Today’s reader mail has to do with off-season clothing…
Do you have suggestions for places to get an off-season suit? Have to prep for an interview in SoCal in January…
As the kids say, srsly? Man, do we have suggestions for you. Off-season is the best time to shop for clothes, in our opinion. First, hit up any outlet stores near you — we’ve had great success with the Chelsea Premium Outlets (Leesburg, Woodbury, etc.) — it’s a chain with centers located around America, so check the website to see if any are near you. If you go, you may want to check out the discount racks — fall clothes will probably be prominently featured at the moment, meaning the more summery clothes will have moved to the discount racks. (Pictured: Kasper 2 Button Black Tonal Stripe Pantsuit, available at SmartBargains.com for $99 (was $240), available in sizes 8-18).
The trick here is not to get a “seasonal” suit (think a jewel-toned tweed in the fall, or a white/pastel linen in the summer) but rather a seasonless suit. Some brands “pitch” their suits as seasonless — J.Crew, Anne Klein — but really, anything will do so long as it doesn’t smack of a season that is not the one you’re in. For example, the Kasper pantsuit above is polyester, and on a cold, windy day you’d freeze in it — so practically speaking, it is a “seasonal” suit. But from a visual perspective it just looks like a black suit, so you’re fine to wear it on your interview. At least, that’s our $.02.
Readers, what say you? Which brands of seasonless suiting do you prefer? Where do you buy your off-season clothes?
(L-3)
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
I haven’t checked it out in a few days, but the Clearance section of Ann Taylor, Loft, Lands End and Eddie Bauer almost always have great prices, free shipping, etc.
For my first suit (bought in a hurry during 1L year) I bought an expensive black one from DKNY. These days, I’d look for something cheaper, but it’s a useful thing to have. For one thing, it works in all seasons (and I have a skirt and pants, so it’s a suit and a half). The material is thin enough for summer, and the jacket big enough that I can wear a thick shirt underneath it when necessary. I’ve worn it to interviews in August and January, and I can make it look more or less businessy (or wintry/summery) depending on what kind of shirt I wear underneath.
I went to college in SoCal and lived there for 10 years. Do not underestimate the weather despite its reputation! There are often rainy days, and it does get cold, especially at the beginning of the year. As I live in NYC now, I would plan to wear something similar to what I would wear here, just without the elaborate layers required to keep warm! Best of luck on your interview!
Good advice, C. Sorry for being such a crank/bah-humbug about the post on the Missoni dress… I think Milly & Missoni sweater dresses are *so* overrated… :-) I do like most of your your other splurges and think many craftmanship are worth the money if you can afford it (Christian Dior suit, drooolllLLL).
Many of the lower-priced suits at Macy’s are of a weight which I would call season-less. Being in Texas, I’d really just say it’s a year-round item. Macy’s is having many sales in the run-up to Christmas, usually has coupons, and offers pant or skirt suits as you prefer. Happy shopping and interviewing.
It’s been “cold” here in the southland- like 40 degrees! and January can often be that way as well. I’d say that even an expressly wintery suit might be appropriate in CA in January- people are wearing Ugg boots, scarves, and sweaters even though it’s not really cold enough to need them. People still try and follow the “seasonal” styles, so I wouldn’t wear a linen suit or a summer color suit.
Winter weather here in SoCal is tricky. You can be 40 degree when you leave in the morning, 85 at lunch, and 40 again when the sun goes down. With or without rain. Try a lightweight wool suit with a shell beneath, plus a lightweight overcoat and umbrella.
It’s somewhat similar in FL. It can be 40 when you wake up and 75 by 2pm, so wool suits just aren’t that practical. I found that wearing wool anywhere outside of parts of N. FL just doesn’t make sense at all because you’re sweltering by midday. We have mostly suits in synthetic fabrics throughout the year. There may be one or two wool choices in winter, but that’s it. Places known for lightweight suits like J Crew don’t tend to sell their suiting products in this area at all.
No wanting to be argumentative, but I prefer thin-thin wool, what’s often called ‘tropical weight’, because synthetics make me sweaty. And I find wool creases less. Costs more in the first place but looks better longer.
I have the Kasper pantsuit you are showing and it is truly seasonless. You would not freeze, because the pants are lined. I had to tailor it because the upper legs were too wide. This and a seasonless skirt suit I bought at Macy’s – both for a song – but it was important to try them on. For SoCal, think forties movies – dressmaker suits, belted wrap coats, really good blouses. You won’t go wrong.
Well, the easiest way to do it is to get clothes that are in your basic black/white/blue/red color schemes. No matter what the fabric, any of those will do in a pinch in any season.
If the reader has any interview suits at all, I’d be surprised if she couldn’t find one already in her closet that works. Almost any classic black suit should be fine in any weather for an interview, as the interview will likely take place in an air conditioned office. Wear a lightweight shell underneath if it is hot and only put the jacket on once you arrive.
And wear cute shoes. :)
I’m from SoCal, and I wore the same things in August that I wore in January to work. Sure, if I went outside, the temperatures were different, but inside, the A/C was always cold enough in summer and the heat warm enough in winter that it didn’t matter. That said, I’m now living elsewhere and I’m going back for Christmas, and I’m so excited to break out stuff that hasn’t seen the light of day in months, because the nightly lows in SoCal are higher than the daily highs here most days.