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Updated: Nov 1, 2018 64 Comments · by

Suit of the Week: Ann Taylor Davis Knit

Fashion

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Davis Knit Tweed JacketFor 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.

I am normally not a fan of double-breasted jackets (they tend to only look good while closed!)– but this one might be the exception. Love the speckled tweed, and the extremely wide collar of the jacket; the skirt also strikes me as a great basic to be worn with or without the jacket. The jacket (Davis Knit Tweed Jacket) is $228, and the skirt (Davis Knit Tweed Skirt) is $98.

Davis Knit Tweed Jacket Davis Knit Tweed Skirt

(L-5)

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Kat Griffin is the founder, publisher, and editor-in-chief of Corporette. You can read more about her here.

Comments

  1. Veronica

    Oh that is just adorable. Cheap too. Only nitpick is that it might be even nicer with a touch of stretch to it.

    • fresh jd

      Cheap? I love AT and this suit and shop there all the time, but no jacket in that store is worth $228. I would only buy this on sale.

      • Veronica

        You have a point there. I meant cheap as opposed to the $1k suits that are up here rather often. ;-)

        • 2L NYC

          And there IS a sale. So I bought it. I’ll let you know how it turns out!

      • dw

        I feel like I make the exact same comment every week!!!

        Is that just the style now? I’m really not *that* old, but I just feel a skirt this short is no longer appropriate in a conservative office, even on a younger woman.

    • anon - chi

      Maybe just on the model? I find that a lot of things that look totally inappropriate on a model actually hit close to my knee and are therefore fine. (I’m 5’3″.)

  3. AIMS

    Can we do a post on lapels at some point?
    I am often confused by what is appropriate. For instance, on this suit, the super wide collar strikes me as looking a bit dated. I think women’s suits have a lot more room to be creative than men’s, but I am not sure than means that no rules apply. I would love to hear others’ thoughts.

    • i'm nobody

      this would be great. there are so many rules with menswear (lapels, sleeve length, which buttons to button, how much cuff to show) but with women’s suiting, either there are fewer rules or most of us don’t know what the rules are.

    • surrounded by lawyers

      Also, women are more likely to look overpowered by the wrong type of lapels (because we are smaller in frame, generally). On someone petite with narrow shoulders such as myself, a wide collar is usually a bad idea. The whole idea of a jacket/suit backfires if it makes you look *less* authoritative than you would in something else.

    • govvie girl

      My rules: It has to be flattering on me, and it has to fit in with the office culture.

    • RR

      This is exactly what popped into my head. I don’t have these model proportions by any stretch, but this would be way too short on me.

    • Res Ipsa

      The length is 20.5″ (19″ for petite), which doesn’t seem that short to me…I think the model just has extremely long legs. but it’s hard to tell without trying it on yourself.

      • Midori

        Wow, yeah, I’m 5’8″, and 20.5 inches would NOT be that far above my knee-probably just skim it. Either it’s styled to sit high, or the model isn’t doing it justice.

  6. dd

    Sorry for the threadjack right away, but….

    I’m a 2L and am applying for summer internships with public interest organizations. Most of the places I’m applying are rather large with formal hiring procedures (as opposed to a non profit with a few lawyers). How long should I wait after submitting my application before following up?

    What is the best way to follow up when submitting applications to an unnamed “intern coordinator”? When applications are accepted by mail only? Other than reiterating my interesting and asking for a status update, is there anything else I should say or ask?

    Also, is it acceptable to send holiday cards to my former bosses at internships? Of course, I’d be keeping the cards non-religious and on the fancy/formal side. I always send cards to my former bosses from my pre-law-school career, but that was a very, very informal atmosphere.

    • AIMS

      Yes, on the cards.

      As to follow up, get the HR number or the number for the intern coordinator, and call “to check on the status of your application.”
      They’ll tell you no decision has been made yet or something similar, but at least you’ll know you’re not lost in the shuffle. As for how long to wait, I would say it depends — maybe a month? But really just ask around, are other people getting interviews? What does your career services office say? Past interns?

      Good luck!

      • JessC

        Ditto and ditto to what AIMS said.
        Nothing wrong with sending a card – I’ve found that employers/supervisors of interns like to hear from the former interns occassionally and are often curious to find out what they are up to.
        4-6 weeks sounds good, particularly if applications are being sent by mail (would likely take longer to receive/sort through than email). Just ask to “confirm that your application was received”/”check the status of your application”.
        Good luck!

    • Anonymous

      I can’t speak for all large nonprofits, but at my large DC nonprofit, it would be helpful to not just submit your application online or to the HR/intern coordinator person, but also to email a senior-level person (probably the head or deputy head) in the department in which you want an internship to let them know you’ve applied and are extremely interested (and attach your resume). Our online application is basically a giant abyss in which applicants’ resumes go to die and few people get hired unless they know someone in the organization who can bring their application to the attention of the department management. I think that this is pretty common among big DC nonprofits. Can’t speak for the rest of the country, of course.

    • Samantha

      I don’t see any of the colors marked as $9.99 anymore – are they all gone?! (Don’t see a brown either.)

    • Samantha

      Never mind there IS a brown (its what I thought was red). Isn’t $9.99 any more though.

      • Meme

        I found the brown ones for $9.99 by using the scroll button to scroll across for more colors.

        • AIMS

          There are brown croc and reg. brown leather. The brown croc (first shown) are not on sale; the brown reg. leather is on sale — but you have to scroll a bunch to get there.

  8. KA

    Love the tweed and style, but the 3/4 length sleeves (are they even that long? they look shorter on the model) would make long-armed me look positively Frankensteinish.

  9. Recent law grad

    My Grandmother is interested in purchasing her granddaughters (myself included) pearl necklaces for Christmas. She will likely spend between $100-300 each. Any corporettes have any suggestions?

    • AIMS

      What a lovely grandmother!

      I have several pearl necklaces and only wear 2 regularly.

      You don’t say if you want classic or color — both are nice, though I would think traditional would be a better starting point. But I had a strand of black pearls I wore constantly so think about what suits you (though, I would stay away from non-traditional colors — in my opinion, those tend to get tiresome).

      I would say that what matters is quality & placement. Each necklace will hang differently on different people — you really need to try on to see how one will suit you. In terms of quality, the 2 I don’t wear are both rather generic necklaces from Macy’s. There’s nothing wrong with them, per se, but they don’t make me feel good. The two I wear lots are both a bit more thoughfully made — one from a local artist, the other a vintage from a great aunt. The really long one I have that I thought would be super useful ends up being worn least of all b/c I am always getting tangled up in it.
      I think you should seek out a local jewelry store or even check Lord & Taylor — they have some really nice pearls in their bigger stores (I am thinking of the flagship in NYC, can’t speak as to others) & some fantastic sales. Just don’t go for the cheap-y sets at Macys & the like — maybe others’ experiences differ, but mine have been rather disappointing.

    • i'm nobody

      the pearls’ origin is more important than the brand name attached to them. good pearls can always be restrung, have hardware replaced, etc. look for South China Sea pearls.

      as for where to buy, depends where you are.

      • anon

        Ross Simons (online or catalog) …they have great deals. I second the trying on thing though. I like 18 inches myself, and even though initially I associated bigger pearls with being more fancy, I have actually found the opposite–smaller pearls seem dainty and more feminine on me.

    • anon - chi

      I’m confused (and not very educated about pearls). I thought a string of real pearls cost considerably more than $300. I know there is a really wide range of quality and that price depends on size, how perfectly round the pearls are, and where they come from, but I thought the starting point was higher than that. I was going to suggest something like a few pearls linked by fine chain (Tiffany’s carried something like this a while back).

      Am I totally wrong about what pearls cost??

      • Anonymous

        I’m by no means an expert on the subject, but I think the pearls in the poster’s price range are generally cultured, freshwater pearls. The “natural” pearls (such as Mikimoto) can cost thousands. Price also can vary widely based on the diameter of each pearl and the length of the strand.
        I’m planning to purchase a fairly expensive set (well, hinting to my husband as a combined birthday/christmas/anniversary present) in the near future, but I’ve seen some very pretty traditional styles in the OP’s price range.
        Bluenile.com is a good place to get an idea of what’s out there. I’ve gotten jewelry from them before with good results and excellent customer service.

      • Lucy

        Pearls can be very inexpensive. And, yet, some “fake” pearls can be surprisingly expensive.
        It has to do with origin, quality, size, and all the other stuff you mentioned.

        • Recent law grad

          Thanks for the input all. There is such a huge range of pearl necklace possibilities! I actually tried some on for her at Macys today, a 100 inch that seemed too long and 30 something inch that I preferred. I think they were around 8 cm. They were “originally 500” down to 200, but the quality didn’t seem that great, hence the post. I am in the Midwest area, and the 300 price comes from the fact that she will be buying 9 necklaces, so 1000 necklaces are not an option. That Ross Simons site is great! Is there a huge difference between cultured and akoya? Thanks!

          • ADS

            Akoya pearls are saltwater pearls from Japan. They are the type of pearls that Mikimoto uses, and they don’t generally come larger than 10mm. Akoyas ARE cultured, which means that a bead has been inserted into the oyster to encourage it to grow a pearl. (A “natural” pearl has been formed because a piece of sand or other irritant has entered an oyster and it has grown the pearl without human intervention. No one sells natural pearls, and if you see pearls labeled as such, you are either being ripped off, or your seller knows nothing about pearls.) Pearls that are labeled as simply “cultured pearls” are freshwater pearls, which have come a long way in quality in the last twenty years.

            For more pearl education, you can check out the forums on pearl-guide.com. (http://www.pearl-guide.com/forum/index.php) I have heard great things about http://www.pearlparadise.com for buying pearls, especially very high quality freshwater pearls. They have great customer service over the phone, also.

    • Anonymous

      Blue Nile is a great wholesale website where you can get really nice jewelry much cheaper than retail. I would suggest getting something simple and classic if they’re you’re first pearls – a single 18″ string of mid-sized, non-colored pearls is a good starting point. It’ll complement every professional outfit. If you already have basic pearls and want something more interesting, I have an opera-length strand of freshwater pearls (freshwater pearls tend not to be regularly shaped like saltwater pearls) and I love it, it’s incredibly versatile for both work and formal occasons. Colored pearls can also be

      As for types of pearls, I travel a lot and I’ve bought most of my pearls in local markets in countries where they’re cultivated, so I don’t know much about shopping retail. Real pearls have a gritty feeling if you bite on them – that’s a surefire way to make sure you’re not buying a good fake and any honest seller will not protest if you bite them (carefully). Most pearls, be they freshwater or saltwater, available today are cultured, meaning they are from oyster farms, basically; pearls cultivated from wild oysters are incredibly rare. Freshwater pearls tend to be less expensive, but the shape is also less regular and therefore less classic, however, if you really hunt, you can usually find a strand of mostly regularly-shaped freshwater pearls. Finally, pay attention to the quality of the pearls themselves and not the setting; they can always be restrung.

      Congrats – a nice strand of pearls is a gift that will last you the rest of your life and then be enjoyed by your daughters and granddaughters.

    • sgb

      my husband got me a lovely string of pearls several years ago from overstock.com. they are fabulous and I wear them several times a week. they are real, but most likely fresh water. I believe that they were in your grandmother’s price range.

  10. kz

    random question–for anyone who saw a photo/video of the prince william/kate middleton engagement announcement, does anyone have any idea who made the blue dress kate middleton was wearing? It’s absolutely gorgeous.

  11. Liz

    I think the skirt only looks that short because the model has extremely long, stick-thin legs.

  13. Grump

    I love the skirt…or I would were it to hit the knee; not keen on the jacket, however. I’d team the skirt with a pastel pink/baby blue or black cardigan and some patent pumps and a string of pearls. Yay for tweed :)

    • Frump

      I was thinking about it and I need more tweed in my life (then again, I also need more Grump in my life in general).

    • Ru

      I was actually wondering where the two of you went. Missed your comments and glad you’re back!

  14. Nancy

    I love the suit! I am worried if I wear it to work that my boss will say the skirt is too short for me. He is always so interested in my clothing, it is weird.

  15. threadjack

    Can anyone recommend good brands for buying (cotton preferably) thermal underwear/tees for toddlers? Thanks in advance!

    • Kate

      Check Hanna Anderson. I was really impressed with the quality of the stuff I bought for gifts last year.

  16. Sharon

    I would pay absolutely zero attention to lengths on models. They’re always far different from lengths on those of us with more regular-size proportions.

    • Anon

      Pay attention, but take it with a grain of salt and measure your own body to know where it hits on you. I’m 5-8, and a 20.5 inch skirt hits me where it hits this model, so everyone will have a different experience based on proportions. I think I’m pretty regular-size also :)

      • RR

        Exactly. I’m 5’8″ with a short torso and long legs, so although I have little else in common with the dimensions of the model, where the skirt hits her is likely where it would hit me.

        • anon

          They also alter lengths, pin back, sew people in etc to get the look in the photo ‘right’….

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