Suit of the Week: Rachel Zoe

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Rachel Zoe Houndstooth SuitFor 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 feel like Rachel Zoe is just recently coming out with some great suits (I believe there's a red tuxedo coming from ShopBop in a bit) and, honestly, I die over all of them. This blazer, for example, looks sharp and stylish — not at all frumpy, the way a lot of all-houndstooth suits can look. I particularly love the fact that both the blazer and the pants would be great as separates — a simple black cashmere turtlneck with some gold jewelry would be a great outfit for a casual day at the office, and I can imagine the blazer looking chic over any number of sheath dresses. The jacket (Rachel Zoe Houndstooth Blazer) is $375, and the pants (Rachel Zoe Houndstooth Bootcut Pants) are $275, both available at Bloomingdale's.

Rachel Zoe Houndstooth Blazer
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Rachel Zoe Houndstooth Bootcut Pants

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110 Comments

  1. I love this but the price is too high. I saw something very similar at Kohl’s for $89 which included both the blazer and the slacks. It was not wool, however, but Rayon. I am not sure how well that will hold up for the long-term, and it was made in Sri Lanka.

    I have a threadjack: Is there a good place to take my dad for a real good NY Deli Sandwich in Jersey City?

    I know of places in Manhattan, but he is meeting me in Jersey City, and I do not want to take him to a place that is not that good.

    1. Park & Sixth, just about a block from the Grove St. PATH station, has delicious sandwiches. I don’t know if I would put them in the “NY Deli” category but they are awesome. Check out their menu at http://www.parkandsixth.com.

      1. Depends on what you mean by “NY Deli”– if you mean Italian Deli, Morsella & Cupo at 576 Summit Avenue is a real “locals only” place and as authentic Hudson County Italian deli as it gets. We used to go there all the time when I worked at the courthouse.

        If you are looking for a Jewish Deli, I don’t know of any– you’d be hard-pressed to find a real Jewish Deli in Jersey City (or anywhere in Hudson County for that matter) that compares to what you’d find across the Hudson.

  2. I don’t like the pants in this pattern but I’m loving the blazer. I’d style it with a plain black shell, tan pants and dark brown heels. Add a statement gold necklace and you’d be good to go.

    1. Totally like your styling of it — the overall pattern is too much for a suit look.

      1. This. I made the mistake of buying a glen plaid suit a few years ago, and the pattern is just too much. I only wear the pants.

      2. That was my first thought as well. I think it’s beautiful as separates but together might look a little overwhelming on someone who isn’t 5’10 and 110 lbs (and it still might be overwhelming then!) I think Always’ styling sounds perfect

    2. I’d style the jacket with a knee-length black leather pencil skirt, white button down shirt, black tights and conservative heels. But, I’m just loving leather this season. =)

      1. I didn’t even think of that but this blazer would look really sharp styled like that. Any combo that lets me wear a leather pencil skirt in a conservative way to work sounds good to me ;)

  3. Oh, I have to disagree. This is hideous! Straight out of my father’s closet from the 70s. The jacket with some other pants I might have to reconsider.

    1. I’m kind of digging it – with the caveat that I think you’d need to be tall in order to pull it off (and I’d never buy it because I have no place to wear it).

    2. I’m with EM – I’m pretty sure my grandfather had this suit, which he wore frequently with an off-white button down shirt and a brown hat with a feather.

    3. It’s for sure trying to evoke 70s louche. That’s the idea: Charlie Girl.

      (Youtube it for a happy afternoon. )

    4. I can see wearing these as separates but not together. I like the vintage vibe with a modern cut.

  4. Sorry, my petite sisters, but I think this–at least as an ensemble–is OTQ for us.

    Quick question for those into engagement etiquette: two former colleagues of mine recently got engaged. I wasn’t close with either of them and will likely never work with either again, though we will run into each other occasionally. I’m sure I won’t be invited to the wedding, and that’s totally logical. When I heard they got engaged, I sent both a Facebook message, together, saying congrats and giving a little toast based on my memory of them. (It’s been about 2 years since I saw either.) That was about a week ago, and I have gotten no response. That’s normal–right? They’re just busy planning, etc, and no reply is necessary? I’m just wondering if I may have made some accidental mis-step…

    1. You mean they got engaged to each other? I imagine they probably got bombarded with well-wishing emails and haven’t worked their way through them all yet. You certainly weren’t out of place by wishing them well, IMO.

      1. Yes–engaged to each other. The groom is at my level, and thus I knew him earlier, and the bride is a few years junior to us.

      2. I’d agree with this. It took me a few weeks to get back to people after the outpouring of love post-engagement. Some of them were from my pretty distant past, and they won’t be invited to the wedding, but I still enjoyed receiving the well wishes.

    2. Obviously there is nothing wrong with sending a nice note to congratulate them both.

      As for their non-response, you can blame that on the sometimes-impersonal nature of FB, personal carelessness, frenzied wedding planning, or all three.

      A “thank you” would be nice, of course, but do you write a note back to everyone who posts “Happy Birthday” etc on your wall?

      1. One year I decided to do that (thank all my birthday well-wishers) after all, it was nice of them to think of me. I was completely over it by mid-morning. Assuming that they announced it on FB, they probably got slammed with good wishes.

        However, if you wrote something more personal than just a simple congratulations, I would say that they should have responded, but it’s not like they’re horrible people for failing to do so.

        1. I thank everyone who posts birthday greetings. I do it in spurts over several days so it’s not so tiresome, but I do respond to each post. It feels good, especially when some of the posts are from people I haven’t spoken to in years, so my ‘thanks!’ can get a dialogue going again.

          No worries Monday. They’re probably bombarded right now and can’t respond yet to your kind post. I’m probably getting engaged this fall and am certain that both our mothers are going to go *crazy*. Right after one gets engaged, there seems to be an ‘omg now we have to book venue and order dress asap!!!!’ thing, so they’re probably dealing with that. Good thing we’ll have taken care of both before we announce ;).

    3. Normal. They’re probably getting lots of well-wishers, and while they should respond to each, they may figure that some people don’t expect responses as well.

      1. Normal. I often take a month to respond to facebook messages and find them annoying

    4. Alright, sounds like the consensus is that I’m fine. Thanks for the reassurance, ladies.

  5. I love this suit – it’s totally to my taste. Perhaps a little grandpa-ish, but that’s what makes it fun and funky. I don’t know if I’d have the cajones to wear both pieces together though. But I would love those pants with a fitted sweater in the fall.

    1. I’m with you. I adore the pants. I love the blazer, too, but I’ve seen a few other tweed blazers recently that I’m a bit more into.

      1. Which tweed blazers do you like? I started falling for this one, but am not sure about the windowpanes…

        1. Boden’s in particular, but I’m admittedly a big fan of color. I’ve already put the Green Multi Check plaid one on my Christmas list for my parents — my mom’s an early shopper. :) I can’t remember where all else, off-hand. But I’m apparently really into them this year (or everyone else in the world is as well), since I seem to be noticing them every where…

          1. Boden does have some great looking tweed jackets. Theres a couple on my fall wishlist. They’re expensive, but they look very well-made and classic. I’ve never owned one, but I’d rather spend the extra $$ for a well-made classic than half that on the flimsy wool schoolboy blazers that J. Crew is pumping out this year (I have a 2008 wool schoolboy and the quality this year is seriously and very noticeably lower).

          2. Supra, I bought a Boden velvet blazer for my sister last year, and it was great. I think in addition to the bright colors I mentioned above, I also really appreciate the fun linings and other extras, like the piping. I’m a huge proponent of Boden, and I can’t imagine the blazers would be anything else than great quality.

          3. I picked up one of the Boden tweed blazers on sale last winter (actually very similar in color/pattern to the one featured today, though of course they made one of the stripes a bright coral), and was really happy with the quality and fit. Looking forward to pulling it out this fall! They really do have such high-quality items.

          4. Agree with Boden. Got two of their boucle, Jackie-O style, blazers last fall. Lovely. However, a bit “bulky” for the Texas climate even with ac offices! Lovely workmanship and details. I wear the two flannel-like ones with fortune-cookie shaped flowers down the plackets more regularly as a result. Lurve their newest catalogue. Gee the dotty cardis are all on back order…could it be corporettes for casual days?

    2. I love it too, but I’m really short and can’t easily pull off pants suits. And with a skirt, I don’t think it’d look as cool. Too bad.

      Incidentally, it’s cojones, not cajones.

      1. I must have big cojones because I have a similar pants suit that I wear on a regular basis and I’m only 5 feet tall.

  6. I love this suit! Very sharp and classic. Can’t afford it right now, but I would definitely buy it if I could.

    P.S. is anybody else finding that the giant platform shoes the model is wearing are very distracting?

    1. Yes and yes. Love the suit, partly for the grandfatherly vibe. And yikes on those shoes. I have some pants very similar to these and wear them all the time, mostly with a cream or black turtleneck.

  7. I would love a skirt in this fabric. Skirt + black sweater + slightly big/long gold toned necklace sounds really nice for fall. This one is too $$ for me, but maybe I will check out the Kohl’s version!

    Threadjack: Home drycleaning kits, a la Dryel. Are they good only for “freshening” or are they good for actually cleaning something that got a little sweaty? I’m not really sure what traditional dry cleaning actually does, and what the difference is between a dry cleaning store and Dryel. I’m looking to dry clean a simply shaped dress and a pair of (unlined) pants.

    1. I’ve never had much success with the at-home drycleaning kits, unfortunately. I do use them to “freshen” things up and stretch out the time between drycleanings, but if something is really stinky and/or has a noticeable stain then Dryel just won’t be much help. Whatever they do at drycleaning stores, it makes your clothes clean and stink-free.

      Actually, to me the biggest value-add from drycleaning is probably the pressing. I can never get my clothes to look so crisp and wrinkle-free, no matter how long I spend ironing them. I have actually dropped off clothes that were wrinkly, but not dirty, and requested that they just be pressed instead of full-on cleaned. It’s actually pretty cheap, relative to the full clean.

    2. What is the fabric of the things you want to wash? Chances are you don’t NEED to dry clean them, although clean them yourself will require some time, some care and a steamer. I know there has been discussion on this thread regarding people washing their own wool suits at home. The Laundress website also has good tips and guidelines for washing everything you want at home.

      1. The pants are a rayon/polyester blend that says “dry clean” not “dry clean only.” GoogleCleaner seems to indicate that I could hand wash them in the sink, but they might lose their shape? The dress is a cotton lining with an eyelet outer layer that I think is a rayon blend. It also only says “dry clean.” These are not particularly pricey items, but I would be disappointed if they got ruined (a couple of seasons old, so not replaceable). The dry cleaner I go to isn’t that pricey, just rather inconvenient.

        1. That sounds about right. I believe that “dry clean” means “the fabric requires more care than just throwing in the washer and we don’t want you to complain to us when it doesn’t look right after you pull it out of the dryer”. From what I’ve heard, rayon can be unpredictable.

          That being said, I think a hand wash or gentle/woolen machine cycle on cold, with NO time in the dryer. I think rayon can behave weird while wet, but go back to shape while dry, so I would probably lay flat to dry or drap on a drying rack. You’ll probably need to iron it (while the garment is still damp) or steam it for wrinkles.

          Or dry clean it. Depends how daring you feel :)

          1. I’ll probably dry clean. The pants are sort of cigarette-style pants I bought last summer and didn’t realize until last week that this cut actually looks very good on me. I really need to find some more – sit just below the waist, hit just above the ankle, and have narrow, but not too tapered legs. Banana Republic maybe? Mine are from Loft and they have nothing like this now. I think the narrow leg openings and slightly longer length than cropped pants are key.

            I’m just lazy about going to the dry cleaners, plus there’s always a line and it is so, so hot in there now. I don’t know how the people who work there stand it, I want to cry just standing in there for maybe 5-10 minutes.

  8. Do you ever start to get a little burnt out from getting dressed for work? Lately I’ve been looking at my closet in the morning and just feeling BLAH about it. I’ve also been feeling like I just kind of sit in my office all day writing briefs and no one really sees my clothes anyway. Does anyone else ever feel this way? What do you do to get re-inspired? (Other than dropping $275 on today’s plaid pants that I totally want).

    1. Yes, I definitely feel burnt out from work clothes.

      I remind myself that I can either spend more $$ on work clothes, or save that money to spend on traveling/”fun” clothes/hobbies/etc. Makes the pencil skirts and button-fronts more palatable!

      Also – both of my siblings are military – so at least I get to “choose” my uniform, so to speak! And my hairstyle!

      1. I do the opposite. I go shopping for work clothes that I feel great about. Then I take care to make sure I feel great about what I’m wearing each day. This often makes me more excited about coming to work too.

      2. I was in the military, and love love loved just wearing a uniform to work every day for years. So easy! So much money saved! No big deal if I’m a couple weeks late on getting my hair trimmed, since it’s in a bun every day anyway! Then I quit the military (for non-wardrobe-related reasons) and love love loved getting to choose my outfits and hairstyle every day for years. Now I find myself pining for the ease of rolling out of bed and sleep-walking through getting ready. sigh.

        Also, I love this suit, but would definitely wear it as separates. I’m tall and fairly thin, but I don’t think I could pull off the look of wearing it together; I would feel “loud.”

    2. Burnt out plus finding that a number of my go-to skirts and dresses magically got smaller in the closet. Sigh. Vacation eating.

        1. Love this! I swear mine must be infested at the moment. It certainly cannot be all the summery cocktails and ice cream I’ve been eating in this warm weather!

        2. Are these closet gnomes related to the sock stealing monster that seems to inhabit my dryer by any chance?

          1. Absolutely. As well as the dryer demons that ensure that, if you start the dryer right before bed, intending to wear something in the dryer the next day, you will discover it is still damp 3 minutes before you need to leave the house…despite the fact that the dryer will otherwise dry a load completely, bone dry.

    3. I know where you’re coming from. I’ll add, though, that a lot of people complain about “disposable clothing”, but, for me, I think there’s some use here for having a large number of inexpensive, comfortable (as in, I feel good when I wear this) tops to switch out. Same with accessories. Have some really great, classic tops, too, for days that you’re doing something special, but why not a bunch of colorful cheap (but work appropriate) tops for everyday, that you have to (get to) replace more often?

    4. YES.

      (and yes to possibly buying these pants. I’m going to go look at my last cc statement to sober up).

      1. Lately, I have been so bored by dressing for work that I have literally:
        1) worn a suit on Monday
        2) worn the pants to the suit with a blouse and sweater on Tuesday
        3) worn the jacket to the suit with a patterned skirt on Wednesday

        I did it last week with a black suit and this week with a blue suit. So far, nobody has commented.

        1. That sounds like business trip dressing!

          At least you know you can do it now, and pack lightly. :)

    5. I wore a fall outfit today, just so I would feel like I was wearing something new and different. I hate dressing for work in the summer.

    6. Yes, that definitely happens to me. Sadly, the only solution I’ve found is to clean out the closet and go shopping…

    7. Not so much in summer, but definitely in winter. And if I remember correctly, Fiona, we’re in the same location. Last winter I totally slacked off on style. We’re business casual so I wore cords almost everyday with a pair of wedges. I have several lovely pairs of boots, but it was just a hassle to schlep them to work since I had to wear snow boots into the office.

      1. OMG, long NE winters, totally. Summer started so late this year I’m already dreading the fact that I’ll be digging out my fall stuff soon.

    8. YES. Probably because we’re at the end of the season. I’ve been wearing the same things in different combinations for the past 3 months. Went out and did some serious shopping last weekend to get some new fun things, found some good end-of-season sales (picked up a nice work dress, some platform heels for fall, and a few 40%-off items from BR). This comoing weekend I’m thinking I might spend some time going through my closet and drawers, culling for Goodwill and reminding myself of what’s in there. Rediscovering things I’ve forgotten about usually helps me to get re-inspired.

      1. This, plus I try to come up with new combinations. Sometimes I fall in a rut of wearing a certain shirt with a certain pair of pants all the time, but if I spend some time re-organizing my closet I usually come up with new combinations that make old pieces feel sort of new.

        And I agree with Lyssa – a few cheap, colorful, slightly trendy tops from places like Target or Old Navy or NY & Co (I’m too embarrassed to go into places like Forever 21 since I’m >2×21) can help with clothing boredom.

    9. I have gotten really into pashmina-style wraps – I have them in several colors and carry them with me pretty much everywhere. They’re relatively inexpensive, and when I drape one around my shoulders or tie it around my neck scarf-style I feel elegant and add a shot of color. A lot of my wardrobe is fairly boring, but I think the pashmina/scarves bump it up a little and make a statement.

    10. I DO get burned out, but I find that the changing seasons help me get re-inspired. Right now we’re headed into the “dog days” of summer and I’m kind of tired of my warm weather ensembles .

      (or the San Francisco version of warm weather, which isn’t very warm at all)

      Technically, we can wear the same clothing year round here, but I do change it up for the seasons beacuse it keeps me from feeling like I wear the same outfits week after week.

      1. It’s partly the weather. . .Even with climate control, I’ve been wearing the same few outfits over and over in our unreasonable heat. . .I’ve gotten to the point where everything in my closet bores me. Hoping for better weather to let me try a few other things and feel refreshed until fall gets here.

  9. I would be overwhelmed by the pattern. Maybe I could wear the jacket with a black A-line or pencil skirt. I’m not terribly fond of windowpane check.

  10. I’m probably an old man in my soul. I like this and would wear it, although probably with some more feminine heels and silky shirt.

    Now get offa my yard ya darned kids.

  11. Just found out I have to go to court tomorrow in my first appearance by myself (I’ve been shadowing senior associates since I started three weeks). It’s nothing major (think compliance conference and the like, except i’ll definitely have to talk to the judge instead of just the law secretary), and I have my marching orders from the senior associate on the case but still, excuse me while I freak out for a second. Any general tips?

    1. Don’t forget to breathe.
      Take a second to pause and formulate your idea before speaking.
      Stand (or sit) tall – literally and figuratively.
      Make eye contact as opposed to reading notes.
      Be friendly, if appropriate.
      Wear something authoratitive that you don’t have to worry about (for example, I always avoid the suit whose zipper won’t stay zipped with any consistency or the shirt that’s a hair too tight).
      Good luck!

      1. Great advice, thanks! I’m not a lawyer but have to go to court for a traffic ticket shortly (I actually didn’t do it!) and this will be such a help.

    2. Make sure you know what you want to say, think about what the other side will say and be prepared to respond, think about what the judge might want to know that neither of you would otherwise say, wear something you feel good in, and get there early. Good luck!

    3. Wear something conservative(ish) that doesn’t make you feel self-conscious. Introduce yourself as “Firstname Lastname, representing Plaintiff/Defendant X.” If anything is going to be on the record, bring a business card to give to the court reporter. Definitely pause before speaking to formulate your ideas – a brief pause beforehand is much better than a rambling argument (especially in a transcript). Be as polite as necessary to opposing counsel and make sure to treat the coordinator, bailiff, court reporter extremely well.

      Plaintiff sits at the table closest to the jury box :)

      1. Oh, and stand when you address the judge. I’m always shocked at how many people forget that.

    4. Stand when you address the judge, don’t lock your knees, and wear shoes that you wouldn’t wobble in if you discover your legs are shaking like jelly. You’ll do great. They wouldn’t let you go if you didn’t know your stuff.

      1. Second on the good shoes. “Shaking like jelly” sounds about right for my first court appearance (lo those many years ago). Definitely bring business cards too. Get there early, and don’t have too many bags — just your (small, professional-looking) purse and briefcase.

        Check the calendar posted on the door to see what your matter number is.

        Call the judge “Your Honor.” Smile at him/her. Also smile at the clerk when you check in, although he/she is unlikely to smile back (they have a lot on their plate).

        Stand up tall, shoulders back. Don’t let the boys in that courtroom bully you.

        Good luck!

    5. Stand to address the judge, and start by introducing yourself by name and client. I didn’t do that my first time, and the judge was not nice about it!

      1. All good tips. Also, try not to let the judge or opposing counsel rattle you too much. Sometime the judge can be grumpy and mean for no reason at all. Just take that breath and stay on track! Don’t agree to anything too quickly – just take a second and think – if you feel weird, just give a polite “just one second, your honor” type thing.

        1. And if the court clerk seems at all friendly tell them you’re new- some of them have gone above and beyond being nice and helpful to me.

    6. When I get nervous, my hands shake noticeably. The first few (ok, first dozen) times I went to court, I was worried about this. My tips: hold on to the sides of the podium, or put your hands on the podium. Try to grip it naturally rather than look like you are holding on for dear life. Lay all your notes out on the table or podium so you are not shuffling papers. Don’t hold up individual papers, it makes the shaking noticeable. If you have to hold something up, try to hold a thick document or put it on a legal pad. And, finally, if you think you’ll be thirsty, get a drink at the water fountain beforehand. Don’t use one of the glasses at counsel’s table. Pouring and holding a drink with shaky hands = disaster.

      And, remember, you will do fine! Once you do this a few times you will be over the nerves and carry yourself like a pro!

  12. The suit shown has, to me, a sort of “race track” look, especially the pants. Too much check on top lof the tweed.

  13. I am coveting this. I want a tweed jacket so badly, but I can never find one in a Tall.

  14. I simply adore the coat that’s shown with it. Now I know what to wear to an arctic S&M club!

  15. I have some very similar pants I got five years ago from H&M. Glad to know they’re still stylish! This makes me want to upgrade to a nice version, though, now that I think about the long period over which I’ve consistently worn those pants.

    (I bought all my first work clothes almost 6 years ago at H&M, and the pants are all still going strong. When I tried to update my wardrobe when I gained weight last year, the H&M work pants were HORRIBLE.)

  16. Ladies, I’ve posted about my job and my boss, in particular. I’ve started looking for another opportunity. Today I had a phone interview with a very prestigious university.

    And, on top of that, I’ve already heard back on a job I applied to yesterday at a nationwide online sample sale site that’s headquartered in my city. Fingers crossed!

    1. Does that mean you’re going to be getting us all super-secret special corporette only sample sales then?

    1. Gentle note: NYU =/= NYLS. Didn’t go to either, so not trying to stand up for either, just sayin’. :-)

  17. Has anyone else seen “Look 27” in the Benetton collection this season:

    wwwDOTbenettonDOTcom/woman/collection/aw11_woman_look_27/

    I’m pretty sure she’s wearing the first blanket I ever tried to knit. And now I wish I had finished it and thought to sell it as a … poncho? Tunic? Necklace?

    1. Wow. That’s really quite horrible. Maybe she was cold and grabbed the blanket off her grandma’s couch?

  18. It’s not a houndstooth, it’s a plaid. I agree that together, the pieces are too much. The jacket alone might work, but with my tuches, the pants would make my butt look even bigger!

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