Elementary: whatever the weather, here is the best suiting of the season

A suit is always a good idea. In fact, a combination of the right tailoring, the crispest shirt, sharpest edges and slimmest fit, can make anyone a force to be reckoned with.

Nothing needs to put a dampener on fine suiting, least of all the forces of nature themselves, as this season’s most dapper ensembles are ready for anything – a sublime marriage of modish insouciance and flawless practicality. This is the Nordics, after all.

Related: Survival of the fashionable: The 5 items you need to brave the Scandi winter

First up, let’s talk about capes. The ideal amalgam of pragmatism and style, a great cape can keep you warm and allow you to be the superhero of your own life. Recently seen on the runways at Ferragamo, Valentino and Gucci, they are certainly having a moment. You can go full Red Riding Hood and opt for Tod’s elegant black number with brooch detail or indulge in the ultimate evening glamour with Lanvin’s ink-black silk fantasy.

A little drama need not feel out of place adorning any sensible suiting option. Maison Margiela’s navy mohair cape got the memo, as did the deep burgundy wool cape by Frankie Shop, both of which slot perfectly over even the staidest of boardroom pinstripes.

When it comes to suit sizing, take your cues from Alice In Wonderland and shrink or grow. This season’s suits are all about playing with unexpected cuts and surprising proportions, from the clever, but understated dynamism of the Burberry AW22 runway to Khaite’s oversized tailoring and tweed short suits from Chanel.

Go blocky and king-size, like Balenciaga’s wool suit jacket, or take Loewe’s draped wool coat. It's the perfect example of how exaggerated cuts can enliven even the most practical of grey outerwear; with distended tailoring and a spirited shape.

If small and beautiful is your flavour, then opt for sensual theatrics with Dolce & Gabbana’s Madonna-esque coned bra cropped number. Another great option is Fendi’s chopped and elegant navy blue take on a white-tie tuxedo; its clipped blazer, complete with cigarette pants, is worn to best effect over a crisp poplin shirt.

Come rain or shine, no suit is complete without a chic silhouette. This season is all about the exaggerated hourglass – see the wild dimensions of Comme Des Garcons AW22 – or joyously distorting the rules of traditional suiting in favour of bold and beautiful new directions.

Versace’s wool-frayed tweed houndstooth suit is the perfect example; a classic staple, tweaked with overblown shoulders and a nipped in waist to give it a fresh update. Yohji Yamamoto’s double collar jacket achieves a similar, if more subtle effect, with its boxy pleats and frayed contemporary update on a bar jacket.

Unexpected accents are the order of the day when it comes to reinventing the archetypal suit. Keep warm – and sexy- with Versace’s latex turtleneck, an original take on a winter essential, and Maison Margiela’s epic leather over-the-knee boots – part Musketeer, part Dominatrix – are the ideal glimpse of brazenness to let peek out from beneath the timeless simplicity of Ann Demeulemeester’s floor length brushed wool coat.

Eytys’s classic pinstripe suit is jolted into modern light-heartedness with JW Anderson’s rainbow- leather shoes and Valentino’s boyish double-breasted blazer is softened with the sheer muslin romance of Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello’s black maxi dress. Plus, nothing can punch up a modest black suit more than a pair of red leather cowboy boots, like these (above) from Texas Paris.

With surprising twists and imaginative reinventions mixed with enduring practicality; our fresh approach to suiting this season is one of durability and play… whatever the weather.