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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.
For this week's suit of the week, we're liking this uncomplicated polyester suit from Calvin Klein with some great pleat details on the jacket — it's interesting but simple at the same time. We also like that the fabric has a bit of spandex in it, to give it just a wee bit of stretch. The suit (Calvin Klein Suit, Black Pleated Jacket Pant Suit) is currently $129 (formerly $200) at Macy's, and is available in sizes 2-14.
Also: If you're a size 6, there's a great sale on a black boucle skirt suit at Neiman Marcus…
newassociate
thanks for the neiman tip! i ordered the suit and am trying to decide how seasonal boucle is. the purple suit you recommended a while back is also up again.
MMS
The jacket on this is a little too high cut for me – and I’m not sure how I feel about Macy’s callling it a “power suit.” Is that offensive?
But I love, love the NM suit. Too bad it’s sold out.
Mama JD
Yeah, I was bummed that the NM suit was sold out, too. I just got back from a depo and missed the opportunity. Darn depos! LOL
michelle
yeah, the Neiman’s suit isn’t available anymore even if you ‘re a 6. which I’m not, but I figured I’d check it out, like it way better than the poly one from Calvin which I agree the jacket is unflatteringly short on.
TX1978
The model has too much heel showing!! Don’t the Macys people read Corporette??? ;)
Anne Vohl
The suit has a nice silhouette – but could not see the details. The fact that the shoes show is NO PROBLEM! With somehting this plain and this black, a little imagination is called for regarding the blouse or sweater. Something with a print – not too many colors – might work well here.
Dasha
Am I the only one who finds the idea of a polyester/ rayon suit rather cheap and off-putting?
S.
Some of us need cheap suits, at least for now. More importantly, if this is a suit that doesn’t wrinkle when you stuff it in a bag and take it over long distances (I’ve heard the Ann Taylor tri-acetate suits are good for this), they’re also good for, say, impecunious law students doing moot court or mock trial competitions.
Kel
Nope, my favorite pants are all polyester/rayon.
L
I’m with you Dasha.
G
In my opinion, no one ever needs a “cheap” suit. You might need a suit at a good price point, but you should never aspire to purchase (or wear) something “cheap,” unless, of course, you’re a stripper.
KH
Now see, this jacket would be fine on my – but then I’m 5’0.
I don’t think that synthetics are by definition of poor quality or to be dismissed without actually handling them. Synthetics can have real advantages over wool, cotton, linen, and silk. My experience is that synthetics can be found at at any price point and that some are of better quality than oters. Just like a cashmere sweater at Wal-Mart is not the same as an Ellen Tracy cashmere.
My concern about a “Calvin Klein” suit at this price point is that it’s not Calvin Klien in quality or design – my guess is that it’s a licensed product that comes out of the same factory as any other “On sale for $99 from $200” two-piece suit at Macy’s. But like I said, I’d try it simply because the jacket IS short.
KH
Ooops – meant it would be fine on ME~
newassociate
fyi – i ordered and returned this dress http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3029878/0~2376788~6002242~6007533~6007554?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6007554&P=3
i’d recommend the dress to a fuller busted woman. i’m a pear shape and it actually fit my hips (amazing!) and looked good on the lower half. unfortunately, i’m an A (tmi?) and so the dress didn’t hang correctly on top. a B or C would fit nicely.
Kel
omg I love that dress. Just wished it had sleeves and a thicker belt (but the belt could be replaced).
C. Z.
I loved that dress! I tried it on at Macys and adored it. Unfortunately, I am fuller busted and it didn’t hang so much as hold on for dear life, and I thought it was a bit too form-fitting to be work appropriate (even for a summer job).
Lawgirl
The pants length thing is perplexing nowadays. Fashion has dictated wide-legged pants for about 6-7 years, but in the late ’90s, pants were narrower at the ankle and you they don’t drape over heels the wider pants do. I still have those pants, btw, and paid good damn money for them! The cigarette/narrower leg style has been resurrected this season… What to do? Salesclerks have told me to wear my heels and the desired effect will be slightly high-waterish, like this model’s. Thoughts?
Cat
I think those pants call for kitten heels – I have a few from 99ish Ann Taylor (now there’s quality — but as a side note, they’ve lasted a decade so I assume AT figured out that too high of quality is a problem!) and cannot believe I ever wore over 1″ or so with them.
Kel
If you can do so confidently, then do it. I don’t think I would have the self-confidence, but I stick with very mainstream stuff. If you’re more fashion-conscious then I think you could pull it off. It also depends on just how narrow they are at the bottom, and how much of a high water we’re talking about here.
TX1978
I think high heels with narrow pants is fine — but they should be skinny heels, not chunky ones. Maybe a platform or wedge would be okay, but just avoid the square peg heel — I have seen that on some people & it’s not attractive.
As for kitten heels — I think those can actually be trickier because they often look very elderly & dated to me. When done well — they can be fantastic, but just something to keep in mind. Avoid kitten heel/bows combinations! :)
Lawgirl
sorry for typos. Stet: “But in the late 90s, pants were narrower at the ankle and they don’t drape over heels like wider pants do.” Time to log off. Computer and brain fatigue :(
housecounsel
This suit isn’t drop-dead gorgeous or amazing or revolutionary, but it is perfectly serviceable, and I’ve been pretty happy with the cheapish Calvin Klein suits for everyday.
LawGirl
@Cat – I think you’re right; we wore lower heels with the straight leg pants in the late 90s, didn’ t we? Platforms didn’t exist then, right? Ha. I graduated law school in ’98 — are we dating ourselves? LOL. Call me crazy, but I have 85% of the clothes I bought 10 years ago (law school graduation suit, moot court suit, bar swearing in suit, you name it!). I did get rid of the super high-waisted pants (WTF?), but that’s about it. I’m not hard on clothes, and I rotate tons. Fortunately, I managed to maintain my weight more or less after 2 babies, but things did “shift” so to speak….
Mel^2
I remember when I finished undergrad in ’98, I had plenty of higher heels. The main difference was that they were chunkier styles that didn’t get any thinner as you got closer to the ground. I had platforms too and think all my pants in that time period just went to the top of the heel.
LawGirl
@Mel^2 – Thanks for the validation that I wasn’t the only one wearing heels with high-waters in 1999!