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Suit of the Week: Mila Schön

02/08/2012 By 177 Comments

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 for women, which should be as classic and basic as you get — instead, this feature is about the slightly different suit that is fashionable, yet professional.

Yoox has a number of Mila Schön suits right now, and I’m really liking the clean lines, feminine touches, and general look. This skirt suit (which Yoox describes as having a “Chinese collar”) looks ladylike but businesslike all at once. It’s available in limited sizes in black and dark blue at Yoox for $215. Mila Schön Women’s Suit

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Cheap Suits: How Low Can You Go?

12/06/2011 By 143 Comments

Reader K asks about the merits of cheap suits for women…

I’m in the process of changing from a career where pajamas are appropriate work attire to something more “professional” and need all the help I can get. I have been shopping for an interview suit (my first ever and I am almost 40!) and am not sure how to weigh quality vs cost. My clothes budget has been limited to a few t-shirts, a pair of jeans, and maybe a sweater per year so I am unaccustomed to spending a significant amount of money on clothes. I have been browsing at discount stores like Ross, Marshalls, and Kohls to try and find my interview suit for under $100. However, the more I read your blog the more I am wondering if I should suck it up and spend $200-300 on a suit that is wool from a store like Ann Taylor or Banana Republic. Aside from the fact that a well made wool suit will last longer than a synthetic Calvin Klein suit from Ross, do you think there is a significant visual difference? I figure that if my cheap suit works for the interview I can always invest in quality clothes once I have a job that pays more. However, the last thing I want is for the interviewer to think “damn, that’s a cheap suit!”. Any advice?

Great, great question, and I think we should expand the discussion to the differences between LOTS of different price ranges. (The pictured suit is actually not a cheap one, but rather an expensive one — I’ve just been looking for an excuse to share it with you guys without recommending it.  Tee hee.) Here’s my take: [Read more...]

Tagged With: , , , Filed Under: Basics, Fashion Gaffes, Internships/Summer Jobs, Interviewing, Layering Pieces, Money, Suits, Tailoring

Introducing: The Corporette Guide to Women’s Suits

02/22/2011 By 35 Comments

Classiques Entier Atelier 'Diamond Pixel' Wool Jacketicon Our new “Guide to Women’s Suits” is now up! What are the best tips you have for basic women’s suiting? What brands are your favorite? Please come over and weigh in.

(As with our other guides, please note that any off-topic comments will be deleted. Instead, feel free to leave off-topic comments here, on this post.)

(Pictured: Classiques Entier Atelier ‘Diamond Pixel’ Wool Jacketicon, available at Nordstrom for $298.)

Tagged With: , , , Filed Under: Basics, Interviewing, Suits, Wear to Work

Colors and Suits: The Rules?

02/08/2011 By 120 Comments

Stained Glass Color Wheel, originally uploaded to Flickr by garlandcannonToday, Reader C has an interesting question about “color rules” for suits…

I recently bought my first suit from BR (thanks to your post!). I plan to wear it a huge conference that the nonprofit where I work is organizing. At the store, I was trying to choose between getting a black suit or a light gray one from the same collection. The sales associates asked me what shirt I was planning to wear with my suit – I told them it was a dark navy silky top that I was wearing at that time. Immediately, both of them said I should get the black suit because the navy would be too dark for a light gray suit. They said the gray suit should be worn with lighter colors. I did settle on the black suit but it’s because I thought I can wear it with light and dark colored tops. However the associates’ reaction got me wondering – are there rules about matching shirts with suits that I don’t know about? I thought a black suit with a white shirt is classic but perhaps I am outdated.

Maybe I’m alone here, but — whaaa? The associates’ advice doesn’t make sense to me at all. First, I would not advise someone to wear a navy blouse with a black suit unless I’d seen it first to make sure it was clearly navy blue and there was no whiff of “I got dressed in the dark and thought I was wearing all black.” Second, I normally wear black tops with gray suits (hello, New Yorker here), as well as darker jewel tones.  (Pictured: Stained Glass Color Wheel, originally uploaded to Flickr by garlandcannon.)

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Tagged With: , , Filed Under: Basics, Fashion, Suits, Wear to Work

Suit of the Week: Ann Taylor Loft

10/13/2010 By 69 Comments

Ann Taylor Loft City Classic BlazerFor 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 loving the “midnight charcoal” color of Ann Taylor Loft’s “City Classic” line of suiting, for some reason — it looks like a nice dark gray basic suit, and the price point doesn’t hurt. We also like that it comes in regulars as well as petites and talls. The jacket (City Classic Blazer) is $128, and the skirt (City Classic Pencil Skirt) is $59.50.  (Matching pants — Ann City Synthetic Trousers — are available online only for $69.50.)

Ann Taylor Loft City Classic Blazer Ann Taylor Loft City Classic Pencil Skirt

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Suit of the Week – Donna Karan

09/01/2010 By 24 Comments

Donna Karan Belted Stretch-Wool Jacket & Pencil SkirtFor 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.

Donna Karan Belted Stretch-Wool Jacket & Pencil Skirt Donna Karan Belted Stretch-Wool Jacket & Pencil Skirt

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Tagged With: , , Filed Under: Fashion, Suits, Wear to Work