Ladies....where did you get your business suit?

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Lady23

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I posted this under blogs as well since I am a first time user and did not know the difference.

I've been looking for a business suit and seem to be having a difficult time finding one. I've looked at Macy's, Nordstroms, Ann Taylor, Express, Banana Republic, H&M, Gap, Club Monaco, etc. My problem is the suit fits me but are too big in the chest area...and if I go with a size smaller the chest area fits but hugs my waist. Anyways as far as an undershirt, do you wear a button up, long sleeve collared shirt? Does the collar belong above or below the suit jacket? I've tried wearing it above the suit jacket and I look like a man! Can you wear a white shirt underneath? Thanks so much.....I can't believe how hard it is to find a basic black suit for females is!
 
Lady23 said:
I posted this under blogs as well since I am a first time user and did not know the difference.

I've been looking for a business suit and seem to be having a difficult time finding one. I've looked at Macy's, Nordstroms, Ann Taylor, Express, Banana Republic, H&M, Gap, Club Monaco, etc. My problem is the suit fits me but are too big in the chest area...and if I go with a size smaller the chest area fits but hugs my waist. Anyways as far as an undershirt, do you wear a button up, long sleeve collared shirt? Does the collar belong above or below the suit jacket? I've tried wearing it above the suit jacket and I look like a man! Can you wear a white shirt underneath? Thanks so much.....I can't believe how hard it is to find a basic black suit for females is!
Click to expand...

Sounds like you need a tailor. You've looked in all the right places (I got my suit at Nordstrom--Anne Klein), but you have to remember that a suit is an investment and it should fit well--this will rarely happen off the rack. And what do you mean by "hug your waist"? This sounds like a good thing to me...you certainly don't want a frumpy suit.

I usually wear a collared shirt, but the options are very open for women these days. I also wear my collar on top of the jacket (I do this with my white coat too 🙂), but I don't actually know the proper etiquette here...I'm a little wacky and just like to do my own thing. You can do a white shirt, but that's very boring--you want to stand out a little. Also, you might want to broaden your suit search and don't limit yourself to just black. Black is very harsh and few can truly pull it off. Try a deep brown or gray.
 
I tried on probably more than 10 suits and finally found one in United color of Benetton on a sale for only half price. (black with loose pin stripes) total came out less than $100 for a quality set. i like the tailored look so my jacket fits right at the shoulder and snug at the waist. so instead of button the jacket up, i left it open with a white dress shirt (nicely pressed so the collars stood up and stayed inside) with a blue-gray v-neck vest. i think by having the jacket un-bunttoned it toned down the harsh look and allowed me to be more comfortable during the interview. make sure you get your sleeves and pants tailored to the perfect length.. you dont want to look slouchy.
If you have Zara or MNG in your area, check them out too. they have some pretty decently priced ones with nice cuttings.. but harder to find matching pants.
 
also... banana republic has a petite section ... check them out even if you dont think you are petite (i'm 5'6" but finds the petite stuff fit better sometimes)..i think the suits might not be as big-chested....
 
All of my suits are from The Limited! I'm so lucky!!! I can sew...therefore, i have no problem getting it to fit me perfectly 🙂

I would get them altered if they don't fit you accordingly 😛
 
i bought my shirt and a black skirt from express. i didn't like the suit jackets there, so i ended up buying mine at macy's junior section and got the sleeves shortened a little.
 
I had the same problem when I tried on suits, I'm a size 14/16, so the discount stores don't really have anything my size. I ended up finding a nice Jones New York suit at JC Penney, and its a longer cut so it ended up fitting very well, no tailoring needed. The pants that came with it were bad though, so I bought a pair of pants and a nice shirt at Nordstroms. My suit was also 50% off at JC Penney.
 
I would suggest not black if you want to stand out a little. Most everyone was wearing black, it kind of looked like a funeral especially because everyone was so quiet and looked scared for the first hour. The people I think stood out were wearing gray or pinstripes even a few women in brown.
 
Thank you guys so much for the info on business suits. I didn't know that you could wear suits other than black. This helps me out tremendously, since I thought that you were not suppose to stand out as far as your outfit is concern. I will definitely start looking at gray suits as well. Wish me luck tomorrow when I go to Los Angeles and shop at the outlet! I have been looking for two weeks now and would like to focus on my interview questions!😀
 
Lady23 said:
I posted this under blogs as well since I am a first time user and did not know the difference.

I've been looking for a business suit and seem to be having a difficult time finding one. I've looked at Macy's, Nordstroms, Ann Taylor, Express, Banana Republic, H&M, Gap, Club Monaco, etc. My problem is the suit fits me but are too big in the chest area...and if I go with a size smaller the chest area fits but hugs my waist. Anyways as far as an undershirt, do you wear a button up, long sleeve collared shirt? Does the collar belong above or below the suit jacket? I've tried wearing it above the suit jacket and I look like a man! Can you wear a white shirt underneath? Thanks so much.....I can't believe how hard it is to find a basic black suit for females is!
Click to expand...

I went shopping today and saw some good ones at Banana Republic and they had several different styles, which looked like they could tailor pretty easily. Some JCpenny's around here have free tailoring when you buy a suit from them.
 
Mine is from La Redoute a catalog/online French store.
 
I wear suits everyday so I have a ton of them. I love Limited suits. They have a travel suit that you can just throw in the washer (no dry cleaning!!). I don't wear button up shirts because it makes you look bulky under your suit. I wear cami's/shells underneath. The limited has a lot of them. I know someone said you can wear something other than black but if you don't have a suit- a simple black pin stripe is a great first suit. You can wear it anywhere and wear pretty much any shirt under it.

Macy's always has great suit sales. I have a few suits from there and I paid $60 for them. At that price, you can afford to have them altered. I have noticed the quality isn't as good.

Ann Taylor suits are wonderful but pricey.
 
i have a black suit and a grey suit, both from express, and i am a very petite female. i had my suit jackets tailored in the bosom area, and the pants tightened in the leg area. looks great on. i wear it with a pair of nice heels b/c it helps me walk with more confidence. height adds to your appearance a lot.

a pharm student told me they took a course on proper interview attire, and supposedly dark navy is what they suggest. i don't like to wear collared shirts underneath b/c it is very uncomfortable having to deal with the neck area and the shirt untucking on accident. so i go for a lightweight round neck sweater either white, cream, or black to go with my conventional blk suit. i was told it is not good to stand out too much, so don't go with any light colored suit...that was also advice given from the pharm course.

hope that helps.
 
Hi everyone,
I want to wear a pencil skirt suit rather than the traditional pant suit- it's more flattering on figure bc I'm really short. But I also don't know if it's okay... anyone know?
Thanks!!
 
gldvue said:
Hi everyone,
I want to wear a pencil skirt suit rather than the traditional pant suit- it's more flattering on figure bc I'm really short. But I also don't know if it's okay... anyone know?
Thanks!!
Click to expand...

I think it's fine to wear a skirt/suit, as long as the skirt is not higher than a inch or two above your knee.
 
CPhTtoPharmD said:
I would suggest not black if you want to stand out a little. Most everyone was wearing black, it kind of looked like a funeral especially because everyone was so quiet and looked scared for the first hour. The people I think stood out were wearing gray or pinstripes even a few women in brown.
Click to expand...

almost everyone was wearing black @ my interview. I got mine tailored. You should check out The Limited!
 
Talbot

And I was surprised that I didn't need tailoring on mine because usually nothing fits me well....and I'm 5'2".
 
Just got mine today! Navy blue with cream stitching at the collar from Ann Taylor Loft. I got some brown crocodile-print Bandolino's at Macy's to go with... The pants are being altered, but the jacket fits just fine. Love the petite section! I'll wear a cami underneath.

I definitely recommend taking your suit to the tailor for that perfect fit.
 
Hey yeah, I bought my suit from Dillards, but I had to get it altered a bit since I am short...mine was a light charcoal color, really pretty and had this shiny button. haha The fit otherwise is really good. They have some good suits..I guess if you are in an area with Dillards! I'm not sure if they have those everywhere..
 
gldvue said:
Hi everyone,
I want to wear a pencil skirt suit rather than the traditional pant suit- it's more flattering on figure bc I'm really short. But I also don't know if it's okay... anyone know?
Thanks!!
Click to expand...

I'm also short and for my pharm school interview, I wore a pants suit, but now when I go on job interviews I wear a skirt suit and I think the skirt suit fits better. To me, it's more professional and my mom also said that skirt suits are better for women and are also more feminine. But I think it's up to you as long as you are comfortable and exude confidence.
 
Is a suit really necessary? Are their any other good alternatives such as a pencil skirt and a very nice shirt? If everything goes right, I'd be interviewing in the summer and a suit just doen't seem practical.
 
pharmacyanalyst said:
I think it's fine to wear a skirt/suit, as long as the skirt is not higher than a inch or two above your knee.
Click to expand...

I wore a black/white matched jacket and skirt suit - small nubby print with a plain white shirt underneath. The skirt had just a little bit of flare to it and hit me right below the knee. I probably stood out just a bit since I wasn't in a solid color suit, but it was a very conservative suit otherwise. To me the really important thing is to wear something that you feel confident in - if you don't like black, don't wear black!
 
gensin said:
Just got mine today! Navy blue with cream stitching at the collar from Ann Taylor Loft. I got some brown crocodile-print Bandolino's at Macy's to go with... The pants are being altered, but the jacket fits just fine. Love the petite section! I'll wear a cami underneath.

I definitely recommend taking your suit to the tailor for that perfect fit.
Click to expand...

I second Ann Taylor Loft - they have quite a few nice business things, and if you can find things on sale they have really good sales. The other great thing is that they aren't two piece suits, so (as the OP needs) you can buy the size top and bottom that fit you. And, for all of us short ladies, they have a good petite selection.
 
So do you wear your hair up in a pony tail or a bun, down, or half up?
 
I always base it on what I'm wearing and how I'm feeling at the time. It might be up sometimes, other times down.

Is wearing your hair down not professional?
 
hey guys! i just got a suit today, but the only question i have is, should you take a purse or not? i mean does a purse look good or bad?

i would really like some feedback, bc i have an interview Saturday and i am not sure about taking one or not! \

Thanks!
 
i wore a black skirted suit. to bring out some color, i wore a light purple shirt.
 
hey all
I think nyandcompany is the best store for suits, they are nice, fit well, and are not as expensive as the ones in stores like Macys. Also, they have more modern fits, not as stuffy as some suits are.
😀
 
I'm very petite (about 4'10"-11" or so) so my biggest concern was finding an interview suit. I found a size 0P at Nordstrom (petites section), and I saw some others as I was browsing after I bought my first suit. You may just find one or two of those out there, if you're lucky 🙂
 
I love Ann Taylor petites because it fits me perfectly and they have size 00.

I live near an Ann Talor outlet store... so I have about 5 suits from them.

My favorite is brown with cream pinstripes, however I didn't wear that to my interview because my brown shoes need to be re-heeled.

Instead, I wore a beautiful dark grey with very subtle lilac pinstripes.

I wore a white slightly textured button down shirt with it- very classic, collar out and a camel belted trench (it was cold).

I regretted wearing the button down, though because it kept coming untucked (even with a belt). Next interview I will wear a pretty white cami with a small amount of lace.

I brought a fairly large purse, so that I could put my portfolio away.

Hair down.
SMALL diamond earings and my lucky necklace that my late grandmother gave me over 20 years ago, so that she could be a part of it.
Subtle makeup.
NO PERFUME!

Make sure your shoes are clean and not scuffed. Shoes say a lot about the person. Whatever you do... wear a suit- anything else looks lackadaisical.
And make sure your pants aren't dragging on the floor (seriously- I've seen it) and NO cleavage (witnessed that as well). Finally, if you need to use a safety pin -make sure it doesn't show!! Have someone else check to make sure you look put together!

Best of luck!
 
Lane Bryant is a good choice for the big n' beautiful.
 
I just got one from JCPenney this past weekend. It doesn't fit very well (I'm 6' tall, nothing really does) but it's close enough. I hope.

I don't plan to bring a purse, but I'll have a writing pad and a pen for questions, and it has a pocket that I can put ID and the like into. I tend to think it looks more professional. *Shrug* Have to make up for the ill-fitting suit somehow.
 
H & M is a great place to buy affordable, professional attire and it looks damned good too.
 
I have a suit but would it be appropriate to wear a printed skirt with a blazer?

Also, where are the super thin girls getting suits?
 
cuedee said:
I have a suit but would it be appropriate to wear a printed skirt with a blazer?

Also, where are the super thin girls getting suits?
Click to expand...
I bought two different suits, one at Banana Republic (which I opted not to wear) and one at Express (which I wore). I had a hard time finding suits in very small sizes. I cannot wear petite sizes because I am 5'5".

What type of print is the skirt? I only saw one or two people wearing skirts on interview day and they were pin-striped skirts.
 
Lady23 said:
I posted this under blogs as well since I am a first time user and did not know the difference.

I've been looking for a business suit and seem to be having a difficult time finding one. I've looked at Macy's, Nordstroms, Ann Taylor, Express, Banana Republic, H&M, Gap, Club Monaco, etc. My problem is the suit fits me but are too big in the chest area...and if I go with a size smaller the chest area fits but hugs my waist. Anyways as far as an undershirt, do you wear a button up, long sleeve collared shirt? Does the collar belong above or below the suit jacket? I've tried wearing it above the suit jacket and I look like a man! Can you wear a white shirt underneath? Thanks so much.....I can't believe how hard it is to find a basic black suit for females is!
Click to expand...

I bought a suit at JCPenney for less than $100 and a suit I put together at Forever 21 for $60! Forever 21 rocks!!! 😎
 
I've had to purchase several suits in the past and yes it can be a pain in the butt. I'm not sure how tall you are, but I'm 5'5" and I can pull off wearing a petite and it fits so much better. My problem is that the jacket is always too big so buying a petite the problem is solved. I hope this helps.
 
leochick said:
I bought two different suits, one at Banana Republic (which I opted not to wear) and one at Express (which I wore). I had a hard time finding suits in very small sizes. I cannot wear petite sizes because I am 5'5".

What type of print is the skirt? I only saw one or two people wearing skirts on interview day and they were pin-striped skirts.
Click to expand...


Geometric print.
 
If you have an Off Sak's 5th Avenue outlet nearby, I highly suggest shopping for your suit there. I'm 5'3 and also have trouble finding suits that fit. I found that brands like Theory and Tahari make sizes 00 and 0P that fit incredibly well. Theory and Tahari also have their stand-alone retail stores if you want more options.

Question for you ladies: Would a knee length black w/ subtle white pin-stripe skirt that slits in the back work well with a plain black suit jacket? I plan on wearing a white collar shirt with a black sweater underneath the jacket. I have an interview in Philly soon and it'll be cold so I was going to wear dark brown boots with it. Do you think this combo would work well? 😕
 
I'm ~5', got my suit at Macy's-->after looking at pretty all the stores at the mall. Didn't even have to get it tailored-fits perfectly. So i would highly recommend looking at Macy's again.
 
I'm not going with a uniform color. My jacket is black, but my pants are gray with stripes. It actually looks really good and apparently that is the style now (according to What Not to Wear lol). I never would have thought of it but when my mom suggested it I tried it and found out it suits me nice, no pun intended
 
you know this thread is no good unless there are pictures 😛
 
Im 5'10 or taller and size 2. =(((
In my case, I could not find a suit with pants that would be long enough.
Some brands (banana republic, for example) only sell TALL sizes online and I did not have time for that.

After a good week of shopping, I ended up buying black pants from Gap and black jacket from H&M.
So I looked like 75% of other interviewees because I was wearing BLACK.

PS. I would suggest H&M to those who are shopping for suits -> they have plenty in many colors and styles! But no TALL sizes, only regular.
 
I would say Dillards....got mine there for ~$280 it fit perfectly

👍Dillards is the best👍
 
I got a nice pinstripe skirt suit at loehmann's for ~$120 (calvin klein).. it was on sale!

Also, I got a nice pantsuit from H&M ~$65 on sale again!

I've alternated between wearing pastel blue, very light pastel pink, and white collared shirts inside. I got all these shirts from Banana Republic Outlet.

My shoes, I got from Marshall's $25. Yep, on sale, too!
 
JCPenny's is a pretty good place to go to as well. they sell seperates so its easier to find the right sizes. I got two suits and shirt for 65 dollars.. if you wait till the weekends they usually have their big sales and you can get and extra percentage off.
 
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