Fashion: Power cut

More and more women are seeking the services of bespoke tailors. And, increasingly, designers are looking to Savile Row for inspiration. Styling by Sophia Neophitou. Photographs by Rick Guest

Sleek is the word. The best tailoring not only follows the body's every curve and line, but it also nips in, pushes up and elongates in all the right places. You know a well-cut jacket when you put it on - it makes you stand up straight and feel three inches taller. A good tailor can do things that even plastic surgeons can't.

If you want to look sharp this autumn, just think "shoulders". If your own are in good shape, go for a tailored strapless dress and show them off. For something more practical for wintry temperatures, look for a jacket with a strong shoulder line. Alexander McQueen's are angular and built-up, Forties style. His days as an apprentice on Savile Row have paid off, though his sharp, peaked shoulders are probably not what Anderson & Sheppard had in mind.

Whether you are buying a dress, skirt or trouser suit, the silhouette is rigorous, with a single button pulling it together at the waist. From Italian duo, Dolce & Gabbana, who have long played with the idea of women dressing as city boys or gangsters, we have a tiny pinstripe waistcoat to be worn with trousers that are narrow over the hips and flare out gently from the thigh. Never has masculine tailoring looked quite so sexy Tamsin Blanchard

Stylist assistant Holly Davies

Make-up Christopher Ardoff at Public

Hair Earl Simms at Debbie Walters

Model Anneca at Select