ByKat Hours Updated
Comments 67 Comments

Suit of the Week

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Jones New York 2 Button Pocket JacketFor busy working women, the suit is often the easiest outfit to throw on in the morning. In general, this feature is not about women's 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. Jones New York is having a pretty good sale on suiting — both suits and suit separates are $99 for a limited time. I'm liking this simple gray tweed suit set — the black and white fabric is a great basic for the office, and I can see both the pants and the jacket getting a lot of wear as separates. It's nice that both pieces are available in petite and plus sizes, as well. The jacket (Jones New York 2 Button Pocket Jacket (Pattern)) is $59.99, and the pants (Jones New York Side Pocket Pants (Pattern), are $39.99.
Jones New York 2 Button Pocket Jacket 23
(L-6)

Sales of note for 12.5

And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

67 Comments

  1. I normally love tweed, but this looks very boxy. I also have a rule that I will not buy anything that doesn’t even look good on the model showing it.
    On the bright side, I guess at this price, maybe it would be worth spending another $100 or so on a tailor fixing this to make it more flattering?

    1. It’s usually not good when even the model looks frumpy. There’s something about these pants that make her legs look short.

      1. Yep those pants are frumptastic. Something about the heaviness of the fabric with the higher waist makes it just plain bad. Sorry to hate, I know Kat is trying to offer a range of sizes and prices, but those look beyond tailor repair to me.

        1. Boy, that’s just a terrible way to sell pants – they are too wide and short for the model.
          I had a Jones New York pants suit a few years ago and the pants were beautifully cut, for what it’s worth. I have no idea whether they’ve changed that.

    2. Agree with the comments above. This looks out and out dumpy. I am trying to picture what body type would look good in this.

      I think part of the problem is the cut of the jacket with minimal waist line shaping and those high pockets creating a horizontal line. And it is cut short. Contrasted with the wide, lowered waistline and generously cut leg of the pants, not a good mix.

      (Those pants look like little old man pants that would be right at home held up by suspenders.)

  2. Thoughts on the quality of JNY and whether it fits tall women (esp. if you are a size 12-14 with a short torso and long legs prone to high water pants). I don’t own enough suits and am looking to expand my wardrobe, and grey tweed is a good option for me.

    1. Don’t do it. I am 5’11” and have never had any luck with anything from this brand. Way too short.

    2. Ooh ooh! I’m a short torso/long legs/size 10/12 and Jones is not flattering on me, not sure what it is… plus the last suit I had of theirs was itchy even through a blouse and I just hated wearing it and gave it away to my niece (who, incidentally, likes it, go figure). And I agree with the other commentators that this suit makes the model look bad – both the pants AND the jacket, maybe they look better together. Maybe.

    3. No. at 5’8″, I can just make the pants work with letting out the hem and wearing with low heels or flats, but there is no extra fabric.

  3. This looks terrible, sorry. JNY is very boxy in my experience. The waist of the jacket should be nipped in much more.

    1. Yes, I’ve had the same experience – everything from them looks dowdy on me.

  4. In general, I’ve found tweed jackets to be the most versatile separates – they look great over solid sheath dresses or with solid pants and skirts. I would normally be tempted to buy a tweed jacket but agreed – the boxy fit on the model has me scared.

    Question – is it possible the model is so stick thin that it would actually look good on those of us with a bit of an hourglass figure?

    1. The whole suit actually looks big on her – if you look at the shoulders I think they come out farther than her shoulders do, and ditto with the waist and hips on the pants. Hrmph.

  5. I just bought this suit! Every time I have to wear a suit for work (which is not often) I am reminded how much I don’t like the suits I have. I was not sure what size to get, but like AIMS said, for $100, even if I spend another $50 having it altered, I still will come out on top! Thanks for the great find!

  6. I love the tweed, but the bell-bottom effect doesn’t make it for me, especially with the sloppy wet NY winters, those pants would get really dirty really fast. So I would only wear these if I lived south of Virginia, and then, if this is real wool tweed wool, only between the months of October through March.

  7. Thread jack: How often to you purchase new purses for work? I’ve been using the same purses (although they’re large enough to call bags) for awhile now. I really want to get another, but my work purses are usually more expensive than my every day or evening purses and I’m having a hard time convincing myself to spend the money. Oh, and I really can’t use every day purses for work. My work purses are pretty conservative and my other purses are pretty funky and generally small.

    1. Every 6 months I buy a new purse, but I give my old ones to my sister, who works in the public sector for the NY City Dept of Finance. It would not look too good for her to be walking around with new expensive purses. This way, they are a bit worn by the time she gets them, and her other clothes are not very showy like mine.

    2. I have been carrying the same bag (in red) for almost a year… maybe this is a sign I should upgrade

  8. I don’t think I’ll buy this suit, but notice of the sale is appreciated, as there are some other pieces I might purchase.

  9. I’m looking at these shoes from target and wondering if anyone has bought them or just seen them in the store and can comment on how they look/fit in person. http://www.target.com/Merona-Meaghan-Ruffled-Flat-Shoes/dp/B004AG6AH2/ref=sc_qi_detaillink

    I’m thinking of getting them in yellow or red — I like the idea of a brightly-colored shoe, but I’m not sure if I’ll like the reality of it, so I want to try out an inexpensive pair. I work in a business casual nonprofit and want to add colot to my boring uniform of slacks and cardigans.

    1. I have these in black. They are cute. However, I’ve found that my feet are just too wide for them, by the end of the day my feet are killing me from the pressure on the front toe part against my skin. They do not expand, or at least haven’t yet.

    2. I think I have these in a metallic pewter from a few seasons ago. (I mean, I know I have metallic pewter flats w/ a ruffle from Target… just not sure if they’re this exact style…)

      Mine are pretty comfortable; they don’t pinch or cause blisters or anything, and are pretty flexible. I normally wear a 10, and I got these in a 10. I wore them around the house a lot at first because I wasn’t sure if they were going to be too tight, but they’ve stretched just a skosh and fit quite well. I would recommend purchasing a pair of stick-on arch supports (I think mine are Dr. Scholls) because these otherwise have no support.

    3. I didn’t like the look of any of Target’s shoes. They were cheap looking to me. The man-made materials were not all that great, IMHO.

  10. Okay, I’m sorry because I know this has been posted about before, but I am unable to search the comments. I’m considering buying a Clarisonic and was hoping to get some opinions. Can anyone help?

    1. I bought one just recently (the Mia) – because of the rave reviews on here, actually! – and I’ve really liked it so far. I think that, overall, my skin looks better and feels softer.

      I can’t say definitively that it has made my pores smaller (or, at least look smaller), but I’ve only been using it a short period of time (~2 weeks maybe).

    2. Do itttt.
      I was very hesitate to buy one because of the high price tag, and my low salary. I have however had problems with light acne for almost 10 years now, and it cleared mine right up. It took about a month or so for it to really show a difference on my face, but now I’m totally hooked. I still get an occasional small blemish, but honestly it’s usually when I pass out without taking off makeup or using the Mia.

      1. Is Mia the smaller model? Is there a noticable difference between the full size and the smaller “travel” size that makes it make sense to upgrade to the full size?

        1. Mia is the travel size – it’s actually not that small, all things considered! I think the one thing that could be considered a drawback with the Mia is that the body brush head doesn’t work on the Mia size. Other than that, I couldn’t tell what the difference was that would justify the cost – perhaps the charging mechanism?

        2. The Mia also only has one speed, from what I understand, whereas the other model has two (a higher speed that is better for most of the face, and a lower speed for closer to the eyes and any other sensitive spots).

          I only got mine (the standard model a week ago), so it is hard to weigh in. I will say that my skin feels and looks smoother, and hopefully over time it helps cut down on the breakouts. If nothing else, I am definitely clearing off more makeup than soap and washcloth alone.

          1. There are three models – Mia has one speed (the lowest), the original has two speeds (and can fit the body brush), and the Plus has three speeds (the highest one s suppose to be best for body).

            I bought the Mia recently because there is a 30 day money back policy. I’ve heard such rave reviews, I’m excited to see if this turns out to be worth the 150$ or if I return it…

    4. I got the Mia primarily for my acne and don’t think I’ve had as great results as others on here have mentioned. I was hoping it would get rid of the clogged pores on my chin but haven’t seen much of a change there. I think it does help a lot with the larger pimples, as I stopped using it for two days and noticed about 3-4 new pimples popping up. Usually the pimples I do have go away faster, and I find that I have fewer dry patches.

    5. I’m a complete Clarisonic evangelist – I’ve had the Mia for about three months now and it has done what even Accutane couldn’t do. My skin is completely clear and glowy and generally fabulous, and I never ever thought I could say that. I got mine with some Christmas gift cards, but it would be worth every penny if I’d had to pay full price.

      1. That’s really amazing to hear. I got the Clarisonic and have been using it for about two weeks. I haven’t gotten any new zits in that time period, and my old ones are still in the process of fading, so that’s great news for me.

        Do you think it’s just the pulsing of the Clarisonic that’s cured your acne, or is it the combination of that and a specific cleanser you use?

      1. does it come with a specific cleanser or are you free to use your normal one? i use cetaphil, would that be ok?

          1. I wouldn’t recommend sharing the same brush head, because it seems like there’d be “cross-contamination” of oils/bacteria, etc., which might cause one (or both) of you to break out, but to each their own ;-)

    8. I know I’m getting into this a little late, but what cleaners do you all use with it??

    9. hi all! i know i’m a little late on this, but what types of cleansers do you use with the clarisonic?

  11. Nice to see brown-skinned black woman model, with “natural” hair. Very cute smile. I’d wager she’s about a size 4. That said, the suit is too big for her, period, IMHO. But at least they didn’t clip it and do shennigans that make it fit better.

    2. Second that. I agree with Lawgirl.

      Just FYI everyone – there are lots of petite and plus size options on the website. Some very nice pieces for very good prices! I don’t like this one especially but there are some other ones that are possibilities. Thanks for the link, Kat.

    3. Brown skinned Black?
      Why not just say Black and leave it at that?

      Is there a conscious effort to call their skin brown?

      1. not sure if this is what the original commenter meant, but i think in general it is rare to see models who are of color, and often when you do, those models are fairly light-skinned. for example, check out the ann taylor website, which has a pretty diverse range of models in terms of ethnicity, but whose skin tones are fairly similar: http://www.anntaylor.com/catalog/category.jsp?N=1200007&pCategoryId=3939&categoryId=180&Ns=CATEGORY_SEQ_180&loc=TN&gridSize=sm&showAll=true

        i know that i always notice and appreciate when brands use more diverse models, whether that means w/ natural hair, a broader range of skin tones, body types/body sizes, or whatever else.

        1. I think I should clarify: I think the original comment was about complexion, not race. This is a tricky subject. There are lots of people with brown skin who are not of African American decent, which is the group the term “black” is usually, but not always, applied to.

          So my comment that I am brown-skinned speaks to my complexion. Broad generalizations such as white or black, etc. can miss the point by a landslide, ironically. Kat’s “nude for me” description speaks to this quite eloquently, I think.

  12. Threadjack:

    I’ve been stalking the Fall 2011 shows (yeah, I know, way to look at gorgeous clothes that I totally can’t afford!) and I’ve completely fallen in love with this button down look from Valentino. It strikes me as both clean and elegant, while remaining actually practical for the busty among us (erm, me!) No chance of gape-age with the buttons that close together, and you can precisely calibrate the degree of cleavage you feel like showing–nice! Has anyone seen something like this for sale at a lower price point? Alternatively, is it something that a tailor might be able to do to a standard button-down shirt?
    http://www.style.com/fashionshows/complete/slideshow/F2011RTW-VALENTIN/#slide=30

    1. Wow, that’s beautiful. I can’t answer any of your questions, but I love the dress.

    2. This would not be something you could do to a standard front button shirt (a button down shirt refers to the collar).

      A tailor would have to re-cut both sides of the front of the shirt to apply the button loops and to eliminate the button holes.

      Since cost is an issue, your best bet is to keep hunting for an inexpensive copy. (Otherwise, I would recommend having this custom made.)

    3. Have you checked out Carissa Rose (www.carissarose.com)? You can order shirts and dresses according to bust size (at least to some degree) and she uses hook-and-eye closures or zippers instead of buttons. I have not purchased anything yet, but have been toying with the idea. I’d love to hear from others who have actually tried some of her clothes.

  13. Too boxy – for me. Doubt hourglasses would look good in this one but can see slim, elegant types rocking it.

  15. Has anyone had any luck stretching Cole Haan pumps? I finally splurged and bought a pair when I found them on sale, and they’re the most comfortable heels I’ve ever worn, but they’re definitely still a little too narrow, or maybe shallow, in the toe box. I can’t find them in a half-size up or wider except full price which I can’t swing right now. I’m hoping they’ll actually fit if I try them on first thing in the morning or if I get them stretched, because even though they’re too small (and my toes look a little squashed) they’re still so much more comfortable than any other heels I own and it’s killing me to think about sending them back.

    1. You can try taking them into a Cole Haan full price store – I know they do free stretching. If you bought them from somewhere else, I’m not completely sure what their policy is, but you can go in and say they were a gift if you’re comfortable with that. (My bf had a pair stretched that he’d received as a gift, though the order was definitely from the Cole Haan website.)

      1. You can also pay a cobbler to stretch shoes if the CH store won’t do it/you don’t have one nearby.

    2. A lot of my Cole Haans were too narrow in the toe box when I first received them, but they eventually stretched enough to be comfortable through normal wear (although the first few times I wore them weren’t the most comfortable experiences ever). I just bought a shoe stretcher from Amazon that had been recommended to me by a ton of people, so hopefully that works better than blood, sweat, and tears…

    3. You can buy a spray that you spray onto the inside of the shoes and then wear the shoes. The spray helps them stretch.

      My cole haan flats have stretched pretty nicely though they still have a bit more to go before they fit like a glove. Hang in there :)

      1. Okay, you’ve all convinced me to do what I wanted to do all along and keep the shoes! I’ll try the spray (I think I have that lying around somewhere) and walking around in them for a while, otherwise I’ll take them to the cobbler. I don’t have enough of a game face to stroll into the Cole Haan store and pass off my Zappos sale purchase as from the store.

        The ice idea is also intriguing, but I’m going to test that out on a cheaper pair of shoes, I think, at least the first time.

        1. I’ll be the naysayer. I had my CH stretched at the Cole Haan store and tried the spray. Even after all that, they are still too narrow in the toebox and I regret keeping them because now they just sit in my closet. A deal is only a deal if you can wear the darn things.

  16. Depending on the material you can try stretching them at home. Fill two zip-loc bags about 1/3 full with water, put a bag each in the shoe (essentially tucked into the toe box if that is what you are trying to stretch) and put the shoes in the freezer. As the water freezes it will expand and stretch the shoe. You may need to do it more than once depending on how much stretch you need.

    The health warning us of course that not all materials will like being put in the freezer but i have no idea what those are! I’ve only tried it with fake leather and it worked like a charm!

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