Leather blazer, white corset and emerald satin trousers

The blazer is black nappa leather, cut short with a sharp, slightly raised shoulder, wide notched lapels that fold back almost to the arm, and a double-layered peplum that flares over the hip. It is worn open. Underneath, a strapless white corset top in crinkled satin, boned to a point at the front. The trousers are emerald satin, high-waisted with a flat front and a wide straight leg that pools slightly, the kind of green that only works next to black and white.

This is the three-piece as a rule: leather, corset, satin, no fourth thing. Dinner, drinks, an event where a suit would be too polite. Spring and autumn evenings, when a leather jacket is a reason rather than a necessity. If the corset is too much for the room, a plain white tank does the same job with less conviction.

The trousers are green. Everyone will ask; the answer is yes.