Suit Shopping

I cringed at the idea of suit shopping. I knew, out of all the pieces I’m seeking for the summer, it would take longest to find a suit that fit me in both the fashion and physical sense. But I knew that my suit would become the most vital piece of my professional wardrobe: all of my shirts, shoes, and accessories would be chosen based on its styling.

Now, before I went anywhere, the first thing I did was get the specifics on the dress code. My recruiter informed me that business professional dress was expected Monday through Thursday, but that can have a variety of meanings. At finance and accounting firms, this means skirt suits only in black or navy and light button downs. Other organizations would gladly welcome Hilary Clinton and her technicolor pantsuits. I found my company’s dress code online and verified it with the recruiter, and it turns out they have a rather casual interpretation of business professional. Suits and dresses were the “preferred” dress, but separates and dressy sweaters are considered “acceptable. ” As an intern, I want to show that I take the position seriously and therefore want to be in a blazer for three out of the four days of business dress each week.

But I still wasn’t ready to start shopping. I needed to define exactly what I was looking for to give my shopping trip some sense of guidance. I needed to ensure that I could integrate it with my existing business casual pieces and make sure the styling and color were appropriate for weekly wear. Here are my qualifications:

• Shape – I’ll be wearing the suit regularly, so something traditional is best. Trendy jackets, ruffles, and embellishment make it obvious that I’m repeating the same pieces. But if you’re interviewing in a style-oriented field like graphic design, you might look for some of these embellishments. And while I love jackets with a standing collar, it doesn’t remedy my case of linebacker shoulder. Therefore, a traditional lapel is best for me.
• Color – I have a lot of black with my business casual pieces, so I’ll probably go with that. However, I’m also open to grey or light brown since they’re more appropriate for the season.
• Skirts or Pants – I prefer pants. Skirts hang funny on my frame because my spine is curved, but they would be more comfortable in warm weather, so I’m open to trying them.
• Material – It’ll be too hot for wool and linen takes too much effort to keep pressed. A polyester blend would keep both ironing and costs to a minimum and a bit of spandex would keep me comfortable. Something with a thicker weave will better endure more wear and tear.
• Price – Most department stores offer suits for under $180, so I’m hoping to find one at that price point. But if I have trouble with fit, I may have to try a name brand store and shell out about $220.

And I’m finally ready to head out. I started my search at TJMaxx, and found racks full of Calvin Klein and Tahari suits in black and grey – for $79! I snatched up every style in my size and headed for the dressing room. And subsequently became very disappointed. My body is a better match for the juniors section, while the suits had a more mature, women’s cut.

So I headed to the junior’s section of major department stores and trend stores. And while the prices were low, but, in many cases, so was quality. JCPenney did carry two sleek, classic suits at $26.99 and $50, but the material wasn’t quite as heavy as I was looking for. I was also tempted by two suits at Charlotte Russe. The quality was good, considering the full suits cost about $70, but I wasn’t able to find something that didn’t have some sort of lace, ruffles, or short sleeve.

At this point I got worried about being able to stick to my budget, so I decided to give the outlet malls a shot. I’ve had friends recommend Banana Republic, J. Crew, and Ann Taylor Loft, but I wanted to try their outlet stores first to see if I could nab a deal. It was by far the most frustrating experience I’ve had suit shopping thus far. There wasn’t a suit to be found at most of these stores. And the suits I did find at the Banana Republic outlet felt like cheap fabric – they reminded me of the blue disposable shorts Campus Health provides for sports med visits. I later learned that outlets sometimes carry lower quality versions of their merchandise to create the illusion of a bargain. I can deal with that for a blouse or accessories. But in a suit, I need the real deal.

So, I went to the real store. Sure enough, at the regular Banana Republic store, the suits seemed thicker and sturdier. Their styles were a bit more conservative than I was hoping for, but I was just relieved to have viable options. I had similar luck and White House Black Market, The Limited, and Talbots. I found suits that were almost my style and had an ok fit.

But, I truly hit the jackpot at Express. I found a blazer that I loved that came in five colors and could be matched with two types of trousers (available in petite, regular and tall) or a pencil skirt. For once, clothes fit perfectly off the rack and at $98 for blazers and $59 for bottoms, it was within my original budget. But, I shopped on President’s Day weekend, and they had two promotions – Buy One Get One Half Off for all merchandise, and save $15 for every $75 you spend. I ended up being able to put together two suits for only $210, and decided to buy one as a black pantsuit and the other as a light brown skirt suit.

Next week I’ll start looking at separates – blazers, slacks, skirts, and dresses to mix and match with my suit pieces.

What about you? Where have you found suits? Leave a comment or send me an email with your questions and comments and I’ll share your ideas on my blog!