midjd
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Post by midjd on Apr 12, 2016 18:25:31 GMT -5
My workplace is business casual (including jeans on Friday) and I've been here almost 7 years, so my suit game is not good. I am being test driven in a new job and am going to need some nicer clothes. I bought a black Nine West skirt suit on my lunch break yesterday out of desperation, but probably need at least 2 more and some bright shells to wear under them. Pants are annoying because of my (short) height, so I wear skirts/dresses 99% of the time. For those who regularly wear suits for work -- What brands do you like? How much do you spend? How many do you have? How often do you retire them to avoid looking dated? Can I get by with a jacket and sheath dress in a business professional environment? Help me!
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Happy prose
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Post by Happy prose on Apr 12, 2016 18:32:49 GMT -5
I wear sheath dresses with jackets. You can really turn it into quite a few outfits. I get my dresses at JC Penny, and I think the brand that fits me well is Alyx (petite sizes) Just buy a few solid color jackets. If you wear the jacket closed, it looks like a skirt suit. I also wear pants with the same jackets. Good luck!
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kittensaver
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Post by kittensaver on Apr 12, 2016 18:42:19 GMT -5
My workplace is business casual (including jeans on Friday) and I've been here almost 7 years, so my suit game is not good. I am being test driven in a new job and am going to need some nicer clothes. I bought a black Nine West skirt suit on my lunch break yesterday out of desperation, but probably need at least 2 more and some bright shells to wear under them. Pants are annoying because of my (short) height, so I wear skirts/dresses 99% of the time. For those who regularly wear suits for work -- What brands do you like? Anne Taylor/Loft, Ralph Lauren, Elie Tahari, Talbots, other designers when I can find them on consignmentHow much do you spend? Up to $100 at consignment shops or outlet stores; only when on sale or with deep discounts at Dept. StoresHow many do you have? 4 - black, navy, dark grey and silver greyHow often do you retire them to avoid looking dated? every 3-5 years (? I think?) some are more timeless and last longerCan I get by with a jacket and sheath dress in a business professional environment? absolutely - doing this is a GREAT wardrobe stretcherHelp me! Don't be afraid to pair suit skirts with layered tops that can look very polished without being a suit: for example, a tailored skirt and heels with a crisp white shirt under a belted cashmere cardigan and topped with a beautiful scarf. Also - dresses are your friend! They are great paired with jackets or tailored sweaters - they also can look very polished. Good luck and go get 'em!
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973beachbum
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Post by 973beachbum on Apr 12, 2016 18:42:46 GMT -5
I don't have to dress up much anymore but when I did I stuck to pantsuits and dresses. I have freakishly short legs and never enjoyed trying to find skirts that didn't look really strange on me. For some reason I never had that problem with pants or dresses. I did stick religiously to petite clothes though. I will admit that even when I had the whole suit I rarely wore the jacket other than outside for when I was walking in type of thing. It was just never my thing. Maybe I would have if I worked in a place where everyone else wore the jackets. The most important thing I can think of though with clothes that cost more than a few dollars is try them on. Things can look and fit totally differently on that they do on the hanger.
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Knee Deep in Water Chloe
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Post by Knee Deep in Water Chloe on Apr 12, 2016 19:12:14 GMT -5
I prefer Banana Republic & Ann Taylor. The price and quality went well with the government pay scale for me as a school administrator. Generally under $100/dress. I'd say yes to the sheath dress and jacket. I didn't wear jackets and dresses together because I didn't have to be that formal. I wore cardigans with my dresses. I have probably 15 cardigans. have five dresses; I tried to have multiple colors, but three of them are in the black/gray/white hues. I focused more on midi and a-line skirts and have 20 of those. Try to enjoy the shopping! For those who regularly wear suits for work -- What brands do you like? How much do you spend? How many do you have? How often do you retire them to avoid looking dated? Can I get by with a jacket and sheath dress in a business professional environment? Help me!
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Knee Deep in Water Chloe
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Post by Knee Deep in Water Chloe on Apr 12, 2016 19:16:36 GMT -5
On my phone, not sure the actual answer is intelligible.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Apr 12, 2016 19:25:42 GMT -5
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emma1420
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Post by emma1420 on Apr 12, 2016 19:42:02 GMT -5
I'm also a fan of Banana Republic, especially for their dresses. I would also check out Jones New York's online store. They have a lot of classic pieces and sometimes you can find them cheap, and it's pretty good quality.
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justme
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Post by justme on Apr 12, 2016 20:07:11 GMT -5
My suites are from Jcrew and Ann Taylor (I think I have one from both, but they might both me from the Loft). I spent about $300 on one and a little less on the other two. But I have to get the tall ones which are much harder to get on sale. Two are very classic and even though they're like 7 years old you can't really tell - I haven't worn them enough to show wear. My other suit is a little newer with 3/4 sleeves (because I couldn't find a tall jacket for cheaper so I avoided the sleeve length issue) that's probably will be a bit more dated in a bit, but it's still classically cut - just 3/4 sleeves but they're not slim sleeves.
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midjd
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Post by midjd on Apr 12, 2016 20:16:27 GMT -5
Thank you all for the helpful responses and suggestions! I don't know why, but I have never been in either Ann Taylor or Loft... I work next to a mall, I need to check them out. I like Banana Republic too. That's about where I am. I have a couple of suit jackets that are probably 8+ years old and some newer dresses. My normal outfit is either skirt/sleeveless top/cardigan or dress/cardigan, I'll sub in a jacket if I have a meeting. I think that should still be OK for most of the time, but I will need to wear a suit at least once a week and probably twice most weeks. And I love black! It goes with everything Really I need to find some way to break out of my spending mindset when it comes to clothes. I have spent way more than I want to tally on bridesmaid's dresses that get a single wear and go in the closet, and that doesn't bother me, but I hem and haw and feel guilty for days about spending $40 on a skirt.
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plugginaway22
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Post by plugginaway22 on Apr 12, 2016 20:28:08 GMT -5
DD and I love Calvin Klein suit separates. Can be found in Macy's, Bon Ton, and sometimes their outlet stores. I have a lot of their pants and tops. Also Loft.
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wvugurl26
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Post by wvugurl26 on Apr 12, 2016 21:23:49 GMT -5
Banana Republic and Ann Taylor. I always ask for gift cards for birthday and Christmas. Even though I work in an office that requires jackets for audits/meetings and business casual the rest of the time I hate paying more than $100/item. I desperately need new pants. I keep looking. I used to buy at Express but they seem to be shit lately. I've taken like 4 pairs back.
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Apr 12, 2016 21:26:57 GMT -5
I do separates. Dresses with jackets, skirts with bright tops and jackets. Suits suck.
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❤ mollymouser ❤
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Post by ❤ mollymouser ❤ on Apr 13, 2016 0:57:22 GMT -5
I was a trial attorney for almost 15 years and NEVER wore a suit.
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bean29
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Post by bean29 on Apr 13, 2016 2:32:53 GMT -5
I am wondering what you being short has to do with not liking pants? Do you buy petites? Some stores that don't have petites in store, have them on-line (Eddie Bauer, Black House White Market, BHWM also has regular pants with a short length on-line). Loft has a decent selection of Petite pants in store and blouses and sweaters too. More online. I also shop Boston store's Petite Dept, but usually skip the Mall closest to my house and go to one in a more upscale neighborhood. Huge difference in quality of clothing they carry. I wear suits a lot. Not only does it convey a professional image, the layers are warmer and I get cold easily. I could wear casual nearly every day and no one would blink.
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bean29
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Post by bean29 on Apr 13, 2016 2:35:26 GMT -5
Ps, some of the stores are more expensive, but if you set up an account you will get e-mail alerts. Lately there have been a lot of 30-40 and even 50% off sales.
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973beachbum
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Post by 973beachbum on Apr 13, 2016 7:01:52 GMT -5
I tend to just do the mall. So the major designers like Calvin Klein and Nine West would probably be most of my dressy stuff. I try and shop the sales. So a really nice pair of dress pants I would consider up to about $100. But I would try hard to get it on sale if I can at a place like Macy's. They have lots of sales and coupons. I also try very hard to get new pieces before I actually need them. It allows me to find nice pieces on sale rather than just paying top dollar for a piece that I may or not love because I really needed it. I also try and stay away from skirts because I already have super short legs. Skirts look to me like they are cutting me up visually and I don't need help looking even shorter. This is something I would wear although not with the matching jacket, just the dress with a black jacket or cardigan. www1.macys.com/shop/product/kasper-dot-print-open-front-jacket-a-line-dress?ID=2719638&CategoryID=67592#fn=sp%3D1%26spc%3D778%26ruleId%3D71|BS|BA%26slotId%3D36
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finnime
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Post by finnime on Apr 13, 2016 7:12:02 GMT -5
Talbot's petites. Online, they have a good and varied selection of professional type clothing and sales.Plus it's very easy to return anything you're not happy with.
I have a number of matched and unmatched suits and separates that don't demand a lot of thought and are classics. My shoes are the greater problem now - hard to find comfortable, sufficiently dressy low heels.
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Anne_in_VA
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Post by Anne_in_VA on Apr 13, 2016 7:20:59 GMT -5
I love Tahari suits although I wear a lot of dresses with a jacket too. I tend to shop Ross, Dress Barn, TJ Maxx and Marshall. I don't wear dressy clothes much any more but those are my go to's.
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973beachbum
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Post by 973beachbum on Apr 13, 2016 7:21:04 GMT -5
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yogiii
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Post by yogiii on Apr 13, 2016 8:11:11 GMT -5
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buystoys
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Post by buystoys on Apr 13, 2016 8:21:11 GMT -5
When I had a "suit" job, I bought a lot of my clothes at Macy's during their sales and mixed in stuff from Chadwicks. Chadwicks
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Regis
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Post by Regis on Apr 13, 2016 8:24:17 GMT -5
My workplace is business casual (including jeans on Friday) and I've been here almost 7 years, so my suit game is not good. I am being test driven in a new job and am going to need some nicer clothes. I bought a black Nine West skirt suit on my lunch break yesterday out of desperation, but probably need at least 2 more and some bright shells to wear under them. Pants are annoying because of my (short) height, so I wear skirts/dresses 99% of the time. For those who regularly wear suits for work -- What brands do you like? How much do you spend? How many do you have? How often do you retire them to avoid looking dated? Can I get by with a jacket and sheath dress in a business professional environment? Help me! Too bad you don't have an outlet mall near you. You could probably pick up some good inexpensive stuff there.
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bean29
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Post by bean29 on Apr 13, 2016 9:47:00 GMT -5
I have a casual blazer in blue from Eddie Bauer, may have cost 75-100, I think the original price was around $100 and I got 30% off maybe. I wear it with Jeans or Khaki pants. I have a summer blazer in White it has Nautical buttons on it. It is about 8? years old - I might need to retire it due to wear. I also wear that with dressy jeans. It was from Boston Store and I don't think it was particularly expensive. I have a fuscia pink semi casual jacket I wear with grey dress pants was maybe $50. I think it is Laura Ashley I have a black Calvin Klein Suit that is also old and I did not wear it for several years but started wearing it again last summer. I have a kind of Watch Plaid wool jacket I wear with black pants or grey pants. It was from JC Penney's - I think it is a Worthington brand - It also is nearly 8 years old and is starting to pill. I have a brown plaid wool jacket wrap - I think it is from Boston store before I started current job so around 8 years ago. The newest "suit" I have is from Black House White Market. It is a separate, and I had it ordered in several different variations. to be continued. anyways that suit was a little pricey It might have been $175 for both pieces, but I put it on for DH and asked him if I should return it and he said it looked very good and I should keep it. My DH and DD will tell me if something doesn't look good and I would rather have honest feedback. That was a this year purchase, and I had to order it on-line to get the petite size. BHWM has petites, but they don't have curvy fit, which I really need. I ordered the pants in petite a size larger and took them in at the waist. Their regular pants in short length in the size smaller would also have worked, but I think they still needed some tweaking with the sewing machine as the pants did not have belt loops. A belt would have fixed the waist issue - but it was not an option. I also have several pairs of linen capris from BHWM an pair them with a cardigan in the summer.
After my struggle trying to get the size right I looked at an older pair of pants that I really liked and realized they were from Loft. I have since purchased about 6 pairs of pants in petite sizes from them. They have a Marissa fit (regular) and a Julie Fit (curvy). I know they have suits in the store but I did not buy a suit from them yet.
I also have a fake brown leather blazer with cloth sleeves. I think it might be Ruff Hewn? I bought it at Boston Store, it did not come in Petite sized, but since the sleeves were cloth I turned them under and hand stitched it down. It is 2-3 years old. I just pair it with brown pants.
I have a mint green linen jacket that I really like but I have not yet found a blouse I really like to go with it and the color is hard to match. One day when I was in the store an older lady was shopping with her daughter and the lady said she liked something, but if she could not buy an outfit or know what she was going to wear it with, she would no longer buy the item. I think that is a really good idea.
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shanendoah
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Post by shanendoah on Apr 13, 2016 10:34:40 GMT -5
I'm tall and fat, so the brands that work for me will be of no use to you. However, in my experience, separates are the way to go. It gives you more variety with mix and match, so you have more outfits with fewer pieces of clothing.
While I do have one nice black suit jacket, I only have one, and it doesn't get worn very often. I tend to go with neutral bottoms (black, gray, khaki) and shells (white, off white, black) and then brightly colored jackets. You see, the nice black suit jacket only works with black pants or skirt, and then only if they are kind of close in material and shade (and since the pants/skirts get washed more often than the jacket, after a while, the two different shades of black are noticeable). But with the brightly colored jackets, people notice material/texture differences less, and there's no issue of trying to match two shades of the same color. The hot pink and bright red jackets work best with the black and gray pants. The navy blue blazer works best with the gray and khaki. The bright green blazer works with all of them.
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chen35
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Post by chen35 on Apr 13, 2016 11:10:10 GMT -5
I wear sheath dresses with jackets. You can really turn it into quite a few outfits. I get my dresses at JC Penny, and I think the brand that fits me well is Alyx (petite sizes) Just buy a few solid color jackets. If you wear the jacket closed, it looks like a skirt suit. I also wear pants with the same jackets. Good luck! I second this. I love the Alyx sheath dresses, so cute!
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midjd
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Post by midjd on Apr 13, 2016 13:20:29 GMT -5
Sorry for the drive-by, swamped at work today. Thank you again for the suggestions! I love the sheath dress Beachbum posted! Every time I've tried petites (it's been a while), they're about 1.5" too short. I usually wear heels and that makes it worse. Regular pants are too long, even with heels. I'm just a weird build, I guess. I used to hem them myself but I'm lazy and I prefer skirts anyway so I just go the easy route. This is an appellate position, they are pretty formal/conservative. Trial attorneys get all the fun
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shanendoah
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Post by shanendoah on Apr 13, 2016 14:24:12 GMT -5
midjd - I understand on the pant length. Regular length pants are just a little too short for my taste (probably about 1", but I've never measured), but "talls" reach the ground, especially since I don't wear heels. I prefer the talls anyway, but it does make me annoyed when I shop with C for pants and see how many lengths of pants men have to choose from.
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bean29
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Post by bean29 on Apr 13, 2016 14:53:23 GMT -5
Mid - Try petite pants again, they have recently started to make them longer so that they fit more people, or because people are getting to be taller?
and Try ordering pants from White House Black Market in the "Short" length - pretty sure they are a little longer than petites - I know the inseam is longer, they may even have them in the store in your area, they don't around here though.
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wvugurl26
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Post by wvugurl26 on Apr 13, 2016 14:56:17 GMT -5
I've tried petite pants. They seem okay sometimes in length but I have other fit issues. Likely because I have ghetto booty. I think Banana Republic's short inseam works but you usually have to get it online.
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