How to buy the suit that's right for you
By Diana Pemberton Sikes
Well, it's official: the business suit, pushed to the back of the closet during the dot com era, is now back in a big way.
Suits instantly establish authority, setting the tone for serious business like no other apparel can. This traditional uniform is giving wearers an advantage in this uncertain economy, allowing them to "one up" their competitors who have remained in casual mode. If you're looking to stand out from the crowd, a suit might benefit you as well.
Now for those of you who like the simplicity of suits and found the whole business casual thing as complicated to follow as your teenager's love life, this news is probably the best you've received all week.
But for those of you who aren't "suit people,"
who only wear suits on occasion, or who joined the work force during the dot com era when suit was a four-letter word, I can feel your neck muscles tensing from here. Don't stress. It's not as bad as all that.
In fact, with a little information, you'll be able to navigate the whole scene easily.
Here are a few guidelines:
- The Occasional Wearer
If you find you need a suit occasionally for job interviews, meetings with higher ups, conventions, and the like, your best choice is a simple single breasted suit in a dark neutral color (black, brown, navy) that best suits your skin tone. Keep it simple, classic, well fitting, and in a durable fabric like wool or gabardine, and you'll be able to wear it for years to come.
It's a one-size-fits-all ensemble that's universally accepted and will take you effortlessly across many venues, from an interview in North Carolina to dinner in London to a convention in Hong Kong. Just change the blouse, top, or sweater you wear with it to see you through any of these situations. And remember, you CAN wear the pieces separately with other things - just remember to have them dry cleaned together so that they're chemically treated the same amount.
Opt for a skirt instead of pants if you have to choose. Skirts are almost always accepted while pants have some restrictions, depending on the established norms of any given place or situation. Some judges will not allow female attorneys into their courtroom wearing pants, for example. Some businesses don't allow their female employees to wear pants at all. So if you have to choose, get the skirt. If your budget allows and you prefer pants, get both.
Again, a classic style in a dark neutral color will take you just about anywhere for years to come. It's a great investment for the occasional suit wearer.
- The Creative Type
Now if what I just described has you envisioning a straight jacket instead of a suit jacket, chances are pretty good that you don't work in a traditional field like law, accounting, or banking, where such a uniform is the norm. Are you a creative type, perchance, into design?
Marketing? Art?
Then by all means choose a suit with a bit more flair - so long as you stay in your own backyard, so to speak. Creative types admire the fashion flair of other creative types, so indulge yourself with a suit that has a bit more interest, like unusual design details, an untraditional jacket, a not-so-neutral color, etc. when dealing with others in creative fields.
But if your business routinely takes you into the "traditional zone" where you interface with people in traditional fields, opt for a traditional suit and put your creativity into your accessories, via scarves, unusual pins, trendy bags and shoes, etc., to be more relatable to your traditional audience.
- Needs The Authority But Not The Suit
If you have absolutely no reason to buy a suit but would like the occasional authority a suit brings, get a classic, single-breasted jacket in a dark neutral that compliments your skin tone.
Wear it over a dress, with a skirt and top, with jeans, etc. for that touch of authority you sometimes need when dealing with others.
For example, a reader once wrote to ask what to wear to occasional meetings with her boss. She worked in the student center of a university, wore jeans or khakis to work as called for by her job description, but then found herself out of sorts when her boss would call her for an impromptu meeting with other higher ups. What could she put on at a moment's notice that would take her into the "admin zone?"
A jacket. I recommended that she keep it in her office or car and put it on any time she needed to establish authority. You can do the same.
Wearing a suit (or parts thereof) should not be a complicated venture. Just choose a classic style in a solid neutral color that blends with the other pieces in your wardrobe, and you'll have a wardrobe staple that you can wear again and again for years to come. Don't let suit be a four-letter word in your book. Use it to maximum effect to raise your image and put you ahead of your competition.
About The Author
Diana Pemberton-Sikes is a wardrobe and image consultant and author of Wardrobe Magic, an ebook that shows women how to transform their unruly closets into workable, wearable wardrobes. Visit her online at www.fashionforrealwomen.com. Need some other tips and tricks? Pick up a copy of Wardrobe Magic.
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