Sally.

Tall, slim women can get away with wearing tapered turn-ups and long-line jackets, whereas anyone who is short or overweight should steer clear of these designs.

Pear-shaped women, or anyone conscious about their behind, could opt for some padding in the jacket shoulder to balance their body shape, adds Sally.

Ladies with fuller busts should leave their shirts or tops out rather than tuck them in. Hipster trousers are a good look too as they create the impression of a longer body, she adds.

Tailored styles are already available in mainstream stores such as Marks & Spencer, Next and Debenhams, so it shouldn't be hard to find an outfit that suits you, madam.