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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.
Anyone in need of some serious suit lust should check out Saks — there are so many great suits (many of them new) that it was almost hard to pick today's Suit of the Week. Ultimately, my love for this sharp-looking one from Burberry London won out. Love the details like the stitching on the shoulder, the zippered cuffs, and the elbow patches (squee!). I also love the tailored look and stitch details on the flare leg pants. The jacket (Carlington Blazer
) is $895, and the pants (Flare-Leg Pants) are $375.
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Curl Friend
$900 for a jacket that’s not even wool? I don’t think so.
Lauren
Yes, but the lines look so great!
I love the look, and my fiancee loves me in this outfit. The only issue I have is with the pants leg length.
I do not want to have them going to my heel. In NYC, there are too many dirty streets that I do not want to clean with my pants.
SSJD
What is the difference between Burberry’s lines: London, Porsum, etc.? I am always in want of a Burberry trench but now I don’t quite understand the different lines. Which is the classic Burberry coat? Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale has some good prices on trench coats.
anon
Prorsum = the most expensive, runway, not-normal-life stuff
London = bit less expensive, very stylish, a bit more normal-life
Brit = least expensive, least formal, casual and hip
Trivia: there’s also Burberry Blue, which is cheaper and kind of Brit-like, but only sold in Japan! For your next Tokyo trip.
Unfortunately I don’t know which line the classic coats are in. London?
Kanye East
Bluefly also has Burberry trenches on deep discount from time to time. Check periodically if you’re in the market.
I’ve bought two trenches over the years from boutiques; the latest (bought in May) has Prorsum on the label, but it looks like it’s just the latest version of their logo, not necessarily the line.
Bonnie
The standard trench coats are Burberry London. Although I bought a very classic one last year from Burberry Brit. Somehow it ended up in the Neiman Marcus sale and I could not resist the deal.
E
I find long jackets like that quite unflattering on me, unforunately.
Hel-lo
Yeah, this is kind of an 80s-cut jacket.
Anonymous
Yeah, this is kind of an 80s-cut jacket.
MelD
I don’t like the back seams that run right over the butt. It doesn’t even look that flattering in the picture, so I doubt it would look good on a real person.
Lydia
Totally agree!!
Kathryn Fenner
Actually, the seams might be quite flattering on someone with some flesh–elongating–while the photo isn’t even on a human!
The one with an actual woman in it still looks overly photoshopped to me, or else the suit doesn’t fit her well.
The shoulder detailing is not very out-there, to me, and many of us can use a boost there to balance elsewhere.
Armani suits are frequently some synth blend, fwiw….
Atlantia
That was my first thought, too. Once those seams go over my backside, it’ll look like parentheses! I’ve never tried on such a long jacket before, but I would be interested to see how it fit.
AEK
On my first, quick, glance, I thought the photo of the pants was from the front… and thought it was especially unflattering.
meme
I think the bum seams could be flattering on an athletic body type, but maybe a little too sexy for work. I can’t really put my finger on why, but I feel like they draw attention to the rear (hi, look how shapely I am), and that would make me feel uncomfortable around my coworkers and other people who I want to think of me as a bit demure.
Ballerina Girl
Anyone have any tips for conserving paper when doing legal research? I’m not great about reading cases on my screen, but I’d like to find a system that works. I seem to remember someone once talking about saving clips from cases in an outline format in a Word doc?
anon-oh-no
I do this — just copy and paste the relevant portions so you have everything you need in one document. I also send the case to my email (i prefer word format, but you can also do pdf) and then only print those that i need to for some reason. Once you have sent it to yourself, you can read it on your computer, print it, copy/paste, etc.
xoxo
I like OneNote.
somewhere(less)cold
I use the “Copy w/Cite” feature when I just want clips from cases, and then I put them into a Word doc with my notes. If I want to have the whole case for multiple points or context, I will download the case as a Word doc, and then highlight in Word as I read.
Alex
I do this as well. Sometimes into an outline, sometimes just as notes. I also email the cases to myself for printing later, if necessary.
S
Is this the post you’re remembering (the discussion starts at #96, Midori, at 1:07pm):
https://corporette.com/2011/01/20/thursdays-tps-report-long-sleeve-ruffle-blouse/
Ballerina Girl
Yes, this was it!
Lyssa
I usually try to outline what I’m writing first (i.e., the tort I want to prove has 5 elements, list them), then copy with cite any relevant portions of the cases that I’m reading into the outline. Don’t know how much that helps, since you still have to read on-screen to find the sections, though. Sometimes I find that changing the size/shape of my browser window helps when I’m just really tired of reading online.
karenpadi
One of my pet peeves is working with people who only print out part of a document for their working copy. I don’t do “legal research” per se, so this probably isn’t a universal pet peeve.
To save paper, I print double-sided, and when the font is large enough/double spaced, I use the “print two pages on each page” printing feature. Voila! I’ve reduced the amount of paper by 75% and still have the whole document.
Anne
The shoulders on the jacket are way too trendy. In order to spend $900 on any one piece of clothing, it had better be one timeless piece and this one is not.
thelaw
And it won’t be made out of polyester either. This suit is outrageous. It just looks like a cheap BeBe suit.
non
Polyester production is getting more high tech, and producing nicer quality fabrics. Not all polyester is the stuff of the 70s anymore. Given that current production can produce finer threads, you can get lighter, thinner, silkier fabrics out of polyester. Also – won’t wrinkle like wool.
So, sheesh – I would at least have to feel the fabric and try it on before I dismissed it because of its polyester-ness.
Mary Ellen
Wool doesn’t wrinkle, not much anyway. I notice no mention is made of whether the pieces are lined. At these prices, can we assume they are? FYI, I am seeing makers of women’s suits and suit separates increasingly NOT lining the pants. Jackets, yes. But pants, more and more, no. And suit pants that are not lined are either clingy or itchy if they are made of wool or a wool blend.
MelD
It’s sort of a lose-lose situation, since lining on less expensive pieces tends to be of cheap acetate that feels worse than polyester. I’d rather have a nice unlined polyester suit than a wool suit with cheap lining.
Anon in LA
Anyone have a recommendation for a good OB-GYN in LA?
TIA!
Also in LA
Yes. Dawn Cashie in Burbank – delivered my first born. She is patient and straight-forward. Takes Anthem Blue Cross if that’s what you have.
CN
Dr. Violet Boodaghians in Beverly HIlls. She’s wonderful.
Anon
Dr. Sharon Nelson in La Canada.
Anon in LA
Thanks all!
Equity's Darling
I’m just wondering how La Canada isn’t located in Quebec….and is instead in LA.
JoM
I second Sharon Nelson. She delivered my baby, who is now 19….. Very nice, and very experienced.
E
Quick random question. I’m traveling to Italy for a few weeks in August. It’ll be hot and I’m limited to one carry on sized suitcase because I’ll be moving around so much. I was thinking that I should pack some lightweight dresses that are easy to pack. Any suggestions? Or, alternatively, any thing else I should bring?
R
Italy is HOT in August, so nice breezy dresses sound good to me. Keep in mind if you’re planning on visiting any churches that many (most) require you to have your shoulders and knees covered, so watch your hemlines/straps.
anon
is this for fun or for work?
– think layers (camisoles, etc), wrinkle-free options and yes, lightweight dresses! also pack one wrap/scarf/pashmina type thing for the plane and for heavy A/C places and 2-3 pairs shoes (flats for traveling, heels for night, +1 for whatever- work or the gym). don’t wear anything that can’t be worn with at least 2 other things, with obvious exceptions like a special occasion dress. have fun! enjoy the food!
JJ
Second this. I went to Italy for 10 days in August 3 years ago (Venice/Tuscany area/Rome) and it is HOT. And you’ll be walking all day. Bring something you can walk comfortably in (maybe bike shorts under your dresses if you’re prone to chafing?) and comfortable shoes. And like R said – many of the attractions that people go to see in Italy are churches and they’ll turn you away if you don’t have your shoulders covered. Please don’t be that tourist who cuts up a garbage bag as a “cape” to wear in a church. (Yes, you’ll see that happen).
When I went to the Vatican, I wore a sleeveless sundress that didn’t cover my knees (it ended at the top of my knees) and threw a 3/4 sleeve cardigan on over it as soon as I got inside. Just grab a shawl or easy cardigan and keep it in your purse while you’re in the city in case you need it.
Another Anonymous
OMG, I am so glad someone has acknowledged the chafing issue. I cannot wear skirts or dresses without spanx, simply because I cannot stand the chafing feeling on my thighs! I am petite but curvy, and by no means large, but I just don’t understand how any woman whose thighs touch at all can walk in skirts or dresses without extreme discomfort. Am I crazy?
Does anyone have real-life suggestions for combating this, other than wearing spanx? I have tried baby powder, but that just rubs off.
Ew, I know, but I would love suggestions.
atty
Monistat Anti-Chafing Gel. Serious life saver. I’ve been applying it generously every morning and it’s worked perfectly in DC super hot/muggy weather. I wear skirts 99% of the time.
Formerly Preggo Angie
Body Glide. I used it for running and when it’s hot out and I’m wearing a skirt or dress.
Also
I ordered BodyGlide from a recommendation on this site, and it is a *huge* life saver. Someone also recommended cutting off a pair of nylons, which I did, but I much prefer the BodyGlide.
It comes in a roll-on stick, like deodorant. I couldn’t find it around my area, so I ordered it from REI.com.
Band-Aid Blister Block also works, but I like BodyGlide better. It stays on forever. Runners in marathons use it. Men runners use it to keep their nipples from chafing their shirts. (Their nipples actually can get bloody. Ew.)
Eponine
I wear bike shorts underneath skirts and dresses. I like the 4″ compression shorts by Under Armor, and the equivalent knockoff by C9 at Target. If you don’t walk a lot, you could try an anti-chafing cream or BodyGlide, but if you’re walking everywhere that won’t be enough.
Another Anonymous
Thanks so much, ladies–I appreciate the suggestions and have ordered BodyGlide to try out. :-)
KW
Is the inseam on these pants really 37″?? I’m tall with long legs and that’s even long for me. Wouldn’t the average woman need to have these tailored a ridiculous amount, causing the proportions to be off?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m always happy to find super long pants, but I was just shocked to see these only come in a 37″.
MaggieLizer
I wonder if they would let me pay like $100 less for the pants and they can keep the yard of fabric I don’t need….
MaggieLizer
Strike that, I actually have a few couch cushions I need to make new covers for. I think this fabric would look nice in my living room.
Hel-lo
Ha!
Anon
Random question, and sorry for the wedding topic. I am having a very small (<20) family-only wedding. Is there an ettiquette issue if I ask friends, who are per se not invited as they are not family, to come dress shopping with me? Hair and makeup? I don't want to be rude at all, and it kind of seems rude to ask someone to help me with the admittedly fun parts and then not invite them to the actual event. But I would really appreciate a friend as I face this intimidating experience. As an aside, thank you to whomever recommended A Practical Wedding. Very helpful.
itheewed
I don’t think you should ask anyone not invited to help you with wedding stuff. If they are good enough friends to help you with stuff, then they should be invited.
If they volunteer, that’s a different story.
MelD
It depends on the friend. Not all friends are crushed if they aren’t invited to a wedding. I know I think it’s the best thing that ever happened to me to not be invited and am more than happy to help out in other respects. Most reasonable people should be understanding that it’s a very small, family-only wedding.
E
Agree with this. If a close friend were getting married and she wanted, for whatever reason, a tiny family-only wedding, I wouldn’t be offended that I wasn’t invited, and I’d still be excited for her – for her special day, and would be happy to help out. I wouldn’t want to sit there while you get your hair or makeup done (slow, boring – even if I’m the MOH!), but I’d be happy to look at photos and opine! :) Would also be very happy to be invited to any sort of tastings (food, cake, etc.). That said, I’m sure there are people out there who would be offended by the entire prospect so know your friends! :-)
Ballerina Girl
I think it all depends on your relationship with the friend. If it’s a very close friend (in which case I do find it a bit odd that s/he wasn’t invited) then I think you should be able to just explain this to that person and they’d understand. In fact, they might even *want* to help you if they’re good friends! (Though I have to say that I don’t consider this to be a “fun part” of the wedding–the dancing and booze are the fun part!)
It’s your life and your friendships–you know your friends, just ask someone you’re very close to. And maybe take them out to lunch afterward as a thank you gesture.
Em
If you’re not inviting any friends/non-family, I don’t think it’s a problem. Obviously, if you were inviting some, you shouldn’t ask for help from friends who didn’t make the cut, so to speak.
Anon
Our ~20 guests are exclusively blood relatives or married-to-blood relatives. No friends or non-family. And many blood relatives didn’t make “the cut” either. We’d rather have a mostly-friends, few-family wedding, but such things are not possible in our situation. I would hate to miss out on some of the purportedly special things, like dress shopping with friends, but I really don’t want to be rude to anyone.
Anne-on
In this situation, I think your close friends would enjoy being able to participate in some of the traditional activities and to offer you their support.
Just keep in mind, not everyone loves dress shopping, and that it might be fun to go 1-2 times with you, watching someone try on 50+ dresses could get old ;) But I’d think it would be fun to make it a girls day out – try on dresses, and then take them to lunch afterwards.
And A Practical Wedding is awesome – if you’re in a city where they have a group I highly recommend going to the meet-ups.
MelD
Again, I think it depends on the friend and the situation. I can easily see a situation where a bride is close to 1-2 women at work, but because of the office dynamics she’s elected not to invite any coworkers. This is especially the case if the wedding is out of town.
Fiona
Personally, I loooooove wedding dress shopping with friends and I’m thrilled when I get invited to go. I’ll even go with you, Anon, if you are in the Northeast! =)
I would just ask one or two of your friends who you think would have fun with you, and not worry too much about it. Maybe treat them to lunch afterwards. Your close friends probably already know that you’re having a small family-only wedding and aren’t combing through the wedding etiquette books to feel slighted.
Janie
Sorry, I disagree with the above posters. We had a 25 person wedding, close blood relatives and closest friends only, so I see where you are coming from. But if friends didn’t make the cut, you shouldn’t ask them. Ask a female relative or two – who are invited – to go with you.
Atlantia
Sorry, I disagree with the above posters. We had a 25 person wedding, close blood relatives and closest friends only, so I see where you are coming from. But if friends didn’t make the cut, you shouldn’t ask them. Ask a female relative or two – who are invited – to go with you.
Eponine
It really depends on the friend. If there’s even the slightest possibility that one might be offended, don’t ask her. I personally would not be offended if my friend was having a family-only wedding, and would be delighted to go dress shopping anyway.
Anon
Ladies,
I am a big fan of Corporette but this is my first post. I just left BigLaw for an in-house job that is business formal. What are your favorite places to buy suits? I have a decent collection, but half of them are too small due to some leftover baby weight that I am trying to (and will!) lose (about 10 pounds).
I want to buy some quality suits that I feel good in without breaking the bank that will hopefully be able to be altered and look good when I lose the weight.
Thanks in advance!
NYC
Congrats! Many of my suits are from jcrew. Once you know how they fit, it is easy to pick them up on sale. I like them because they are fairly basic without any frou frou add-ons.
I also recommend Pendleton. The bottoms don’t always fit me well, but the blazers are beautiful. I wear them over solid color sheath dresses (by Ann Taylor).
Most of the brands that show up at the discount stores (cheaper Tahari line, Calvin Klein) don’t work for me off the rack, but with some tailoring might be a good option for you.
Anon
Thanks very much for your replies! I love J Crew suits too and have a few wool ones for winter which I am hopefully going to fit back into by the time the weather is cooler. The current suits on sale at J Crew are final sale and I am not ready to buy them without trying them on or with the risk of changing my mind!
I have also tried Brooks Brothers which is having an awesome sale right now. I never liked their suits because they are so conservative but I guess in my older age (and more conservative job) they are suting me better. :)
Thanks for the Pendelton tip!
Blue Velveteen Rabbit
I love Ann Taylor and (on a good day) Banana Republic.
Anon
Thank you! Agreed, I love Ann Taylor too. I have timeless suits from there and with the 40% off today am hoping to add a few pieces.
anon-oh-no
I dont love Ann Taylor, but I recently bought (during a previous 40% off sale) a classic black suit that I love. I bought all 4 pieces (pants, dress, skirt, and jacket) and because it has some polyester, it travels wonderfully.
Lydia
Congrats on getting out of Big Law. Theory is my go-to for suits. Not sure where you live, but there is an outlet at Woodbury Commons if you are in the NYC area.
meme
I love Brooks Brothers quality. I also like their factory store. You can frequently find some really good deals there.
Hel-lo
Talbots has great suits.
Anne-on
Is there a Loehmans by you? The one near me always has Theory and other suits on sale, and they’re running a summer clearance sale right now.
Valleygirl
Can I do a silent internet scream real quick?
Both my bosses are out of the country on vacation so the general office tenor is off and I’m doing battle with an admin over her staff helping some consultants get security clearance (part of their job) or me (project manager/no connection to HR) doing it because her staff don’t like dealing with the people. Basically she wants me to play middle man by forwarding her staff security requests instead of having the consultants contact them directly (normal procedure) and then forwarding finger printing appt times back to the consultants from her staff. And I have two grant applications to finish writing before I go on vacation (yes!) next Thurs. And I just got called out of the blue to come in and interview for a possible dream job I applied for in the beginning of April on Monday. And there’s also all those little going out of town for a week things to do – so getting all these meeting, etc. out of the way before I go…
*deep breaths*
Lana Lang
I feel your pain.
I am still in the office (midnight here) with no end in sight. Too much work, not enough people, physically there are not enough hours between now and [insert deadline] to get all the things I have to do done by deadline.
Can’t get too stressed out about it, though, since it will just get done to the best possible degree, nobody will die and hopefully I’ll get a nice bonus.
Good luck and there is light (vacation) at the end of the tunnel!
Gem
While I feel your pain (also defence projects based) are you sure this is why she’s asking? I know that requests for clearances can be fasttracked or really really slow depending on who makes the request. Just a thought…
Valleygirl
Yeah, we’re in gov health care and this is getting basic clearance (finger printing and medical release) for people coming on related to a research project. This is just her power play since she feels she’s in charge while both bosses are away…
meme
I can’t stop staring at those beautiful purple shoes from yesterday. I REALLY want them in a 2″ heel. Really.
BK
Then by them and cut 2″ off the heel!
Lola
Me too! Just can’t do a 4″ heel.
Margaret
I know! I was inspired to spend way too much time hunting for similarly beautiful purple shoes with a shorter heel, but those spoiled me and nothing else was even remotely as cute.
gov anon
I do to. Why can’t I find a gorgeous purple shoe in a narrow width with a 2″ heel?
meme
Can anyone comment on sizing of Ann Taylor shoes? I’m thinking about ordering online but have never tried a pair in store. I usually wear an 8 in most shoe types, and a 7.5 in dress shoes (not sure why I always have to size down – the heels slip off otherwise). Are Ann Taylor shoes pretty TTS?
LawyrChk
I’ve found them relatively true to size, although I did once order the same shoe in two different colors and found one pair was bigger than the other.
Overall I have been favorably impressed with their quality — they have been my go-to work pump for around a year now.
Anne-on
I wear a 7.5 in dress shoes and have found Ann Taylor’s shoes pretty TTS though perhaps a bit more narrow than some brands (though not quite as narrow as Cole Haan). Their quality has really improved over the last few years – they’re one of my go-to brands these days, especially with their great sales!
Kady
My go-to work shoes as well. They are excellent quality, soft and pliable. I never get blisters w/ the perfect pumps.
Supra
I think they are narrow. They don’t fit my wide feet very well. I also find that they look a little too “small” on my foot. I can’t explain it, but there’s not enough shoe. I just ordered the black patent leather pumps and they are going back because there’s not enough shoe on the side of my foot.
No Drama Momma
I don’t think those pants are going to be flattering on anyone. They don’t even look good on the model, and lord knows she has a better butt than I do!