Dame Kelly Holmes stuns in menswear, showcasing the power of tailoring with striking before and after shots

The British athlete nailed chic tailoring with a pair of statement heels

Same Kelly Holmes at the Diversity Awards 2024
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Dame Kelly Holmes showed us that a good suit is genderless, sharing a sneak peek of her donning a men's suit for the Sports Book Awards.

Kelly's latest look displays perfectly how the author, sports star and presenter is a pro at going against the grain with her styling, enlisting formal menswear designer Charles Tyrwhitt to tailor a suit for the prestigious event - and now we want to add a men's suit to our own capsule wardrobes

In the video we see Kelly first modelling the suit before tailoring, with the long sleeves and trousers drowning her frame. Then as she emerges from the changing room, we see the TV presenter's ensemble transformed into a sharp suit that fits like a glove. The suit itself is a striking electric blue with contrasting black lapels. Kelly wears a simple black camisole top underneath to soften the look. 

"Why can't I wear a men's suit?! I CAN," Kelly wrote on social media. "Thanks @charlestyrwhitt for going against your norm and tailoring me one of your lovely suits to wear tonight at the @sportsbookawards."

She then continued, "I set the challenge, you took it on like champions… Thank you [thank you emoji] and to Omar and @esclotlondon for helping. This is called inclusion and teamwork."

Fans were quick to show their approval of the outfit - and Kelly's style in general, with one writing, "My darlin', [you could] pull off any outfit. Just beautiful inside and out."

While another said, "Looking good Kelly that colour really suits you."

And a third wrote, "Fantastic suit and completely agree why can't women wear men's suits."

The custom tailoring on the suit means the blazer and trousers fit Kelly well, creating a neat silhouette, while retaining a masculine edge that's offset by Kelly's sky-high heels. 

It's an exciting time for Dame Kelly, who is hotly tipped to be a new famous face on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, according to an expert astrologer (via The Express). 

While this is very much a rumour right now, we're sure Kelly's sporting prowess would make her one to watch on the Strictly dance floor. 

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Lauren Hughes

Lauren is the former Deputy Digital Editor at woman&home and became a journalist mainly because she enjoys being nosy. With a background in features journalism, Lauren worked on the woman&home brand for four years before going freelance. Before woman&home Lauren worked across a variety of women's lifestyle titles, including GoodTo, Woman's Own, and Woman magazine.