How to Look Stylish in a Pants Suit

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woman in pant suit leans against glass wall in office hallway

Here’s something we haven’t discussed in eons — how can you look stylish in women’s pant suits? Here are some of our best tips…

{related: check out our entire Guide to Women’s Interview Attire!}

Tip #1 For Women’s Pants Suits: Buy Suiting Separates

Skirt suits may seem antiquated — and you may haaaate when career advisors tell you you should buy one — but one of the reasons is because skirt suits fit better off the rack. Until recently, suit separates were only really a thing for pricier brands; the more budget options were sold with the blazer and pants on one hanger, both the same size. There were often rise issues, problems with the pants’ lining, and more.

Even now, you’re more likely to find a pants suit that fits better if you buy one from a pricier brand. Some of our favorite affordable but mid-tier suits include these:

5 professional women wear the best women's suits in the middle price ranges -- these are great first suits for women lawyers and more because they're affordable but polished and you'll wear them all the time — *Our favorite mid-range suits for women as of 2023: one / two / three / four / five*

If you’re on a strict budget, though, take a look at some of the following places for great women’s pants suits:

Express – their pants have long been reader favorites for great work pants; they’ve recently started including blazers and skirts that match the fabric exactly
Factory stores, such as J.Crew Factory and Banana Republic Factory both often carry great pants suits at really affordable prices
Check Poshmark, eBay and other sites for suits from already affordable brands like the ones above, as well as for great deals on suits from brands such as Theory, Boss, and Reiss

2. Hem Your Pants Correctly

This can make a big difference! Pick the pair of heels you plan to wear with the suit and have the suit hemmed. Ideally, you want the suit to touch the top of the sole on the back of your foot, and have a slight break across the front — without ever touching the floor or pooling along the floor. On the flip side, if you hem your pants too short, they often look a bit frumpy.

Here’s our guide to hems from long ago.

The Corporette Guide to Hems -- pants too short, pants too long, and pants juuuust right. — *Psst: our long-ago guide to hems — still good!*

Watch out for other fit issues, such as what the perfect pants fit is, and when your pants are “smiling.”

The Rest of the Outfit

Here are some of our favorite heels to go with your pants suit… you may also want to check out our discussion on what “the rules” are for interview shoes…

These are some of our favorite heels as of 2023, but check out our entire Guide to Comfortable Heels!