Suit of the Week: Don’t You Dare, by Nanette Lepore
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Another week, another suit! This week's suit is by Nanette Lepore. We've actually had wildly different reactions to this suit: the first time we saw it we thought, oh, hell yes — but then we saw it again and thought it was a bit fug.
Now we're thinking it's fabulous but perhaps only on very tall girls? O, confusion. Things we like: that rich-looking knit blazer with the button details on the hip pockets and cuffs, the ruched sleeves, and the belt detail at back.
Things we're unsure of: the skirt and it's ruffles. Jury's still out on the knit itself, too.
What's your vote? It's available at ShopBop — the jacket is $395, and the skirt is available for $205. Nanette Lepore Don't You Dare Jacket; Nanette Lepore As I Please Skirt
Fug. There’s no way I could get away with that at my office.
that knit is way too casual for work. the pieces individually are nice for something slightly more casual, but i just can’t see that going over well at my office.
There are parts of the suit that are fabulous but collectively I don’t think the suit works. What would Tim Gunn say? :)
Nice suit, but its actually the sleeves that make it casual, not the ruffle of the skirt, that just makes it more feminine. It depends on your office and whether or not everyone is uptight. You probably shouldn’t wear it if you are over 25.
I could never pull this off in my office as a suit or separately.
As for a ruffle on the skirt — I don’t think it works here with the jacket, but I have a banana suit that has a tulip ever so slightly ruffled skirt, and that works very well — but it’s only because the jacket is super super simple.
As for the jacket on its own — while the sleeves and knit do make it casual, I wonder if it could work on a non-client day with straight black pants and otherwise very simple accessorizing.
It’s fug and there’s no way a short girl could pull it off. I could get away with it at work (although not in court) but it’s just too ugly.
LOL — thanks for the comments, guys. So I guess we all hate it? Here’s an amusing contest — can you guess which OTHER TPS for the week was picked out the same night we thought this suit was the cat’s pajamas? (We’re kind of second-guessing our judgment that night on whole…)
I don’t like it as a suit, but the jacket on its own *might* work if everything else is kept simple — I looked at the skirt again and it’s a ruffle more than a tulip hem, so yes, now I hate the skirt. Sorry.
So — as for the other TPS — I’m guessing the Gap shirt that’s up today (Friday). Will you tell us which one?
And don’t second-yourself too much — it sounds like you don’t always see the pieces in person. And we have all been there — you think something looks great one day,and within 24 hours you are wondering why.
incidentally, i saw this suit in person and the knit is *not* nice. almost mohair-ish. nice idea, didn’t work in practice.
i took the ruffle off the skirt, (I’m 5’3, 98 lbs, xs) looks great. BTW, I am an atty and I agree I would not wear this suit to court (especially now that the skirt is a mini!) but it looks great in the office with short boots and tights.