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.
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.
I am loving this simple suit from Nanette Lepore. The jacket feels a bit shorter, and the tie-back belt a bit higher and looser, than most, and I like those details — they make the jacket interesting and unique. The flared skirt looks like a nice alternative to the pencil skirt, and a great basic. The jacket (Kentucky Derby Jacket) is $398, and the skirt (Hot-To-Trot Skirt) is $198 at Saks Fifth Avenue.
(L-5)
NannerNanner
Generally, this is a cute basic to have but with my extraordinarily long torso, I think this jacket would look like a shrug on me! I wish it and the skirt was just a bit longer.
bibliophile
Same. I know this would look great on some body types, but it’s a little too short and cutsey for me.
Nonny
Very nice – this would actually work for my body type (I need short jackets like this) and I would wear it. Hm, I am actually in the market for a black skirt suit, too.
Nonny
Ooh – I actually really love the blouse it is shown with, too, though it couldn’t be worn at work without a jacket for obvious reasons. But what a great evening top.
Katarina
I am amazed by how they stuffed those sleeves into the blazer!
Anon
I LOVE this suit. Nanette Lepore was one of the well-fitting brands I posted about in the other thread. I think I have to order this (or stalk it for a sale).
Tired Squared
I love the look, but I definitely just snickered at the name “Hot to Trot Skirt.”
Anonymous
Does anyone else find Nanette Lepore’s skirts *really* short? I keep wanting to love her suits but while other skirts hit my knee and go up two inches when sitting, her skirts seem to be cut a couple of inches above the knee and then be borderline not appropriate when I sit down. Does anyone know if some of her suits are cut longer than others?
EPLawyer
I like the skirt (not so much the name, but who is gonna know? Okay other Corporettes, but you won’t pick on me for it),
The jacket not so much. Why can’t we have a nice simple jacket with no built in belt or tie? It’s not like the tie on this one DOES anything. It is just their to add froufou.
Sorry, heat still getting to me.
KC
I hear you on not loving this particular tie/belt, but there are plenty of options for plain jackets: JCrew, Banana Republic, theory, many Ann Taylor pieces, Talbots, Brooks Brothers, Calvin Klein dept store separates…. Ann Taylor in particular seems to feature trumpet skirts like this with plain (usually slightly cropped) jackets every few seasons. I think of Nanette Lepore as targeting professional women who prefer a more feminine look. I like the look, but I’m way too tall to wear the brand. The jackets always look like bolero jackets on me.
Bonnie
It would be so much cuter without the back tie. I always think of back ties as maternity weear.
Jr. Prof
Really cute! But $600 for a polyester suit??? They get so stinky and hold the smell. My kingdom for a natural fiber suit!
Curious
I have never had a polyester suit get “stinky” … after all, we are working in offices, not digging a ditch….but I do have a skirt that is cut like that one and while I think it is very nice for the office I would not want it as a suit skirt….it is a little too tricky and cutesy for a suit.
a lawyer
Here in the South, where it has been near 100 degrees for a week, all it takes is the 10 minute drive from the house to the office (despite having the a/c going full blast) and walk to the office to get hot and sweaty. Don’t even mention the one block walk to the courthouse! Polyester definitely gets “stinky” and holds smells worse than natural fibers.
MelD
I haven’t had that issue either, and I live in Florida. I don’t wear suit jackets while driving in 95-degree weather and typically just carry them until I get inside. Most natural fiber suits are going to have synthetic lining anyway, and wearing unlined wool in that weather just gives me a rash.
AIMS
This is cute. Not worth the price, imo, but I like that it looks different and feminine without going overboard on the ribbons and ruffles. I have a very similar skirt. The only downside is that it wrinkles funny. Very easy to sit on it the wrong way and then you get weird pleating in the back. It’s gotten to the point that if I have anything even remotely important to do in the second half of my day, I will not wear that skirt to work.
Oneanon
Cute skirt. If it was about 5-6 inches longer, I’d snap it up. Is Nanette Lepore geared towards petite women?
2...3L
Threadjack… does anyone own this?
http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/halogen-ribbon-belt-seersucker-blazer/3154302?
If so, any thoughts on fit / quality? Thanks!
Diana Barry
Threadjack – does anyone have experience with the personal shoppers at Bloomie’s? The Nordstrom is kind of far away (1/2 hr) compared to the Bloomies (4 minutes!) and I am short on time, so am wondering if it would be more efficient to have them help me look for blouses and a suit. Just got a sale flyer and am counting on that to bring the prices down just a smidge!
src
I’ve been tempted too! I’ve heard, however, that they are paid based on the mark-up of the items you buy, which has kept me away.
michelle
don’t know where you are, but a woman I work with swears by the personal shopper she uses at Bloomie’s in NY – she saves her a ton of time, has great insight into her taste as well as good ideas on how to stretch to things my buddy wouldn’t have thought of trying on her own, plus she sets aside likely items before the sale :-)
I want my privacy
Threadjack: Anyone else really hate when people talk on their phones in public restrooms? I find it to be incredibly rude to the person on the other end and the other people who are on the restroom who may not want to have an unknown person hearing their business.
kz
Yes. I don’t know if it’s rude, but it’s definitely hugely awkward. That being said, I’ve been known to make personal calls in the restroom at work when I worked in an office that had an open floor plan (but I tried to make sure no one was in there). I did not need my male coworkers overhearing my conversation with the pharmacy refilling my birth control prescription.
KH
I don’t so much mind being in the restroom and overhearing others’ phone business. Naturally nosy, I guess! But I guess think it’s rude to the person on the other end of the phone who may have to listen to my bathroom business.
I once was “shush”ed in the ladies room by someone who was using her phone and I thought that was nuts! It was the bathroom for crying out loud!
Bonnie
That’s bad but not as bad as when someone tries to engage you in conversation in adjoining stalls!
I know, right?
There are a few women at my office who routinely begin conversations in the hallway and then carry them right on into the bathroom. It doesn’t matter if they’re not in adjoining stalls, either. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to listen to pregnancy discussions going on across me in the intervening stall. Ladies, take it outside — or at least to the sinks!
Em
One of the senior partners at my firm does that because, she says, when she started practicing law, men would go into the bathrooms and have important conversations she was excluded from. I respect her experience, but I kind of feel like maybe the answer here is that nobody should be having important conversations in bathrooms!
another anon
I hate this too. To discourage this behavior, I passive-aggressively try to make my bathroom noises louder :)
I also hate it when someone tries to talk to me while I am in the stall. I am of the opinion that all conversation should cease upon entering the stall and resume only when both people have exited their respective stalls.
And do you really need to take the stall immediately adjacent to mine when there are 5 other stalls and no one else is in the bathroom?
Hollis
Question for lawyerettes – What’s a “managing litigation associate” and how does that differ from any other litigation associate? I’ve noticed that, at least out on the west coast, there seems to be a distinction here that wasn’t there back when I was in BigLaw. Thanks.
Anonymous
Threadjack – Venting alert-
I work full time and am in a part-time MBA program at night. I’m in the middle of summer classes right now and just so burned out. I don’t want to take any time off of school since I know it will just take me longer to be finally finished (am on target to graduate in about a year and a half). Anyone have some words of wisdom or encouragement? I could use a kind word at the moment. Thanks.
Canadian
I can’t imagine what it must be like to be in your shoes right now and keep juggling all those balls all the time–I think you’re amazing for following your dreams despite the difficult circumstances, and I know that if you’re the type of person who can take on an MBA at night while working full-time during the day, then you’re definitely the type of person who can finish this off in 18 months. Best of luck!
Valleygirl
I teach a course for a master’s program for working professionals and based on how stressed I could get at times when I was a full time grad student – I really admire the effort you’re putting in. My advice would be to network more with your fellow students (both for study-buddy-ing) and going out for a drink/commiserating. The students I have who are tighter as a group and lean on each other seem to be better in terms of emotional health and have fewer signs of burn out. Also remember to take some you time… even if it’s just 30 min a day for a hot bath or a run or something – remember to take claim some time/space to just relax.
The other thing to keep in mind, which is something I tell my students, is that the percentage of people with master’s degrees is pretty low (I think something like 5%) – not a lot of people have them because they are hard work…(and there’s some access to higher edu stuff we can get into at a later time ;-)) and it can be easy when you’re working/in school with a bunch of smart people to forget that – so it’s important to recognize that what you’re doing is hard and you’re doing that hard work to push yourself into a more elite career level which will have a much bigger pay out since you’re putting the time in now.
TK1
I’ve been going to school at night for 6 years (4 to finish my undergrad, 1 year off, just finished my 2L) while working full time and raising a family. You will definitely make it through, even if you don’t feel like you can right now. My biggest piece of advice for the burn out (believe me I know all about it!) is to take a short break from studying and watch some mindless TV, read a book or even go to bed. I definitely get way more accomplished when I am feeling awake and into it, then when I am burned out and reading the same 3 page case 100 times because I can’t take it in. Sometimes taking a day off from it, or even a few hours, can really lesen the burnout. Also take your studies outside if you can to the park, the beach, your backyard – any place to take advantage of the sun and fresh air now that summer is here (if you live one of the areas where we had a terrible winter).
I also find it helpful to look at school on a semester basis instead of the # of years left. Honestly, I have mentally “quit” law school at the end of every semester when I am cramming, and then once finals are over and I have a week to recover I think, that wasn’t so bad, I’ll sign up for one more.
Valleygirl’s advice to spend time with other students is great too. I also recommend (if you can fit it in) spending some time with other friends and family and making the conversation completely school free, just to give your mind a break from it.
I know you can do it and you should be really proud of yourself for taking on the challenge!
TKA
I understand the feeling! I work full time (usually 50-60 hours a week), and I am also trying to finish my PhD. I don’t have classes, but my research/dissertation work takes most of my non-work time. I have found a few coping mechanisms, although I still have days when I just want to quit everything. Taking one hour a day to exercise really keeps me sane. I exercise HARD in that hour – I want my body and lungs to hurt enough to clear all of the work and school worries from my brain. After that, I go right back to work/school work, but I am much more productive. It also helps me to remind myself why I am doing this. For me, it’s for personal pride, and for job advancement (I work at a company that really values PhDs – probably one of the few). I remind myself to stay focused on why I want this and to just keep plugging away. I get freaked out if I focus too much on the big picture – instead I try to think about my work in manageable chunks.
Good luck – you can do this!!!
Anon
Just went through this with my spouse. Plan some fun stuff for your breaks to recharge yourself because if you don’t they are over before you know it. Let things slide that can but stay on top of things that will just add to your stress if you get behind. If housekeeping is a chore, use paper plates, send out your laundry, etc. It doesn’t matter if you don’t make your bed everyday. Just focus on work and school and get in a little fun when you can.
Been There
In the last year before my partnership I was working a 2800/hour year. I bought a box of notecards (if I recall they were Dr. Seuss) and wrote myself a bunch of silly notes — some of them limericks to go with the theme of the notecards — encouraging myself to stick it out. And then I can’t remember how I arranged to have them delivered to myself throughout the year. I may have put them in a desk drawer and pulled the next one “out of a hat” whenever I needed a lift. I don’t think I mailed them to myself. I can’t recall this part. But they made me feel better and the year did end and I did make partner and it was all OK.
Canadian
Threadjack…
My boyfriend has been interviewing for articling positions with law firms this week and just found out that he didn’t get his dream job. He’s been stressed about not getting an article for the last few months and he needs to have one by next spring when he finishes law school in order to get called to the bar in our province. Prior to this week I had done my best to encourage him with his applications and his upcoming interviews, but the whole searching and interviewing process has put a strain on our relationship for the past few months–especially since I’m about to start my article at a biglaw firm in a week (I’m the year ahead of him in school). We’ve been dating for almost 2 years and currently live together.
I knew he was going to find out if he had advanced to the next stage of interviewing for his “dream job” today, and I was so anxious last night that I couldn’t sleep. He text me this afternoon and let me know that he didn’t make it to the next interviewing stage, and now I’m struggling with how to deal with it. My instinct is to be there for him emotionally by giving him space and not discussing it further unless he wants to. He has another interview for another articling position coming up on Friday, but he feels way less confident about it. I want to encourage him about his upcoming interview without ignoring his disappointment about his dream job, but I also don’t want to dwell too much on his disappointment because I think he’ll stand a better chance at getting the job he’s interviewing for on Friday if he adopts a positive attitude.
Has anyone had any experience dealing with a significant other’s disappointments in the midst of your own exciting achievements/opportunities?
Nonny
I have….but not in this particular context. Articling interviews are a tough time. I agree with you that giving him space to process is a good idea, but be there for him if he does want to talk about it. Plus, if he does bring it up, it is worth noting (from my personal experience) that what you *think* might be your “dream job” in law school is not what might be your “dream job” at the end of articles. Articling is all about testing the waters and getting as much experience as possible in a variety of areas. Help him keep an open mind.
If you guys aren’t watching the game tonight (fellow Canadian here!), take him out for a nice dinner, trash talk the people who didn’t give him a job, spend the rest of the evening forgetting about the events of the day, and give him lots of support towards his next interview.
Nonny
By the way, reading your post again, it sounds like your boyfriend is doing a large firm interviewing week in one of the big cities. If he has an interview tomorrow, he does have a slight benefit in that the interviewers will remember him better when it comes time to decide who to call back…sometimes it is easier to remember what you like about your most recent interviewees than the ones from earlier in the week. But keep in mind too that the firms that interview during interview week are not the only shops in town – there are lots of really good firms who don’t participate in interview week for various reasons. If your boyfriend does not get an offer this week, it is not the end of the world. He will just need to branch out a bit.
michelle
at this point, if you ARE watching the game, better to go out… but seriously, my experience with SO job hunting is that this is exactly why it’s important to have different things in different stages in the pipeline, so you can turn your focus to the next opportunity/possibility if one doesn’t work out, and I think you’re right that confidence and a positive attitude are important. Still you’re right to allow space for him to process it, but I wouldn’t wait until he brings it up, Imight tell him I’m sorry it didn’t work out but one will soon as he is good at what he does and you are confident in him (or however you appropriately express supportiveness) but ask if he wants to talk about it after that…
good luck!
Canadian
Thanks Nonny and Michelle for your advice!
Turns out my SO found out at the last minute that he will be interviewing with another one of his top choices this week (I guess they had to determine if they even had the funds to take on another articling student first). He spent some time trying to dissect what went wrong with the interview at his “dream job” but is focusing for the most part on how to have really good interviews with the last 2 places he will be going to this week :)
Sigh. All’s well that ends well :)
Nonny
Good news! Glad to hear it and it sounds like he has the right attitude. Honestly, a lot of the time (speaking as an interviewer) it comes down to personality “fit” with the firm. So it is just a question of finding the firm where he “fits” best. Good luck – I hope he gets something before the end of the week. Let us know!
visitor
“Hot to Trot Suit”
What a stupid name.
visitor
Typo “Skirt.”
Name still stupid.
Andrea
It is named this way because it is upturned at the bottom, which makes it easier for a partner to lift up for fun.
Supra
I think its going along with the horse race theme. “Derby” jacket and “Hot to Trot” skirt.
ProfessionGal
The flared, ruffle skirt gives you more room to move. And, as a PR gal, that is GOLD! Love this suit.
Lyssa
Threadjack to brag- It’s my husband’s and my 10 year aniversary today. We had originally had many lovely plans about how to celebrate, but I just started a new job which we are in the process of moving for, so they have to be put on hold (we’re hoping to take a nice vacation to celebrate in late summer/early fall). I’ve been staying with my parents during the week, and he wasn’t able to get off work, so we don’t even get to be together at all for the day (though we’ll celebrate this weekend some).
Anyway, just got a beautiful flower arrangement specially delivered to my office, in a lovely vase and some of my favorite colors. All of the other ladies in the office have been standing around admiring it. Smiles!
Ru
Congratulations on your 10 years =)
D
How fun! Congrats on 10 years, that’s a big achievement. Hope you guys have a lovely celebration this weekend!
Laura
This is great! 10 years! Congratulations! I hope we all find a prince like you did! I just LOVE fresh cut flowers, and having them actually delivered to my office lets everybody know that there’s a guy that really cares about me! I bet you can’t wait until you can be able to be in the same place with him again this weekend!
Subtlensublime
I have a similar skirt – got it at Ann Taylor Loft a few years ago but its longer and hits my knee ..I’m 5″6 “. i wear it really often , its on e of my go to skirts n my closet for a regular day or even when I have to meet clients.
I find thats a more appropriate length for the office. I love this style but the length is a wee bit short for me.