All about Suits

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Tweetie_bird

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Hello Gals-
I really need help in deciding which kind of a suit to wear. I saw a few yesterday and nothing seemed to fit me appropriately. I think my shoulders are too broad for my frame or perhaps I have an invisible boob that comes in the way of my buttons. 🙁

I know I will need tailoring because my waist seems way smaller than the length of the pants I have. EEK. I need help!! Few questions:

1. Which places have people out there to HELP you choose a good suit? I have no idea how to pick a good one.

2. I really liked this suit yesterday (and it fit me too!), except, it was double breasted in black. do you gals all have suits with a blouse on the inside, because I don't think anybody will be able to see my blouse in the double breasted suit (if I buy one).

Is a double breasted suit even okay? it looks pretty sleek. 🙂 Just a bit too funeral-y type.

3. What materials are good for the blouse? I looked at plain cotton shirts and they seem to bunch up in the suit. So, I assume we should buy something sleek like Satin?? I already have a nice collared baby blue satin shirt that i could wear with dark blue/black pants and dark blue/black coat.

Does that sound okay?

I seriously need help so please tell me where to start.

PS: and please nobody mention Nordstroms because I went there too, and the only way I can afford their suits if I sell my a@@ on the street. jk. But seriously, something in the 200 dollar price range for the ENTIRE suit would be nice. Is that reasonable?
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I got my basic black (single breasted) suit at petite sophisticate (associated with casual corner) for $140. The sales associates there were extremely helpful. I tried on like 4 different suits there and they helped me decide. I also tried on a nice one at Ann Taylor that was like $300. I liked them equally so I naturally went with cheaper. I have even received compliments on my suit from fellow female interviewers, which certainly made me feel good! As for the shirt, I opted for shells (one red and one beige) instead of dress shirts b/c of the bunching problem. Hope that helped a little. If you have any more questions feel free to ask.
 
I got my basic black (single breasted) suit at petite sophisticate (associated with casual corner) for $140. The sales associates there were extremely helpful. I tried on like 4 different suits there and they helped me decide. I also tried on a nice one at Ann Taylor that was like $300. I liked them equally so I naturally went with cheaper. I have even received compliments on my suit from fellow female interviewers, which certainly made me feel good! As for the shirt, I opted for shells (one red and one beige) instead of dress shirts b/c of the bunching problem. I got the shells at TJ MaXX for like $20 each. Hope that helped a little. If you have any more questions feel free to ask.
 
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tweetie,
unfortunately i think a lot of stores with helpful sales people have more expensive suits. have you tried mid-lower end dept stores? i know macy's had some on sale where i am, but i thought the petite ones were ugly. if you don't need a petite size, they may be nicer. how about stores like jc penny? i'm sure they must have suits, right?
i second the idea of going with a shell. i have a couple of shells i will wear with my suit. you can usually get them for cheap at stores like ross, marshall's, and tj maxx if you don'talready have one. i hate the way button down shirts bunch under suits. i did buy one nice button down shirt to go under my suit, but it is very fitted so that it doesn't bunch. it is very hard to find them so fitted i think.
double breasted is probably fine. i've never tried one on actually, but if it looks good on you then there is no problem getting it. i say go with what you feel comfortable in and flatters your figure.
 
Originally posted by Tweetie_bird
I think my shoulders are too broad for my frame or perhaps I have an invisible boob that comes in the way of my buttons. 🙁
I know I will need tailoring because my waist seems way smaller than the length of the pants I have. EEK. I need help!! Few questions:

2. I really liked this suit yesterday (and it fit me too!), except, it was double breasted in black.
PS: and please nobody mention Nordstroms because I went there too, and the only way I can afford their suits if I sell my a@@ on the street. jk. But seriously, something in the 200 dollar price range for the ENTIRE suit would be nice. Is that reasonable?
Click to expand...
OK, Tweetie, I have lots of opinions since i spent the entire thanksgiving break trying on hundreds of suits! Don't buy a suit that doesn't fit you or feel comfortable. Double-breasted is fine, if it fits your style. If you have nice broad shoulders, then go w/ the regular sizes instead of petite since the shoulders are roomier & sleeves longer. I found that the suit pant sizes were off too (my normal size's a bit tighter than usual, but that'll just motivate me to exercise more in the next few months)--or just try on the next size up.

I ended up getting a cute black pant suit from macy's for @ $120 total, plus $15 for the shirt. I was lucky to find the last pair of pants in my size! If you live in the city, go to a mall in the suburbs--they'll have more selection/stock. Everytime i go to San Francisco shopping, my size is always out--so i went to this posh mall near Marin, found my size & got a great deal.

Don't give up on Nordstrom b/c they had many fall suits on sale. Their own brand isn't too bad & fit a bit more loosely @ the shoulders (though i didn't like it b/c it had 4 buttons). Outside of Macy's, I think you'll end up paying @ $200 or more for a set. Other brands w/ reasonable prices i saw--Jones New York, Talbot's, Chico's, Ann Taylor, Anne Taylor. Good luck w/ the Christmas sales. 😉
 
I actually found a nice looking suit at Younkers- black, single breasted, with a skirt and pants, for under $200 (thank god for sales!). I got a blue silk button down shirt to go with it and it hasn't bunched up on me yet! Hope that's helpful!
 
Ann Taylor has great tri-acetate suits that you can mix and match (i.e. with skirts and pants)--they don't wrinkle in the suitcase either! The best place for shirts is Brooks Brothers...If you are willing to shell out a little extra, it's worth it because they have a non-iron one that, again, travels amazingly well especially if you have mulitple interviews in the same trip (i.e. only need one). :clap:
 
Express (my favorite store) has nice suits.
 
Banana has really cute suits on sale right now - not all the Bananas have them but the bigger ones do.

Also, did you check out Naturalizer for those shoes I told you about? 😉
 
Express has some nice suits but they are expensive.

Nordstrom, Hechts, and Macys also have nice suits.

I'm tired of wearing suits, for my next interview I'm going for the casual nice sweater, black pants look.
 
if you want help in how to put together a suit - go to Nordstrom's and let them advise you. they are really good at it. learn all you can about what works. they are not on commission. if you decide not to buy there because too expensive, but feel guilty to take up their time, come back and buy your blouse or shell there.
 
Tweetie, listen to me girl! Part of what makes you so YOU is your personality. Don't try to stuff yourself into a black double breasted suit if it doesn't speak to you. Try something a little more off-beat that will show who you are-
To kick butt you gotta feel great-so wear part of a sari with a suit, or a glittery red T-shirt under the suit, or go with the retro look. Don't conform for conformity sake-take the fiancee shopping. He knows you best-promise him something good if he will put on his happy face for a three hour shopping trip.
Good luck-and post a pic when you decide what to wear...
 
And one more thing...since you asked....😀
buy everything! take it home, lay it out on the bed, take a bath, drink a glass of wine, pull on new pantyhose and try it all on again in the privacy of your own bedroom - THEN decide!
 
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hi gals. thanks for the awesome replies.

forgive my ignorrance, but what's a shell? Is it one of those bib looking thingies that they sell in the women's dept? I've never owned one and neither have I tried one out so I need info on that too. I believe that's what shells are. How does one pick a size?

I am going to Nordstrom Rack soon to see their stuff soon.

I've already gone to JC Penney's and Bon Marche to find their stuff and their suits really sucked. Perhaps it's the particular store I went to, because they had very little to choose from.

As for shoes, I have yet to find the closest Naturalizer near my home. I asked around and nobody here has heard of it. 😕

So we'll see. It sucks to be back at square one.....I have to buy a suit really soon because I"m leaving the country in a few weeks!! So I don't have the Dec shopping season to look forward to.

Tweetie
 
Originally posted by Tweetie_bird
hi gals. thanks for the awesome replies.

forgive my ignorrance, but what's a shell?
Click to expand...

A shell is a sleevless, collar-less shirt made out of some slick material other than T-shirt material. It might have sleeves, but it is usually cut close to the body so it doesn't bunch up under the suit.
Looks good with a "pearl necklace"
 
shells are the part of a sweater set that go under cardigan -- usually sleeveless. shells can also be made out of other material i suppose, but mine are all silk sweaters.
does nordstrom not carry the naturalizer brand?
 
I have gone to Nordstroms like 2 times (the second time being yesterday) because I simply can't afford their stuff. EAch of their jackets is 200 bucks!! JUST the jacket.

In any case, i thought naturalizer was a store, not a brand. So I'll check it out at Nordies Rack again. Thanks for the tip.

Also about shells--they look like those little bibs, right? I mean, the shirts don't come down all the way to your waist.....right?

I hope they say "shell" on top because I don't wanna buy the wrong thing. I'll check out Ross and Marshalls and TJ Max this week for those puppies. Does red sound too risque? 😀
 
no, no. shells aren't those bib thingies. i know what you're talking about though.
shells are basically fitted sweaters.
 
A shell is a shirt that looks like a T-shirt only in better fabric. Those iddy biddy bib things you are talking about are called something else...and they are made for hot flash old ladies-not for young-uns like you.
 
I had to run down stairs and ask Gramma-the iddy biddy bib things are called "Dickies" and they go with words like "freshen-up my lipstick" and "stylish wool scarf-hat" and "combed cotton panties for a non-binding fit"
She even gave me the catalog!

Red is good! Go for red!
 
I am going to do a search on shells and post the pic so we are talking about the same thing.

PS: I DID take my fiance shopping and he was such a good boy all throughout. Some men are so nice. 😍
 
Tweetie,
Are you in Seattle? I'm sure you've answered this before. Anyway, if so I went looking for a suit at the Nordstrom Rack downtown. They have some stuff that's not too bad. They sell separates and then jacket/suit or skirt combos. The pants range from like $20-50 and then the sets were like $130+. In some of the brands they have like 3 different kinds of pants to choose from, and they're not the kind of pants that start way above the waist. Then they had 2, 3, and 4 button jackets. I also looked at the Bon in the northgate mall, they have a little bit to choose from. Then also in the northgate mall, in the limited, they have some suits. They're called stretch suits, but they're pretty good. My roommate actually got one there. They have like light grey, dark grey, and black with a bunch of styles to choose from. Other then that I found it extremely difficult to find a suit around this city. If you're not in seattle, then hopefully some of these places are where you are. 🙂 Good luck...you'll find something that you really love.
if you have any more questions about where i looked just message me.
 
Originally posted by Ma!
I had to run down stairs and ask Gramma-the iddy biddy bib things are called "Dickies" and they go with words like "freshen-up my lipstick" and "stylish wool scarf-hat" and "combed cotton panties for a non-binding fit"
She even gave me the catalog!

Red is good! Go for red!
Click to expand...
You just cracked me up so badly, Ma! :laugh: :laugh: Yeah, that's an appropriate name for those fake shirt fronts!
 
Keep your chin up Tweetie! There's a suit out there with your name on it somewhere. I don't know where you are located, but I found my suit at a Talbots outlet (navy blue with pin stripes). There are quite a few around the country. Talbots has really classy suits that are also comfortable. They usually have a good selection of pants suits and long or short skirt suits. Regular Talbots prices can be pretty steep, but their sales are good if there aren't any outlets near you.

Yes, those little bib things are really called 'Dickies'.

A shell can be either a sleeveless tank-top-like or a short-sleeved shirt which is worn under a suit jacket. They can be nade of silk, cotton, light knit, satin, etc. They do not have collars and are made to fit nicely under a jacket.

I'm sure you will look stunning for your interview! 🙂
 
L.L. Bean always seems to have shells available in all different types of fabrics (really soft too!); see if you can find a catalog or go to their web site (www.llbean.com) to get an idea. i love bean's clothes, too bad the nearest store is 2 hours away in Freeport, Maine. good luck, I'll be thinking of you tweetie!

oh, not to change the subject, but thanks for deleting "birdy" or whatever the heck his name was. I can't believe that so many people actually believed that someone with such a rotten attitude and hostility got into JHU or Wash U and had a real girlfriend. why would anyone with a great relationship and a top 5 acceptance be such a malcontent? anyway, sorry to digress and best of luck.
 
Originally posted by Kovox

I'm tired of wearing suits, for my next interview I'm going for the casual nice sweater, black pants look.
Click to expand...

I went suit-shopping last night and it really sucked. I can't stand suit jackets. I feel like I am dressing up as my dad for halloween or something. Anyone have any other thoughts about suit alternatives?
 
Originally posted by Tweetie_bird
Hello Gals-
I really need help in deciding which kind of a suit to wear. I saw a few yesterday and nothing seemed to fit me appropriately. I think my shoulders are too broad for my frame or perhaps I have an invisible boob that comes in the way of my buttons. 🙁

I know I will need tailoring because my waist seems way smaller than the length of the pants I have. EEK. I need help!! Few questions:

1. Which places have people out there to HELP you choose a good suit? I have no idea how to pick a good one.

2. I really liked this suit yesterday (and it fit me too!), except, it was double breasted in black. do you gals all have suits with a blouse on the inside, because I don't think anybody will be able to see my blouse in the double breasted suit (if I buy one).

Is a double breasted suit even okay? it looks pretty sleek. 🙂 Just a bit too funeral-y type.

3. What materials are good for the blouse? I looked at plain cotton shirts and they seem to bunch up in the suit. So, I assume we should buy something sleek like Satin?? I already have a nice collared baby blue satin shirt that i could wear with dark blue/black pants and dark blue/black coat.

Does that sound okay?

I seriously need help so please tell me where to start.

PS: and please nobody mention Nordstroms because I went there too, and the only way I can afford their suits if I sell my a@@ on the street. jk. But seriously, something in the 200 dollar price range for the ENTIRE suit would be nice. Is that reasonable?
Click to expand...


from the sounds of it, with broad shoulders and a small waist, any suit you wear will look great 😍
 
Originally posted by Katie


why would anyone with a great relationship and a top 5 acceptance be such a malcontent? anyway, sorry to digress and best of luck.
Click to expand...


because they can. Probably arrogant, believe me, I see plenty of it. Maybe they just are stressed out, and want to @#@)(* around. Don't be so suprised taht someone with such a great life (as we all have) wouldn't want to @%)(@# around with some peoples heads.
 
I've got the suit, now I just need an interview to go with it. Navy blue without pin stripes (three button), silverish gray shirt, tie, and shoes. All bought at Kaufmann's.
 
Honestly, there is no other kind of formal attire than custom fitted/made stuff. Once you put on a suit that's been made just for you you'll never go back to wearing anything else. I had a closet full of really nice designer off the rack sportscoats and suits that I don't touch anymore since I've gotten a couple of custom made items.

I know what you're thinking...this is probably ridiculously expensive. Actually, it's often not that bad. I remember an ad in the Tribune of a shop that would do 3 for 1200. Well, 400 maybe more than you're willing to pay. But how about 230? Or 190 for a guy's suit?

Read on if you're interested!!

A couple years ago I came across this site: www.ravistailor.com It's some dude in Bangkok (wait, keep reading) who's been in business for a pretty long time. He had some pretty convincing testimonials on his website and he also has a ton of info. All the emails I've ever sent have been promptly and courteously returned. Right now I'm just saving up to order another few suits. I ordered one of the suits from his "Classic" collection. It's a black merino/cashmere blend with all kinds of neato things: hand stitching around the lapel (Purple Label stuff has this sometimes, as well as other designers), actually working cuff buttons and a sweet contrast lining on the inside. The best part, however, is that since the suit is made for your exact measurements it fits PERFECTLY. Since I'm kinda skinny and tall finding a "good" 40L is hard. I had a seamstress measure me here (there's a big list of measurements on his website) or you can do it yourself (there are videos). You just send those measurements in and 2-3 weeks later you get a suit back by air mail. Honestly, if you add up the cost of even a suit at a steal (say 150 in a store) plus alterations and tax you're close to the cost of the suit from this guy. PLUS, the materials are better, the fit is better and you can get awesome little touches that you can't get here unless you're willing to spend 1200 on a suit (and maybe not even then).

Anyways, I'd recommend the guy a lot and feel free to PM me if you have any questions about the process. I know it almost sounds too positive, but this is the only place anybody in my family gets their suits now and we're very very happy with them. Just thought that I'd share the wealth 🙂
 
DW, I own a dark hunter green overcoat if that makes you feel any better! (however I wear my black leather one when interviewing)

Girls (GUYS this is a good tip too!) I know how to at least partly solve the bunched dress shirt issues. I was getting my hair cut one day and another guy was getting dressed to go to a professional dinner. My hairdresser stepped in and made the guy look pretty. To get that clean look in the front and the perfect blouse on your shirt, tuck you shirt all the way into your underwear. It makes it look sooo good and unless you have super tight pants on, it also does the work of keeping the shirt in place. I highly recommend it!
 
Originally posted by DW
30 replies, and not a single "hunter green" comment? 😱

😉
Click to expand...

I was so tempted, but it was Tweetie, so I just couldn't go through with it. 😉
 
Originally posted by seaworthc
I know how to at least partly solve the bunched dress shirt issues. I was getting my hair cut one day and another guy was getting dressed to go to a professional dinner. My hairdresser stepped in and made the guy look pretty. To get that clean look in the front and the perfect blouse on your shirt, tuck you shirt all the way into your underwear. It makes it look sooo good and unless you have super tight pants on, it also does the work of keeping the shirt in place. I highly recommend it!
Click to expand...
Oh, i used to do this when i was a neurotic kid who hated wedgies & bunched up clothes! :laugh: Just make sure you have good restroom hygiene, though! 😉
 
On the topic of broad shoulders: JONES NEW YORK probably has the best cut for your description of your body. I know this because I can under no circumstances wear their suits with mine (itty bitty top, child-bearing hips).

I vote single-breasted suit, collared non-silken shirt. Maybe a pointelle cotton in white, off white, blue.

Good luck!
 
I know nothing about women's suits since I'm a guy, but my sister just bought a suit at The Limited for under $200. It took her a total of 10 hours of shopping for her to find this "perfect" one and it looks great on her.
 
I got mine at Bloomingdale's by mail. The closest Bloomie's is at Stanford, and I didn't feel like making the 6 hour drive. 🙄

Black wool blend with simple grey cotton shell underneath. I like it. 🙂

Bloomie's has really good people over the phone, they can answer fit questions pretty well. This suit fits well, which is amazing... I'm impossible to fit. All broad shoulders and top-heavy, no hips to speak of whatsoever. So most women's clothes don't work very well for me.

Anyway, best of luck. 🙂
Carbon
 
I was just at Target and they have suits there!! They weren't bad either, I didn't try them on (because I already blew $200 for a suit and couldn't bear the thought of an equally good suit for about $75) but they seemed pretty well cut. They only had three colors: black, dark grey and light grey, but they had different style jackets and skirts and pants to mix and match. Probably the cheapest way to get a suit.
 
Let me first thank you all for all your replies. You are all so damn wonderful...I am ecstatic! Read on......

Right after I created this thread, I started doing a search on all the different STYLES of suits they have. I fell in love with one particular style. It's hard to describe--longer jacket, almost going to the knee, single breasted, longer collar and 3 buttons in the front. It really looks kind of like riding-coats or men's tuxes, exccept the front part is long too....it doesn't just stop at the waist. Does that make sense?

It's a long classic look, apparently. So I fell in love with this style and I had to get one similar to this. I searched every damn place in this town for the last 2 days (I was so busy I couldn't even check SDN for over 40 hours :laugh: ), and still could not find one anywhere. I was just about to give up today when my feet were aching, my eyes were sore and I was so damn tired of changing into new suits and back into my old clothes....I decided to go to Nordstroms and got myself a 300 dollars suit. My fiance (God bless his soul) was quite happy with the way it looked on me but I did not feel comfortable...did not feel...myself. It was a simple black suit. Nothing new/different about it. It didn't say...TWEETIE!!

I put my money down, reserved it, and felt so depressed that I couldn't find a single one that seemed to match my taste....still, after reserving it I decided to give it one more shot at the Nordstrom Rack.

OH MY GOD.

Two point five seconds after I walked in, I saw THE SUIT.....the first one was my size, I pulled it out and ran into the fitting room before my fiance grabbed hold of my purse and WOOOSH...it was on me. Like a well-fitting glove on a hand (and we're not talking the O.J fitting "snug" type either :laugh: ). I remember Ma! saying that I should buy something that speaks to my personality, and not compromise and this suit is it. I felt so good in it, like I'm worth a million bucks. (Gosh I sound vain).

And the thing only cost me 120 bucks (WITH altering etc).

God bless you all. We can now have a good holiday season afterall!

Tweetie
 
what color?
what to wear under the jacket?
shoes?

do tell!
 
:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

Congrats to a diehard shopper to not giving up and coming home with the kill!

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
 
Tweetie, congrats on finding YOUR suit! And what a great deal! Oh, the joys of shopping! Glad to hear that your persistence paid off and you came out a winner. Go treat yourself to a foot massage this weekend (i know exactly how your feet feel since i just got back myself from another round of shopping tonight)! 🙂
 
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