Style mandarins decree suits for the fall

NEW YORK, March 15 (UPI) -- European and U.S. designers have decreed that the dominant look for women this fall will be an extremely fitted suit, the New York Times reported Tuesday.

"Suits have had such a bad rap," Robert Burke, the fashion director at Bergdorf Goodman, said. "There has been so much emphasis on individual style and eclecticism, and I think designers and customers are getting tired of the fur stole, the brooch and so on. A simple tailored suit looks refreshing."

The suits will have small, close-fitting jackets, a knee-length skirt and a wide belt because, designers say, women want a more polished, "pulled-together" look.

Such a look also means style-conscious women will have to pay extra attention to their hair and makeup, the experts said.