Suit of the Week: Brooks Brothers
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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 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.
The Brooks Brothers clearance is on and there are some great suiting separates in the mix. For the Suit of the Week, I'm liking this navy cotton pique jacket and pencil skirt. First, I really like cotton pique as a summer fabric — lightweight, breathable, but far sturdier than linen. Second, this just looks like a great summer basic — love the collarless, high neckline (although I'd probably wear the whole jacket open), as well as the classic lines of the skirt. The jacket (Cotton Pique Four-Button Jacket
) is originally $248, and the skirt (Cotton Pique Skirt) is originally $148. Now, the BB sale is a bit weird — if you buy one piece the price is 40% off the marked price, but if you “buy 3” then the markdown goes up to 50% off. My first understanding was that this was a volume discount (buy 3 of the cotton pique skirts, and then get 50% off), which may make sense for men but not so much for women. However, after some experimenting, it looks like if you buy ANY 3 pieces in the sale then you get the 50% off price — so for example, if you were to buy this suit plus, say, this dress (which is now back in stock in most of the darker colors), then you'd pay $262 for all 3 pieces — not bad at all.
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I love Brooks Brothers suits, and these are great prices! My dad wore this brank in the 1970’s when he went to work every day and they always looked very good on him. Now my B/F wears these and Joseph A. Benks, and I told him that he looks better in the Brooks Brothers’ Suit.
My only issue with the ladies suits is in the cut. You have to make sure the seat is not too tight. They make these thinking we all have small rear ends, and we don’t. So make sure you try it on in the afternoon.
As if. Troll elsewhere.
Haha. Yes, because rear ends, like feet, can swell as the day goes on. Makes perfect sense.
threadjack!
speaking of great sales! I have a couple of peices at Talbots that I have my eye on. They have a number of Grace Fit Boyfriend suit jackets on sale. Any idea what this means? I like the Grace Fit, but am wondering if there is anything weird/boxy about the boyfriend fit. I am looking at buying 2 suits with the same cut on the jacket.
Thanks in advance!
No input on the cut, but I got an email from Talbots saying free shipping with no minimum until 3pm local time with code “red”.
I don’t know yet, but I bought this jacket last week in the sale and it’s supposed to arrive today. I’ll post tomorrow and let you know!
I have a Talbots suit with a Grace fit boyfriend jacket that I got this spring. I had the jacket tailored because I found it too mannish/boxy, and now I think it looks good. I am normally a size 4 at BR/AT/J.Crew and have a generally slender build. I thought the 4 in the Talbots jacket was too boxy and would have gotten it tailored if I’d bought it, but I ended up getting a 6 because I wanted longer sleeves. So… it can be nice if you’re willing to go to some trouble. Hope that helps :)
please do post Maddie Ross!!!
thanks!
Grace is supposed to be the universal, in-between cut. The slimmer more body-con is the Kate, the straighter, occasionally boxy, double-breasted-y swing-coat category is the Jackie.
I normally love BB, but I think this looks way too matronly.
Agreed. It would be nicer with a scoop neckline that could be worn with a nice necklace.
May I indulge in a wedding threadjack for a moment? I think I just bought my wedding dress, in a very corporette moment! I’ve had a marathon of meetings all day, and during the 5 minute email/bathroom break, I saw a dress that I’d been stalking marked down on Gilt group (it’s a simple white cocktail dress – very small wedding). I ordered it really quickly and then went back to the meeting. And a few moments later, it hit me that I’d just ordered my wedding dress. In my office, on a Wednesday, with 3 minutes to spare. I thought my fellow corporettes might appreciate that!
Love this!
congratulations!
It’s great to be on top of things.
Congratulations for the wedding.
Congratulations! I was eyeing the Badgley Mischka dresses on Gilt yesterday… some of those were perfect for wedding dresses.
Love.
Threadjack: I know that we talk about firm photos a lot, but what about videos? My firm is working on this advertising thing in which a production company will shoot a lot of really short videos of attorneys (us) answering questions about a certain subject, which will go on the web. Has anyone done anything like this before? Tips? (On everything- general, how it goes, how to prepare, what to wear, hair up or down, make up and accessories, etc.) I’m particularly concerned about not coming across really young (each of the other attorneys is older than my parents) and girlish.
My friend’s firm made her do a video. She spouts a bunch of things that are great about her firm which are obviously from a list of talking points she was given. (“The firm’s commitment to diversity is shown by… The Firm is committed to providing value and quality service to all of its clients… etc) It is HILARIOUS and we still make fun of her for it.
One thing that might help is making proper eye contact with the camera. I think my friend wasn’t sure where to look, so not only was she saying a bunch of bs (and she’s a terrible actress, so it was obvious she thought it was bs), but she was looking in the wrong place a la Michelle Bachman’s speech a while ago, which made it worse. Also, sit up straight.
Often when being interviewed on-camera, they won’t Let you look at the camera– for documentaries, news, etc. Notice next time you see an interview. But obvs. do as the producer of your vid tells you– at or otherwise.
This is more related to speech/audio but applies to video. There at a few things I’ve noticed women often do that can undermine the listener’s confidence and may emphasize the youthfulness of your appearance in a negative way. Tape your presentation and listen for things like:
– Are you using a too-high pitch? Sometimes people have a “phone voice” which is higher than their normal voice and comes out when they’re presenting.
– Does your voice go up at the end of statements, like you’re asking a question? A lot of women do this, even when they are giving their own name.
– Do you speed up when you are giving a long answer? Use fewer words but take your time saying them and assume you have an audience that is actually listening. It’s not like you’re speaking on someone else’s time.
No repeating patterns– they swim on camera. No houndstooth, plaid, tweed, etc. Rich blue looks best, avoid high necklines and black or navy on top– makes you a floating head. Powder your nose. You’ll be great!
I have no advice, but I sympathize. This sounds like almost my worst nightmare. I work for the government. It has its ups and downs and one of the ups is that we don’t have to do things like this.
Some of us do…
Funnily enough, while I was in a government agency they created a video that sounds much like the one above as a recruitment/training/welcome to the agency type thing. I knew several people in it. But my firm has done no such thing…so I guess it all depends.
I’m actually taking a break from editing some transcripts from video my company took at our annual conference (I work for a professional association). I’m supposed to be looking for “moments” we can use. Although we can edit, it’s not with surgical precision. With that in mind:
Everyone knows to try to avoid stammering, “ums” and “ahs,” etc. But I think one of the most frequent speech patterns that makes editing video hard is the “reverse order” pattern of speaking (deductive?). Where you state a bunch of things and only then reach your conclusion. It’s a much stronger snippet if you can start out with the point you are trying to make and then support it with examples.
Also, don’t be afraid to be repetitious. In some ways, the more you do this, the better. It’s easier to find at least one refence that works well.
Try to repeat back any questions you are asked and speak in complete sentences as much as possible. It’s very hard to work with a lot of fragements. Just audiorecording yourself can be very telling. I never realized how often I tend to break off in the middle of what I’m saying until I actually listened to myself (I’ve read transcripts of roundtables I’ve led and they’re equally horrifying). It’s a very common speech pattern, especially when you may be around peers or others who “know you” and what you mean.
I know this sounds really weird, but pretend you are talking to someone elderly or who is not a native English speaker. You’re more likely to speak slower and with the appropriate kind and “educating” tone.
Threadjack PSA! Urban Decay’s Friends and Family Sale is going on now! http://www.urbandecay.com
Thank you, Makeup Junkie – I’m a UD junkie, so this is great news!
you’re welcome! Enjoy your goodies!
Not wild about the color, but I love the cut. I’d love to see it in a lighter color like cream.
That is one ugly, matronly suit.
I like it actually. I think the picture doesn’t do it justice — fabric makes all the difference in a suit like this and I think the fact that it’s cotton pique keeps it from being too “matronly.”
I am not sure that a style/cut like this will be right on everyone, but I don’t see anything inherently matronly about it.
The whole BB sale is actually rather great — you can basically buy any 3 suiting pieces for 50% off.
I like it, too. Tailored well with killer heels and earrings, it could look great.
this.
I have this suit, and it’s fabulous. Super flattering, conservative but summery with the fabric and 3/4 sleeves. The jacket is slimming, gives a Jackie O vibe, not boxy at all. Highly recommend for anyone who needs that “go-to” summer suit in their arsenol.
I am fascinated by this matronly thing. Many of us are keen not to look too young and are trying to steer a way where we are cultivating gravitas. Let me tell you what does NOT have gravitas: a shrunken Jcrew jacket suit! if you are leading deals you don’t want to look like someone’s son’s college girlfriend! bring on BB matronly, I say.
Would it be bad to wear this suit with the top button or two unbuttoned?
I have a jacket that is cut like the one pictured. I always try to unbutton the top buttons, but it always ends up looking weird. I don’t think it’s “bad” though.
Yeah… I am pregnancy did a number on my bra size, and I either have to size up everything and have it tailored down, or buy my size with the top few buttons open. I’m not sure it would fly with this suit.
Word of warning about the dress Kat links too: size up.
It’s oddly stretchy cotton and, at least on me, was very clingy in all the wrong places. All in all, not flattering on me, but I can see how it could look good on a straighter, more athletic figure. On me, it was tight in the chest and hips and gaped oddly on the waist.
There are some silk skirts online that are just gorgeous in person (the blue and the pink silk ones); very flattering and substantial. I also really liked the wool seersucker dress (I recommended it last night in the spin pins thread), it’s incredibly comfortable and flattering.
Seattle-related TJ:
As it appears that this Friday doesn’t work for a Seattle meetup, please let me know when does. We’ll plan on *no* Seattle meetup this Friday.
If you’re interested in a meetup, please let me know (here or email circe(dot)42 (at) hotmail(dot)com) what of the upcoming Thursdays or Fridays work for you. I’m determined that we’ll make this work despite our busy schedules.
Sigh. Having a sudden attack of the insecurities. Anonymity is so comforting sometimes…
Well, then respond here :)
Yes on Thursdays and Fridays for the rest of the month except Friday 7/15. God, that’s kind of embarrassing!
Next Thurs or Fri will work. And Seattleite, you should come! You can change your username afterwards so anonymity will be preserved.
Posted this earlier, but re-posting on the later thread for more responses:
Any advice on dealing with (VA) bar prep? The exam is in 3 weeks, so I’m wondering what you all did in the last few weeks that helped you pass. At this point I’ve covered all of the new material, and I’m working through multiple choice/essays to see what I still need to review, but I feel like I’m just not “getting it.” Is there anything specific you all would suggest?
Motivational tips would help too. I know it’s a big test, and I’m doing my best to take it seriously … but sometimes I just want feel burned out and unmotivated and just want to sleep!
There have been a lot of bar-studying threads in the past 2 months; run a quick search for many different takes on how best to prepare while staying sane!!
No advice with the VA bar specifically. Generally, for the bar exam/prep, if you are feeling like you are unmotivated and sleep deprived, give yourself a break. Literally. Take some time off from studying (1 or 2 evenings/week) or take a nap in the afternoon. I studied everyday for the CA bar (Barbri in the mornings), took a 1 hour break for lunch and a walk and then studied all afternoon until 7pm (dinner). I, then, relaxed in the evening until I went to bed (usually around 10pm). I also took an afternoon off 1 week before the bar exam and treated myself to a massage and mani/pedi. The day before the first day of the exam, I also scheduled a 1 hour massage at the hotel I was staying in for the exam. These things really helped me feel relaxed and mentally ready for the exam.
Since you have gotten this far, you should know your study habits by now. I tend to be a poor multiple choice exam taker but perform well in essay format exams. Therefore, I focused my studying more on multiple choice and just did a lot the practice questions. More importantly, I went over what I got right and wrong on the practice questions and made sure that I understood why an answer was wrong and to reconfirm why an answer was correct.
Good luck– you will do marvelous. Plus, it is only another 3 weeks… you can do anything for 3 weeks! Give yourself every advantage going in… I don’t know anyone who has passed the exam regretting being over-prepared. That said, give yourself a break and don’t pysch yourself out.
I’ll see you in Roanoke (again, unfortunately, for me, friggin’ MBE…)!! DRILL essays and questions – it was the easiest way (for me) to learn the material and point out what I don’t know. Once you have a good essay groove going, you can switch out to only doing full essays for every third or fourth, and then just outline the rest.
Can you elaborate on what you’re not “getting?” Or what’s making you feel as though you’re not “getting it?” If you want, you can email me and I’ll be happy to help as much as I can. I put my email address in the ‘website’ box, I hope that’s what turns my name into a hyperlink. :-)
I did tons of little hand-written flash cards (quarter sheets really) for all the short answer type memorization (like the various statutes of limitations and motion craving oyer and such). It helped me to visualize it in my own handwriting written on bright pieces of paper.
The best motivation for me was thinking that I hadn’t failed things before, so odds are I won’t fail this time. But also that if I did, worst case scenario, I just take it again in 5 months.
Good luck! When I took the exam Roanoke was soooo not prepared for the influx of people and dinner the night before took hours (stressing us to the max). Have some alternatives or provisions for meals!
I second the advice to have back-up plans for meals. The hotel I stayed at in Roanoke was swamped for breakfast service and I had to get a 6am breakfast delivery. Not the end of the world, but you might consider calling a week or so in advance to line up your breakfasts, etc.
I would really love to wear Brooks Brothers suits, just like my grandpa before me. Why oh why don’t they make lines for young professional women? We are young! We have income to spare! And we need suits! Time for some new fit models, BB, because all ladies are not 5’3″ and 53 years old. Some of us wear suits to court just like your gentleman customers (it’s true!) Why are you forcing to shop at Theory and J. Crew for our suits?