by C
October 7, 2009
Fashion
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.
Maybe it’s us, but we’re liking this version of the boyfriend jacket paired with the pencil skirt. Both pieces seem like they would work well on their own as separates, but together this seems like a very professional take of a very trendy style (hello, ’80s!). We’re curious about the fabric, which supposedly “resists wrinkles and stays in shape”– readers, please comment if you have experience! The jacket (Long and lean jacket in seasonless stretch) is $89, and the skirt (Front pleated miniskirt in seasonless stretch) is $39.50, both available at Victoria’s Secret in sizes 0 -14.
(We just called Victoria Secret’s to see if anything else matches the jacket, other than the miniskirt, and the answer is why yes, lots of things — choose the color you like (e.g., 163, charcoal heather) and mix and match to your heart’s content. Such as: the Christie fit flare pants, or the Christie fit pant.)
(Also, in the runner-up department: we wish this weren’t red.)
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by C
February 19, 2009
Fashion
We’ve had several requests from readers on where to get great suits if you’re a petite woman. We addressed this a bit last summer, when we advised a reader how to shop for suits if you’re not in the “normal” sizes of 4-12. But we thought we’d recap, as it’s an important topic and we have more readers now, who will hopefully weigh in with more advice.
From the very petite friends we’ve polled:
- Theory is reportedly amazing (which makes sense to this author, as my normal size of 4 or 6 becomes a <cough> 10 in Theory — in other words, size 0 will be legitimately teeny). The Max C pant is a “cult” item.
- We’ve also heard great things about Victoria’s Secret — the pants have a lower rise and come in different inseam lengths.
- If you’re short enough, you can resort to children’s wear. For example, CW Designs is apparently made with upscale pre-teens and tweens in mind (see some of their collections here); other upscale designers labels can work well also. The
One of our friends notes that she often has to resort to wearing separates that fit really well. For example, jackets from Nanette Lepore and Rebecca Taylor fit, but the pants and skirts can be too big. Similarly, stretchy skirts from American Apparel can be a good basic. Readers, what advice do you have for the petite professional woman?
We also got a request from one reader with a unique problem (living in the Netherlands):
Here’s the problem I have: I’m short. Actually I’m not that short – I’m 5 feet 6, which is just a little shorter than most women in the Netherlands, but I do have short legs and arms. Because of that, *every* suit I try on is too long in the arms – and though I can sew a little bit, the problem isn’t just that it is too long at the wrists – it’s also that the elbows end up in the wrong place and such! To make matters worse, I’m also always cold – limiting my choices to suits with pants so I can wear woollen pantyhoses and boots underneath them and stay warm. It would be nice to have a suit that doesn’t make me look like a dwarf!
This is a really tough question. It sounds like what you may need is a brand where you can buy a petite-sized jacket but regular-length pants — you may want to check Ann Taylor or Banana Republic for those options. Otherwise, well, there’s always the bespoke route — just buy some fabric you like and schedule a vacation to India. (That’s totally doable, right?) Readers, do you have any better advice for our short-armed friend?
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Here’s another store I almost can’t believe I’m suggesting. But this spring, I wrote a feature on my site about red pants, and the fact that they’re sweeping the fashion world right now. Prophetic at the time, it’s common knowledge now – but shelling out big bucks on a trend piece just doesn’t feel right. Instead of a splurge, I opted for these uber-cheap red trousers from Victoria’s Secret…and they’re perfection. The fit is surprisingly flattering, the stretch is indispensable, the shade is a perfect tomato red, and they’re machine-washable to boot! Ditch your fears about red-white-and-blue, and pair these with a navy blazer, a polka-dot blouse, and a sky-high stacked heel for the office. They’re $49.50 at Victoria’s Secret. The Christie Flare Pant
