For busy working women, the suit is often the easiest outfit to throw on in the morning. In general, this feature is not about interview suits, which should be as classic and basic as you get — instead, this feature is about the slightly different suit that is fashionable, yet professional.
Graphics aside (it’s like they’re trying to sell a black suit in a darkened room! what the heck?), we like what we CAN see of this great suit from Donna Karan. Love the jacket’s off-shoulder collar and high belt, and the contour seams of the pencil skirt strike us as flattering (even if they might require an underlayer of Spanx). The jacket (Donna Karan Collection Belted Stretch-Wool Jacket) is $1,495, and the skirt (Donna Karan Collection Pencil Skirt) is $550, both available at Bergdorf Goodman.
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Tagged as:
Bergdorf Goodman,
Donna Karan,
women's suits
For busy working women, the suit is often the easiest outfit to throw on in the morning. In general, this feature is not about interview suits, which should be as classic and basic as you get — instead, this feature is about the slightly different suit that is fashionable, yet professional.
We are seeing red suits everywhere this season, from White House|Black Market to St. John’s
. While they can be tricky for many women to wear (especially younger women), for some, there’s nothing better than a red suit. We like this fabulous one from Albert Nipon — love the split neck and almost decorative neckline, the cinched waist, and pick-stitched trim. While we still wish it came in black or gray (dare to dream!), it’ also strikes us as having a very reasonable price for what can be a very distinctive look — it’s $320 at Neiman Marcus, sizes 2-18. Belted Split-Neck Skirtsuit
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Tagged as:
Albert Nipon,
Belted Split-Neck Skirtsuit,
colored suits,
Neiman Marcus,
red suits
For busy working women, the suit is often the easiest outfit to throw on in the morning. In general, this feature is not about interview suits, which should be as classic and basic as you get — instead, this feature is about the slightly different suit that is fashionable, yet professional.
Love the look of this Classiques Entier suit — and particularly the fact that the sheer chiffon ruffle is detachable. We like the way it’s so different from anything else we’ve seen, and we like that it’s feminine but not in a hit-you-over-the-head way. For day, we’d either wear the pieces without the ruffle, though — or wear them as separates. However, this suit strikes us as a fabulous answer for those times when you have an evening event for work (a charity event, a cocktail party, a gala of some sort) and want to look festive but professional — because if every other woman is there in a suit, you can just detach the ruffle. The jacket (Classiques Entier ‘Diffused Melange’ Jacket
) is $268, and the skirt (Classiques Entier ‘Diffused Melange’ Skirt
) is $148, both available at Nordstrom.
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Tagged as:
Classiques Entier,
Nordstrom,
ruffles,
sheer chiffon
For busy working women, the suit is often the easiest outfit to throw on in the morning. In general, this feature is not about interview suits, which should be as classic and basic as you get — instead, this feature is about the slightly different suit that is fashionable, yet professional.
Loving the simple, classic look of this Brooks Brothers suit. Great three-quarter length sleeves; great A-line skirt. We’d pair it with an understated brooch and earrings, perhaps — the mandarin collar already does a great job of directing focus to the face. The jacket (Wool Donegal Jacket
) is $298 (available in petites as well, Petite Wool Donegal Jacket
), and the skirt is $188 (Wool Donegal Skirt
) (also available in petites, Petite Wool Donegal Skirt).
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Tagged as:
Brooks Brothers suits,
gray suits,
petite suits,
skirt suits,
wool suits
With interview season for schools right around the corner, we thought now would be a great time to do a general guide to suits — where to get ‘em, how much to expect to pay, and what the general pros and cons of each type of suit are. In comments, please chime in — let us know your favorite brands, and why you like ‘em. Don’t forget to check out our guides to suits for petite women, as well as guide to suits for tall women and plus sizes, and to check out our general “what to wear on an interview” advice.
  Suit sets. These are often found in dedicated areas of department stores like Macy’s and discount stores like Filene’s — brands like Tahari, Kasper, Le Suit abound. These are generally sold as a set (you buy the jacket and the skirt together for one price). Prices may range from under $100 to closer to $350, and the suiting is generally made from polyester and lined. Pros: Price — with coupons and sales it’s not unusual to find extremely low-cost suits. Cons: Off-the-rack fit. The selection may include a number of very dated styles. Because they’re made of polyester, they can be sticky and hot in summertime; there may be other fun side effects like retaining smells even after dry cleaning. For my $.02, I’ve had great luck with Tahari skirt suits in basic black from this area of the mall — otherwise you generally do need to be very careful re: fit, particularly with pants. Pictured: Tahari by ASL Suit, Modern Classic Jacket & Skirt, available at Macy’s for $139. |
 Mall Suit Separates (Inexpensive). A number of brands do make inexpensive suiting separates — AK Anne Klein, Ellen Tracy, perhaps Nine West and Inc., as well. These separates will be far from the “suit department,” hidden among the brand’s regular clothes. Still, you can find great deals here, and because they’re separates, you can get a better fit if you prefer different sizes for your tops and bottoms. I’ve had good luck with the AK Anne Klein separates. Pros: Price, better fit. Cons: The suit may veer towards the trendy, or too casual — fabrics like linen, stretch denim, etc. should not be worn for interviews. Pictured: AK Anne Klein One Button Navy Jacket & Pencil Skirt, available at Macy’s for ~$210 (for jacket, skirt, and pants. |
  Mall Stores – Separates. Banana Republic, J.Crew, and Ann Taylor have been long-standing favorites for many women. Their fits are more modern, and a single suiting look may come with multiple options — different types of jackets, different cuts of pants. (Tip: If you’re trying to choose between a two-button and three-button jacket, consider your bust: if you have one, you’ll probably want to opt for the three-button.) At most of these places, a suit (or several parts of a suit) can be purchased for between $300-$500. Pros: Price is still really reasonable, but you can frequently see more natural fibers — wool, cotton — with a bit of stretch. Cons: You may walk into a conference room and find you’re wearing the same suit as another woman. Be sure to watch the trendier items at these stores also — at an interview you should avoid wearing things like a mini-skirt, a tulip skirt, or a ruffled jacket. Pictured: Banana Republic Tall lightweight wool black blazer , available at Banana Republic for about $375 (for jacket, pants, and skirt. |
  Better Department Store Brands: The next step up, for many, is Theory — their suit separates can be found in better department stores like Bloomingdale’s. Nordstrom’s carries a number of lines (Classiques Entier, Rebecca Taylor, Nanette Lepore) with the added bonus of, often, free tailoring — which can be great if, like me, you’re just a little bit too short for regular pants. We’d put Brooks Brothers in this category as well — better suiting materials, free tailoring. Pros: Much better fit because of the tailoring; better fabrics; the clothes last longer. Cons: Price point starts to creep up. Pictured: Theory ‘Gabe B – Tailor’ Jacket, available at Nordstrom for $620 (jacket and pants). |
 Designer. What better way to announce that you have arrived than with a classic designer suit? We still think of Armani as the “power suit,” but there are a ton of brands — both old and new — in this space. Pros: Fabric; a long wear with the clothes, the timeless benefit of someone seeing your tag if you take off your jacket. Cons: Price. Pictured: Armani Collezioni Lightweight Cropped Wool Jacket & Lightweight Wool Pants, available at Saks.com for $1610 (jacket and pants). |
Readers, what brands and tiers have we left out? Which kind of suits do YOU usually pull out for interviews?
For busy working women, the suit is often the easiest outfit to throw on in the morning. In general, this feature is not about interview suits, which should be as classic and basic as you get — instead, this feature is about the slightly different suit that is fashionable, yet professional.
We’re liking this tweed skirtsuit from Ann Taylor. Love the seaming on the pencil skirt (as well as the “touch of stretch”), and love the 60s vibe to the jacket. The jacket (Tweed Jacket) is $108, and the skirt (Tweed Seamed Skirt) is $108.
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Tagged as:
Ann Taylor,
pencil skirts,
Suits,
tweed
