Corporette.com

Updated: Jan 3, 2021 70 Comments · by

Suit of the Week: Antonio Melani

Suit of the Week

This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Corporette's Suit of the Week: Antonio Melani

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.

For our first suit of the week for 2015, I'm liking this basic navy suit with some pretty seaming details on the blazer.

It looks classic but distinctive — fashionwise, nothing's worse than showing up at an interview to find you're wearing the exact same thing as other interviewees!

The blazer (Antonio Melani Grace Seamed Jacket) is $199, and the matching pants (Antonio Melani Minnie Crepe Straight Pants) are $119.

Here's a similar plus-size suit.

Melani women's suit

Sales of note for 9.30.24

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

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

About Kat

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

Comments

  1. Paging Don't Blame the Kids

    Reposting from the morning thread: I recommended the “Don’t Blame the Kids” blog to a friend, but can’t find it online anymore. Don’t Blame the Kids, if you are still out there, would you post the link? Does anyone else still have it?

    Also, for the person looking for something for a 20s party, how about this? http://www.modcloth.com/shop/dresses/dance-floor-fling-dress

    • Maizie

      Reposting my response to you (hours later) on the morning thread:
      She’s on Twitter!
      I think it’s https (colon, slash, slash) twitter (dot) com (slash) lynn_doiron
      Yeah, I miss her blog also. She’s a good writer.

  3. HSAL

    This is pretty. I’ve eyed a few navy suits but I’ve never pulled the trigger because I don’t know what shoes to wear. I love wearing purple shoes with navy pants, but it doesn’t look right with a full suit.

    • Ellen

      Yay! I also like the blazer, but can NOT buy pant’s even in the winter b/c the manageing partner INSISTS I wear a skirt with a blazer, even in the winter! FOOEY! It is so COLD today that I freezed my leg’s off today walkeing into work. He does NOT like me even weareing slack’s to walk in and I had a morning meeting with some prospective cleint’s so I had to wear a dress and closed toe pump’s rather then my UGGs. DOUBEL FOOEY b/c my legs were frozen at the meeting. It is very dificult to be the co-chair of the department, especialy b/c I have cleint responsibilities, includeing having to be the firm’s RAINMAKER.

      But good new’s: I think we sold the cleint on our (my) service’s — the manageing partner told the cleint that I know the judge VERY well and he cited my winning record in Manahattan. We did NOT talk about Brooklyn or Queen’s, where the judge’s do NOT like me that much and my record is onley slightly above 70%. FOOEY!

      Myrna’s brother is comeing by my apartement tonight to watch TV, but Myrna IS goeing to come over and we are goeing to bake chocolate walnut cookie’s! YAY! I love chocolate walnut cookie’s! Myrna’s brother is also a BIG eater, so I told her he should NOT eat all the cookie’s b/c I want to save a dozento bring in for the firm tomorrow. We will see. In the meantime, I hope the HIVE stay’s warm b/c it is VERY COLD out and my down coat is doeing a pretty good job. YAY!!!!

    • SC

      I usually wear medium-gray shoes with navy suits. I also wear nude pumps with a navy skirt suit in the spring or summer.

    • Charmed Girl

      I also love navy suits, but tend more towards skirt suits. What do you wear on your legs with brown, gray, etc. shoes? Do you match the suit or the shoe? For some reason this seems harder to me than with a black suit…

    • anon-oh-no

      I wear navy shoes with navy suits. I’ve struggled to find them in the past, but in the last year or so, there are tons of options at all price points.

      I also wear red or purple, and nude in the warmer months.

  4. "Allergies" PSA

    Suggestions for a new custom? I used to walk into the house after work and pour a glass of red wine. About six months ago, I realized I am allergic to alcohol. I haven’t hit on a good substitute custom and thought I’d ask here.

    Things that were nice about the glass of red wine:

    – kept bottle on counter, so easy to reach when walking into kitchen
    – drink straight so no preparation needed (no need to mix more than one thing or add ice etc.)
    – goes with everything
    – fairly rich taste so one glass is plenty

    I have tried hot tea, hot water with lemon (we have hot water on demand), a mocktail of pomegranate juice/seltzer water/lime wedge and even some snacks (although I prefer it be liquid). I don’t drink soda, so that’s out.

    Any ideas? TIA.

      • "Allergies" PSA

        OMG. I was so excited when I learned there was such a thing. And then I tasted every brand I could get my hands on, and they are all Welch’s grape juice in disguise.

    • Ella

      Fancy hot chocolate maybe – could get very rich, very dark for the same sort of one glass is decadent enough feel

    • First Year Anon

      Random thought- but I just bought a hazelnut-chocolate beverage made by Pacific foods that might work.

        • First Year Anon

          Yup, I saw it randomly in the store and since I love hazelnuts I thought I’d give it a try. It’s also great as a post-workout beverage.

          The Chai tea suggestion also sounds great.

          The issue you might be having is that alcohol does have a sort of ‘soothing’ quality to it which is why people drink when they’re stressed. One glass isn’t getting you tipsy obviously, but I still do feel that affect. That might be why you’re having a hard time replacing it. Maybe a short workout thing might work better? I honestly do find I feel just as less-stressed after a workout as when I drink a few glasses of wine.

    • Julia

      I don’t like NA wine, and, generally, I’m not a beer drinker, but when I was trying to cut back on wine I would have NA beer. Beck’s. I liked the bitter, hoppy flavor. Ice cold, in a chilled glass. Side benefit: I dropped ten pounds in about two weeks, and was still able to have ice cream every night, and not gain weight. :-)

      • marketingchic

        Agreed. I tried NA wine when I was pregnant – it all tasted like grape juice past its prime. NA beer is much better. I like O’Doul’s amber and Kaliber (by Guinness).

      • LilyStudent

        In the UK we now have some fruit drinks which are brewed like beer but which are totally NA. They’re really delicious and feel a little less like a ‘substitute’. It might be worth looking for those?

    • S in Chicago

      Would a white wine possibly work? I know I get horrible headaches with red but never white. Perhaps the allergy is red-specific? If you go with a really, really dry or really, really sweet option you’ll probably have the one-glass satisfaction.

      If you’re looking non-alcohol–I know you said you don’t do soda…. But a really strong ginger beer (with or without a splash of lime added) is a “pure heaven” wind-down for me. Something about the heat in a cold beverage is just so satisfying. I don’t feel like the good stuff (real sugar, etc.) is anything like typical soda. Can’t imagine it’s any worse than hot chocolate (except less caffeine). At least that’s what I hope.

      • "Allergies" PSA

        You know, I like ginger beer a lot and never thought of it for this. Good idea.

      • hoola hoopa

        My mother also has a severe reaction to red but can have white.

        My husband had to quit drinking due to a medication that he’ll need to take for the rest of his life. After experimenting, he settled on sparkling water. Initially he added a splash of juice and lime, but now he drinks plain.

        Since my drinking buddy quit, I switched to herbal tea.

        Neither are a true wine substitute, but they do fill the habit of having something to sip while cooking, drink during dinner, or hold while chatting. And I’ve found exploring teas similar to exploring new wines.

      • Wildkitten

        I’m allergic to a variety of alcoholic beverages and not allergic to others. So if you are just skipping wine for the allergy, you might be able to drink a different wine or different beverage.

        • Anon

          Sorry, that’s what I meant. Brain shutting down. I’m just wondering because I think I’m developing an allergy and have questioned whether it is related to alcohol.

          • KittyKat

            Most alcohol allergies aren’t alcohol allergies at all rather allergies to preservatives and additives. In this case drinking wine from countries with very strict pesticide and food laws (EU, Australia, NZ, and Canada) will solve the problem. You can go to an allergist to determine what the allergy specifically is if that’s your concern.

          • Wildkitten

            Omg. I googled this. I think I’m allergic to sulfites. I’ve been allergic for like 10 years and never knew what it was. This is huge.

            I may have to stage an elaborate wine tasting just to make sure.

    • Anon in NYC

      Are you willing to put in a tiny bit of work on the weekend to pre-mix a mocktail? Like, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and grenadine (all to taste). This way you could just pull it from the fridge and pour, or top it with soda water for fizz.

    • Blonde Lawyer

      I’m sorry to hear you have a new allergy but it makes me feel a little bit better about myself. My food allergy list just keeps growing. I have something new that I think is mango. I learned after a bad poison ivy reaction (which I had 2 summers ago) you are at increased risk of mango allergy.

      I’m also having my house worked on and have a weird rash on my face. Turns out lots of that construction gunk has gluten in it.

      I hate being a special snowflake and wish my immune system wasn’t always trying to find something new to attack!

      • anon

        I have this but for me it’s just the mango peel which might be what yours is too. The peel has the same toxins as poison ivy. But I can still eat mangos, as long as I am careful about avoiding the peels.

      • Mountain Girl

        If its not the peel and is indeed the mango fruit than you will want to watch pineapple, kiwi, papaya and figs. One of my kids have this allergy and this is their allergy list. Continued exposure to any of these could eventually lead to a latex allergy and you don’t want to go there so be careful about exposing yourself. Also, the allergy doc told us that the enzyme that is probably causing the reaction in these fruits in also in red wine. My 10 year old doesn’t drink red wine so it’s not relevant to me but it might be to some of you.

        • JJ

          That’s interesting! My husband developed an allergy to pineapple (he’d break out in hives if he touched it while giving some to the kids) and then mango, as well.

      • CKB

        That must be so frustrating. My sil has developed an allergy to cold. She breaks out in hives. And since we live in Canada, it makes winter hard for her.

        • Anon

          Is it the cold itself, or her body’s attempt to warm itself up to the cold that bothers her? I break out in hives not when I get cold, but when my core temperature rises in response to cold (for instance, I don’t break out when sitting outside in the cold, but if I were to walk around, I would). Apparently it’s a histamine release. I take claritin for it – she might try that (with a doc’s ok).

      • Casper

        I have a mango allergy too! It’s the peels for me but I don’t eat the fruit either because I can guarantee it didn’t touch the peel. Watch out for cashews too. They’re related

    • SC

      Some things that work well for me are hot tea (white, herbal, or rooibus if you’re looking for decaf), grapefruit or orange juice squeezed over the weekend, sparkling water with lime, ginger beer, and (more of a cocktail substitute) a concoction of cranberry juice, ginger beer, sparkling water, and lime. I still miss wine though (abstaining because I’m pregnant).

    • anonsg

      If you want something accessible that doesn’t require you to prepare it at all, I’d recommend just drinking a cup of water. Doesn’t really have some of those other aspects that you like about red wine, but it’s nice, it’s good for you, and it’s easy.

    • Wildkitten

      My favorite custom for coming home is to change from work clothes to lounge clothes. (Or from gym clothes to lounge clothes, if I’m coming home from the gym.)

      • "Allergies" PSA

        Just now getting back here. I noticed that when I drank red wine, I almost immediately felt my sinuses fill up/stay very congested and then I started wheezing. I conducted an extensive experiment over several months with red wine, white wine, champagne, potato-based vodka, grain based vodka, red vermouth, tequila and amaretto — because I was exploring the alocohol vs. sulfates vs. sulfites vs. histamines. Turns out, I have the same reaction to them all. Ugh. Maybe one day it will stop as suddenly as it started.

        Many thanks to you all for the great suggestions. I appreciate them all.

  6. Calico

    I’m on hold with my new insurance company trying to change the GP they automatically assigned me to. I asked how I could choose an OB/GYN. The service rep on the line said “Oh, I’ve always wondered what that means.” I kid you not.

  7. Anonymous

    I realize it’s late in the day and I probably won’t get many responses on this but I’ll repost tomorrow if needed.

    My dad is a pretty talented furniture craftsman (side hobby). He built me a dresser when I was in high school that is long and has 9 drawers (3 drawers tall, 3 drawers wide, but longer than it is tall if you can imagine it). It was made with oak and brass hardware so it looks pretty dated. I’d like to use it in our spare bedroom but it doesn’t have any matching pieces (headboard/footboard and end table(s)). I can’t just go buy some to match because they won’t match and I’ve been asking my dad to please build me matching pieces for a decade and he hasn’t had time so I’m assuming that isn’t going to happen.

    I am literally the WORST when it comes to home decorating and I need some ideas here. I was thinking I could replace the brass hardware with black or almost black hardware and buy a similar colored black wrought iron or similar headboard and footboard. Does this sound like it could work? What do I do for an end table(s)? If I had no connection to this dresser I would just sell it and purchase a matching furniture set but I can’t do that since my dad made it……

    Help please!

    • Hollis

      I think if you want it all to match, then matching the color of the wood is basically all that’s required. I put my old mahogany dresser into a room with really cheapo beds and end tables and it looks just fine, even though the hardware is totally different. Or, you can just embrace the difference and look for something totally different for the other stuff (like wrought iron or whatever would look like it’s from the same general era). Also, you may be able to find a craftsman on Etsy or locally who will make you matching pieces if you are wedded to that idea.

      • Anonymous

        Oh please don’t paint the wood. I vote updated hardware and wrought iron-type bed

      • Senior Attorney

        If you look at the decorating blogs, painting old wood pieces is all the rage these days and can look really fun and fresh. Just sayin’. I painted the chairs from my 1980s dining room set silver and left the table and china cabinet wood and it looks awesome.

        • ITDS

          If you do decide to paint it, The Frugal Girl blog has great info on how to do it. You can google it.

        • Anonymous

          I was on Pinterest last night and saw some great painted oak dressers. I’d love to do that but my dad would seriously freak out if I painted it. I’m thinking maybe strip the ugly golden oak off of it and stain it dark.

    • Moonstone

      I’d give up on matching. I like the idea of changing the hardware on the dresser to something black. I use these $39 Ikea tables as nightstands at my house. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20128564/ I don’t use real headboard/footboard sets anymore. Instead I create a headboard out of something like a room divider or button-tufted upholstered pieces attached to the wall (not attached to the bed). But there are lots of nice headboard pieces at wayfair and overstock. Also, can you hang a big mirror in a black frame over the dresser?

    • Pesh

      I’d update the hardware, and do an upholstered bed or wrought iron bed. For night tables, you could go with wrought iron, or a solid painted colored tables (white, black, gray or maybe something fun like red)

    • Senior Attorney

      Have you looked on Pinterest or houzz dot com? If you look at a whole bunch of photos of bedrooms you will get an idea of what you like and that will make it a lot easier to decide what you want to do.

      And also matching furniture isn’t a very current look at the moment so I wouldn’t give that a second thought. Your idea of changing out the brass hardware for black and adding black pieces (metal or painted wood) is a good one. You can also do an upholstered bed and painted or metal or mirrored side tables.

      But really, my best suggestion is to look at a whole lot of bedrooms until you see something that strikes your fancy.

      • Senior Attorney

        Type “mismatched bedroom furniture” into the search function on houzz or Pinterest and some fun stuff comes up.

    • LilyStudent

      I’d replace the handles with others, and then maybe go for white-painted furniture for the other things?

  8. Anonymous

    Is there a good decorating blog that I could post this on? Maybe I could include a picture of the dresser too?

      • Anonymous

        Thanks Pesh! I’ll send you a picture tonight assuming that I can actually get to the dresser in the garage (we are currently remodeling).

  9. Designsponge

    Try submitting it there or apartment therapy. They have reader help features.

Back to Top

About

Work with Corporette®

Serious Stuff

work fashion blog press mentions