ByKat Hours Updated
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Suit of the Week: Theory

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Theory 'Dorian - Dialogue' JacketiconFor 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, which should be as classic and basic as you get — instead, this feature is about the slightly different suit that is fashionable, yet professional.

This is a lovely suit — at least in theory (no pun intended, honest!). The boucle knit has an interesting striated look, and the leather trim on the pockets and sleeves adds a lot. I even like the boxy fit to the jacket, and think it looks lovely as a separate (as shown here). The skirt, sadly, is where we get to the “theory” part — why is it so short? Who, exactly, do they think is buying this piece? (And why is “dialog” spelled differently in the name?) Odd, odd — but perhaps for a woman with shorter legs this suit would be perfect. The jacket (Theory ‘Dorian – Dialogue' Jacket) is $465, and the skirt (Theory ‘Francia – Dialog' Boucle Skirt) is $245, both available at Nordstrom.

Theory 'Dorian - Dialogue' Jacket Theory 'Francia - Dialog' Bouclé Skirt

(L-5)

93 Comments

  1. I was ready to love this, and then… so short! Oh well.

    Also, clothing-related threadjack: I am taking my 12-year-old SIL shopping for new clothes. She’s 5′, so she doesn’t really fit most tween clothes. I’m looking for store suggestions (keeping in mind that she’ll likely outgrow this stuff shortly), and also suggestions for fashion inspiration, since I have no idea what the “kids” are wearing these days.

    1. If you have an H&M or Forever 21 near you, they will have trendy stuff in her size for lower prices. Zara might be a little too “old” for her, but you could try it. She’ll probably have a few stores in mind as well, so make sure to ask. She might be more of a funky Hot Topic t-shirt gal.

      My favorite store when I was that age was Aeropostale, but I don’t know if kids still like to shop there.

      2. my sister is 12 and “best dressed” in her grade, evidently (who knew? i was a major loser at 12 and frequently worse size XXL tshirts…when i should have worn a small).

        she loves: aero, belk (usually free people, sometimes something from french connection or wherever will catch her eye- always on sale!), american eagle, gap, tommy, polo….

        limited too is now justice, and it’s still got cute clothes, but they’re a little short for my sister (and most of the 12-13 year old crowd has moved on to aero and a&f).

        (for the record, my sister does not shop at a&f. i still have some influence on her sartorial choices, since i’m the “cool/fashionable” sister.)

    2. My daughter is ten, and she likes most of the clothes at the major department stores–Macy’s, Dillards, we sometimes find stuff at JC Penny’s. I also have good luck at Limited Too and also Target for basics (just got her an assortment of long sleeve T’s for $5 each!)

      Right now she is really into skinny jeans and outfits with a long, tunic style shirt and matching leggings.

    3. Just took my 14 yr old sister shopping this past wknd. On her list were: F21, H&M, Hollister, American Eagle, VS Pink and Urban Outfitters.

    4. My younger sister is 13 and she basically lives at the Delia’s store in the mall. I believe they sell jeans with different inseam lengths, as well.

  2. Those kind of short skirts tend to look good on me – but I’m 5’3. I need that length of skirt for it to hit me right at the knee or slightly above it, thus not making me look shorter than I already am.

    1. It might also be the styling. I bought the suit of the week from last week (Ann Taylor), and the skirt is actually not short at all — I am 5’6″, so I thought that maybe I was wearing the skirt lower than it was styled on the model.

      Either way, this skirt might well work for you!

  3. That’s a nice jacket but I’m really intrigued by the blouse. Might be something I won’t be able to resist adding to my wardrobe….

  4. I’m loving the blouse it’s styled with. But $215 is a bit more than I like to pay for a layering piece. Anyone know of some knock-offs?

    2. Ann Taylor has a few slightly similar things:
      http://www.anntaylor.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=28469&N=1200005&pCategoryId=3939&categoryId=183&Ns=CATEGORY_SEQ_183&loc=TN&defaultColor=Dark%20Crimson&defaultSizeType=Regular
      http://www.anntaylor.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=28662&N=1200005&pCategoryId=3939&categoryId=183&Ns=CATEGORY_SEQ_183&loc=TN&defaultColor=Asteroid&defaultSizeType=Regular
      http://www.anntaylor.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=27009&N=1200005&pCategoryId=3939&categoryId=183&Ns=CATEGORY_SEQ_183&Nty=1&No=28&loc=TN&defaultColor=Smokey%20Mauve&defaultSizeType=Regular#

      Yeah – not quite the same.

  5. Would you consider this model to be knock kneed? I have similar knees and have always felt self conscious about it, but now seeing a model with similar knees makes me feel differently!

    1. No, I would consider her legs to be normal (in shape) and slender (in size). Wish mine looked like this!

    3. If that model is knock-kneed than so am I! Her legs looks great to me, I would not consider them knock-kneed at all.

  6. I think the skirt is perfect. I’m 23 though and still want to look contemporary in the office. I work with all men who could care less what I wore (I’ve been known to wear the same black pants 3 days in a row) so I think this skirt is perfect for winter and just the right length.

    1. Good for you – I don’t have the guts to wear such short skirts even though my office is casual. If you can really get away with this, I envy you.

      I also think that you can look contemporary without wearing a short skirt, and you can wear a short skirt and not look contemporary – the two don’t really seem related.

    2. I once worked at a small nonprofit where I was a full 40 years younger than the next youngest employee. The office was business-casual, but I was always careful to dress modestly and conservatively. One day I was out of clean clothes and had to pull a shorter skirt from the back of my closet. I felt very self-conscious until one of the ladies there told me, “One should always wear short skirts while one can.”

      That said, I’m 5’3″ so this skirt probably wouldn’t look short on me!

  7. Have any of you tried Invisalign or Clear Correct (a newer competitor)? I had braces in high school and came out with a perfect smile but was HORRIBLE about always losing the retainers to wear afterward. Now at 36, I’m noticing my lower teeth are crowding and making it harder to floss (I think most people would say I have a good smile, but it really bothers me and seems to be getting worse as I’m getting older).

    I met with an ortho yesterday and am thinking about taking the leap. But the cost estimate is $4,500 and wondering if it will be worth it. I’m just curious, were you happy with the results? Is it really obvious when you wear the aligners?

    1. DH has them. It’s made a difference, but it’s taken twice as long as they said to finish — they didn’t charge extra, but he’s had to do a second round to get it right. It’s a pretty big hassle – taking them in and out to eat, lots of visits to the dentist, etc. You can see them for sure — I can always tell when he has them in. But they are not distracting or off-putting in any way — I wouldn’t sweat that. Actually, his teeth only look funny when he doesn’t have them in, because then you can see the little bumpy things they stuck to his teeth to make them stay on. All in all, I think he’d say it was worth it and he would do it again (though, unlike you, his teeth were in terrible shape when he started) but that it was more of a hassle than he expected.

      1. I hadn’t heard of anything being put on the teeth directly, since all of the promotional literature boasts normal brushing and flossing capability. Thanks for letting me know–it’s something I definitely want to ask about. I’m fortunate the office isn’t too far from where I live and has some really early morning hours. But definitely still dreading the hassle factor.

        Thank you!

    2. FWIW, I went to an orthodonist about a year ago and had new retainers made (after not wearing them for years – I’m not sure anyone else noticed that they were getting crooked, but it was bothering me). It cost about $600 for impressions and a new top & bottom retainer, but they seem to be working great and getting my teeth back to prime post-braces straightness.

        1. About 15 years ago? And I was good about wearing the retainers until about 5 years ago. Of course my teeth started moving almost instantly when I stopped being diligent about the retainers – so frustrating!

          1. Thanks for the advice. I’m afraid I think I’ve had too much shifting at this point. I stopped wearing the retainers about a year or so after finishing the braces in high school. No one ever advised to continue after treatment ended (about a year post-braces maybe?). I wish I had thought to pursue much sooner. Hopefully, someone else benefits from the tip though.

  8. Dialogue is actually correct. Dialog is an alternate spelling (albeit common in the U.S.).

    1. but it is spelled one way for the jacket, and the other way for the skirt. I agree with Kat – that is a little bizarre.

  9. I think this suit is fine and the skirtlength is fine. But – I had a boucle skirt like this and it did not keep its shape. That is the one worry I would have.

  10. I have a similar jacket made by Ellen Tracy and use it it with all kinds of outfits – definitely one of my favorites!

    1. As a matter of fact, I tried this suit on a few weeks ago at Nordstom! It has an amazing fit and it’s really comfortable!! It was just SO perfect. Sadly, since I only graduated college in May, I couldn’t justify the purchase….but some day!

      1. It is hard not to buy it now. But I guess I don’t need very many suits before I start actually working — it might be weird if I started wearing suits to class!

        1. Not to be the devil on your shoulder that is tempting you to splurge this much, but if you find a suit you love, it’s worth it IMHO to just buy it. I often go entire seasons without liking the current trend in suiting, jeans, etc. but stock up when I like something. Plus, suits will often require alteration, so you don’t want to wait until you’re desperate to buy.

  13. I think the skirt length looks fine (but I am only 5’3″). I am more concerned about where those leather faux pockets would fall…it doesn’t look as though it would be flattering.

    Also, boucle will stretch unless the lining is good. I didn’t click through, but I would assume (since this is Theory) that it is lined.

  14. I ALWAYS like to wear a suit that eccentuates my bodice. I have worked VERY hard to keep my midriff as slim as possible, b/c I NEVER eat fatty foods after 6:00 pm. Instead, I go to the gym where the trainer thinks I have a great body. I personally think I am 5 lbs overweight, and all the excess is in the seat.

    If I could ONLY find a suit that can hide my tush, I would be VERY happy.

    If anyone has any ideas, I will be VERY GRATFUL.

    Thanks in advance. And happy turkey to all. Remember not to eat the skin and limit the dark meat if you want to stay svelte like me.

    1. I’ll bite. I just don’t understand what you get out of it. You’ve been here for weeks now under different names, all with mildly misogynic posts but always obvious that you’re not a “corporette” No one is even that mad at you, so its not like your one of those people that feeds off all negative energy. What are you hoping to accomplish here?

        1. I work with some men that OBJECTIFY me all day, and just want to have women friends. I have alot to offer but the men do not always treat me as an equal. I have a JD so I do NOT know why men do not treat me equally, because I have the same eduacation as they do. I am pussled that some women are so jealous of me. I am just like others here, and I am a corpralette. Fooey on those peeople that do not like me. I have to find somewhere where I can be respected.

          1. Ah well there is the problem! You got an eduacation while they got an education. See corporette therapy is working already. Although I am pussled as well as to why you keep coming back.

          2. Is there some sort of language barrier here that we’re missing perhaps? If not, these sort of posts are starting to get ridiculous.

      2. Fooey on you two. Women are always BASHING me b/c I am pretty, but I really try not to care to much, b/c I have a JD and my parents help me out so I can live well in NYC. Why are you so catty with me?

        2. haha last time I’ll respond I promise. But no one has even bashed you. you’re so desperate for us to be like “omg how can you talk like this we are women rooooarr feminism rosie the riveter men are evil” But the only thing people have said are its just the weirdest trolling in the world. Fooey on me for responding though.

          2. Actually, this is much more hilarious than the one crazy commenter all by herself! The BEST part is the completely WEIRD caps that don’t make any sense at all. (Making me smile while outlining…)

          1. You are probabley just jealous of me because I look JUST like Gweneth Paltrow. But I am very used to this. Women love to BASH me because I am honest and friendly. And I have a JD, so I am confident in MYSELF.

          2. Because I love Ellen and her hilarious ways, I’m going to have to say how on earth would we know that you look like Gwyneth Paltrow? Really? I mean seriously, how is possible that we would know what you look like? And I think lots of the women here have JD’s, so really, you’re not so special here. Sorry…….

  15. All – I know that many of you have managed to negotiate impressive salaries, benefits and raises – and I need your help!

    I am up for promotion, and have been told, unofficially, that I will be presented w/ the new position summary – and salary – on Monday. The position summary is fine – but the salary is about $5 – $10K below market.

    I’m a mid career professional in corporate (not a lawyer) if that matters.

    How do I ask my boss (and his boss) to revise their offer upwards – and get them to ?

    Thanks!

    1. This is touchy in this job market. Unless you can be sure you will not be prejeudiced by telling him this, and can get “market”, I would sit tight and take what you get.

      The economy stinks right now, and there are SO many peeple out of work, I would not chance it. You do not want to risk loosing your job for $5 to 10 thousand dollars, even though that is alot of money.

      You could silently put your feelers out to see if you can get the extra $10 thousand. If you can, go get it. Otherwise, don’t look a gift in the mouth.

      This is just my opinion, but I have a JD.

    2. You respond that your are pleased with being offered the position and appreciate their confidence in your ability. That said, your research on the market for a position with these job responsibilities indicate that the market compensation for this position is X (X = 5-10% above what you’d like). As such, you’d like to discuss aligning the compensation packet with the market. Be persistent. If they are unwilling to move on the compensation, then you have to make a decision – do you want the job, even if you are below market?

      1. This. My situation was a bit different, but I just negotiated an extra $10K starting salary. Basically, I was honest. I said that the position was interesting and a challenging career move, but my salary expectations were at least $20K higher than the initial offer. And most importantly I gave some firm justifications for my expectation (my previous salaries, and “market” salary comparisons). The organization I’m with is having budget difficulties so the hiring manager was honest that they probably couldn’t match my expectation, but they came back with a second offer that was higher than I thought they could. So back up your reasoning and be honest. You might take the position regardless, but it sounds like you may be justified in asking for the extra money before you decide.

  16. Threadjack.
    I am in the process of cleaning out my closets. I have been through almost everything and have cleared out the usual suspects – haven’t worn in over a year, over 10 years old, don’t fit, are stained/worn/have holes. I am still needing to clean out more, and now I don’t know what else to cull.

    Part of the problem, I think, is that I live in a four-season climate with cold winters and fairly hot/humid summers (so I find it difficult to buy “seasonless” things that truly work in all seasons) and I also work in an environment that is mostly business casual (although on the dressier side) but business formal when we’re with clients or otherwise representing the company in public. I have some nice suits that I don’t wear a lot, but definitely need, as we have to wear suits when we present to clients. I am loath to get rid of my suits as (and I’m sure Corporetters can relate) replacing them is expensive, and I have to say, I just don’t like wearing the same black and navy pantsuit over and over. But I also have the dresses and skirts I wear every day and they need space too! If anyone has any tips on closet cleanouts, they’re appreciated. Including telling me that I need to suck it up and be more ruthless when it comes to throwing things in the Goodwill bag. :)

    1. You can rent a climate controlled space at your local dry cleaners if you need space. That way, you won’t throw out some thing you will need later. Call your dry cleaner to see how much they will charge for cole storage. That’s what my mom did when my dad threatened to throw out everything in their closet.

    2. Maybe you can set aside a day with someone whose fashion opinion you absolutely trust and can be brutally honest with you to help you cull some more? You can try on every single thing you own and let him or her decide what you get to keep. An objective opinion is usually very helpful.

      1. The multiple climate situation is tricky though. I’m in Europe, and need multi-season business casual, plus the odd formal piece (at least two seasons), plus I spend enough time in Oz to need a sizeable summer wardrobe. My solution is to be ruthless about packing things up seasonally and swapping things around – wool doesn’t need to be out in July, and singlets can go and hide come October.

        1. L from Oz – what is a singlet? I’m in the US, and the only thing I’ve ever heard referred to as a “singlet” is the one-piece spandex wrestling costume worn by greco-roman wrestlers (high school, college, etc). I’m sure your use is a very different meaning – please educate me!

      2. Completely agree with finding a friend to help. I did this recently with one of my great friends – we cleaned out both our closets. Having someone else there who knows your style (and what they have seen you wear in the past 1 -2 years) is extremely beneficial. Plus it makes it a whole lot more fun!

  17. I have a question. My BF wants to buy us a package of 6 courtside tickets for the Knicks for Christmas, but I really don’t really care that much about basketball. I go to the games b/c he likes to but really, I could care less about watching the game. How can I tell him not to spend this money on the tickets; I would prefer he not buy me anything then waste the money on these tickets; he is temping and not making much money, but he thinks that he needs to impress me. I really don’t care. How can I tell him this without embarasing him. I have a good job and am making money, but he is not making much money. If he saves money, he can eventuelly get me a better gift, mabye next year. Any ideas would be apreaciated.

    1. This is a tough one. I have solved a similar problem in the past – when my husband wanted to get me an expensive gift I really didn’t want – by taking the approach of “hey honey, let’s just keep it simple this year.” It helps if there’s a mutual goal you can create that you want to save money for, like a trip or something for the household. One year, my husband wanted to get me a new laptop, which I didn’t want or need – I suggested that we do a simpler Christmas so we could save money for a trip to Europe we were planning. Actually, since then we have tried to keep Christmas simple – we spend less than $100 on each other – and put the money towards something we both want to get. You can try that, and see if it works. Otherwise you may have to try the more direct approach – which, trust me, is way better than him finding out at the game or afterwards that you didn’t care about getting the tickets, especially if buying them will be a stretch for him.

    2. Is it possible that he really wants the tickets, and is helping to justify the expense by making it a “let’s go together/date night” thing? If so, you could encourage him to buy the tickets for himself and/or one of his close sports enthusiast friends. Be honest with him that you aren’t really interested, while also letting him know that it is perfectly fine for him to go with a friend. Then suggest something else that you can both enjoy together, like a commitment to have a date night with dinner and a movie every Thursday.

      This sends the message that you appreciate his offer, you really do want to spend time with him, but that he shouldn’t feel obligated to take you to the games just because they are expensive.

      I would shy away from making any judgments about where he should spend his money for his own entertainment. That often backfires, especially with someone who is a big fan of a sport or other hobby. If he loves basketball, he’ll probably make it a priority to go to games even when money is tight. We all make decisions like that. For some of us, we’re never too poor for new shoes :-)

  18. Threadjack: Anyone do P90x? Anyone actually complete it? I want to do it, but I heard it takes an hour or more a day and in the past when I worked out that much, I ended up hating it after a couple of months and not working out at all. Does it get repetitive?

    1. I tried it, but it is to strenous. You should try ZOOMBA if you can do P90x. I personally don’t like it. Try ZOOMBA. You will like it if you like Pilates.

      1. we tried p90x (my hubs and i). try more like a 1.5 hours a day (plus equipment, like something to do hanging pull-ups.) (if that’s the phrase.) we made it a week, and then fell off the wagon…

        1. yikes. It just seems like it would actually produce results. My 30-45 minutes/day of cardio seems to do nothing. Even when I lifted weights 3 times a week, I didn’t see the results I wanted.

          1. To AnonAnonAnon – what results are you hoping to see? If you tell us a bit about your goals (weight loss? increased endurance/strength? defined muscles?) maybe we can offer some suggestions or “this worked for me”isms.

          2. I need to lose 30 lbs. I have metabolic issues that make weight loss very hard. I worked out twice a day, 45 minutes to an hour a day, 6 days a week this summer, ate 1500 calories/day, lost 5 lbs. The only time I’ve ever lost a significant amount of weight was when I ate 1000 calories a day on a doctor and nutritionist supervised diet, but that is extremely hard to do. I lost 75 lbs, but this last 30 is tough.

          3. First off, congratulations on losing 75 lbs and keeping them off. That is a tremendous accomplishment and you should be really proud of yourself! :)

            From personal experience as well as from training others, one thing that I’ve noticed consistently is that (1) different bodies respond differently to different exercise styles and (2) your body will get used to whatever you are doing and it won’t be as effective after a while, so variety is key. Take me – I can stay on the elliptical machine until the cows come home and it will never, ever be as effective a workout as a 20 minute run at a fast clip. For others, it is the exact opposite. Some people respond well to low weights and lots of repetitions; others respond better to high weights, low reps.

            As far as food goes, I’m not going to give you advice because you didn’t ask for it, and heck – you lost 75 lbs, so you clearly don’t need me to tell you how to eat :) However, I have found that a protein shake immediately after a morning workout is very effective for many things – muscle recovery and building definition, great source of protein that keeps you feeling full for a while. I’d advise a protein powder that provides approximately 15-20 grams of protein per serving/scoop (at around 100 calories) and one of the little shaker bottles you can buy at any health food stores – it is more economical this way than the grab-and-go-in-a-bottle shakes and better for you as well (esp if weight loss is a goal, but really for most of us, we don’t need a 250 calorie replacement immediately after a workout).

            Hope that helps? Again, proud of you for how much you’ve already accomplished.

          4. @AnonAnonAnon – I have a metabolic disorder too. I needed to lose weight and finally my endocrinologist convinced me to try a prescription medication to help with it. I didn’t want to take more drugs, but once I finally agreed to, it was enormously helpful. Lost about 50lbs in 9 months. Talk to your endo about it.

    2. BF and I did most of P90X a little over a year ago. We petered out the last few weeks because of travel/bar exam/general business and have been trying to get back into it.

      It works. But it works because it’s HARD and it’s for an hour to an hour and a half a day. If you work out reasonably hard doing ANYTHING for an hour to an hour and a half, 6 days a week, it’ll work. And it works even better if you follow the diet plan (I would imagine, I didn’t even try!).

      What I like about it (and why I think it works as a program), is that you don’t have to think about what to do, you just put in the DVD and go. And Tony Horton is kind of annoying and often too corny, but is a good ‘coach’ for this type of workout.

      It’s not that repetitive, at least the first time, because you’re doing a different session every day, then after three weeks, you change. There are some sessions you do every week — but there is enough variety in each one to keep it interesting, and unless you’re already in fantastic shape, you can’t do all the moves (or very many of them) at first. This second time through it’s been a bit of a drag, but it’s still better than doing weights at the gym alone.

      I think the trick with p90x is to keep going. Yes, the first few times (or even ten times) you do one of the sessions it’s going to be hard and it’s going to hurt, but as Tony says, it’s supposed to.

      If weight loss is your primary goal and/or you aren’t already working out — you may want to try p90.

  21. For anyone in/near NYC, there’s a Theory sample sale to the end of this week – went today and this suit is there. I believe the jackets were $169 and the skirts were $79 (although I don’t remember exactly).

    Tuesday, November 30 through Sunday, December 5. Tues—Fri 10am—7pm, Sat—Sun 10am—5pm. Clothingline, 261 W. 36th St between 7th and 8th Aves, second floor (212-947-8748)

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