The pantsuit is having its moment.

No longer the boxy, shapeless, woman-disguised-as-a-man ensemble, pantsuits are one of the “it” items to wear this fall. They’re sexy, even, when done right.

Gucci paraded the pantsuit on the runway for fall 2012. Rachel Zoe presented three versions of pantsuit – from all-white to a check-print three-piece. Ralph Lauren sent a velvet pantsuit down his runway.

And their celebrity status goes way beyond Hillary Clinton. A-listers from Gwyneth Paltrow to Halle Berry and Vanessa Hudgens have sported them out and about.

There’s something chic about menswear-inspired looks for women, showcased in designers’ collections every fall. Today’s pantsuit is no exception.

With jackets that nip in at the waist, slim pants that flow effortlessly in a variety of widths, and lots of flattering options in necklines, a woman in a pantsuit can look like, well, a woman.

“I’ve always been a fan of the pantsuit. … It’s ever-evolving and updating,” says Ashley Harris, owner of Vermillion boutique in Raleigh.

Harris says she offers shoppers a few to choose from each season. “We have a lot of professional women come through, and women love a suit” to wear to the office or more formal events, she says.

And Harris gets creative when it comes to pantsuits. She recently paired a cropped black Celine pant with a short Balenciaga jacket that had a patent leather tie at the waist. “It’s a neat twist on a black pant suit.”

Marcia Simon, owner of Paul Simon for Women in Charlotte, says the demand for “matchy-matchy” pantsuits in her store has declined over the years, with many women favoring jackets and trousers in complimentary colors or patterns that can be worn together as a pantsuit or mixed and matched.

“Women are more confident today than they have ever been. They don’t feel like they have to dress like a man,” Simon says. “We’re seeing that among our top executives. They want to look a little more feminine.”