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Stara has a question about suiting:
As you may have noticed (not at all due to my incessant mentioning of this fact), I am an attorney. And I have been informed by an inside contact that I will likely soon be contacted by an ultra conservative employer regarding an interview. For which I honestly need a new suit. The last “interview” suit I bought was nearly 6 years ago, and it is showing it’s age.
My query is this- I am 27. How do I buy an interview suit that is both job appropriate and does not betray my age? I don’t particularly want to plop down $400 on a suit I will never want to wear again. I’m willing to spend a fair amount of cash so long as it is on something I actually like, and not something I feel forced into buying.
I think Stara has exactly the right attitude here: she wants a suit that will make her look professional and competent, but she doesn’t want to go into the interview pretending to be someone she’s not. And she absolutely wants to come out of this with a new job AND a suit that she can actually WEAR to the new job, something that will work with her current closet.
That sounds like a big request, but it’s actually fairly simple, as long as she keeps a few things in mind as she shops.
Suit available at Ann Taylor
The basic rules of suit shopping are …
Work the pieces.
Look for a suit that has pants AND a skirt — and then buy them BOTH. This gives you the most possible flexibility; you can wear the skirt to the interview, the pants to the office, and you can break the pieces up and mix them with other things (skirt with a sweater, pants with a different jacket, etc).
Alternatively, look for a skirt that has a dress component, instead of (or in addition to) the skirt. Shift dresses are back for fall 2008, and they are a great addition to your suiting wardrobe. A shift dress is more versatile than you might imagine; you can wear it with the suit jacket, or with a cardigan, or on it’s own. Wear it with boots and a denim jacket for more casual days, or with wee flats and a funky necklace when the weather is warm.
Keep it light and neutral.
Look for a tropical, or three-season, wool in a neutral color or pattern. This is not the time to buy that pink suit you’ve had your eye on, nor it is the time to go with a metallic herringbone tweed. Your suit is a building block, and it needs to serve as a kind of well-fitting blank canvas. You can add accessories later to brighten the look, but the suit itself needs to be fairly subdued.
Remember that neutral does NOT necessarily mean black. Navy, charcoal, brown and taupe are all useful neutrals. Choose a shade that compliments your hair and skin.
Keep patterns simple and classic. A subtle pinstripe can be flattering and interesting, as can a nice herringbone tweed. This is not the time to experiment with bold graphic prints; in fact, I will go out on a limb and say that there is really NEVER a time for a bold graphic print on a suit. If you want something dramatic with your suit, add a graphic print blouse or some print shoes or a fabulous scarf. The suit, however, should be the backdrop, not the focus.
Think carefully about shape.
Choose a style that works for your body. In general, look for a jacket with a fairly high stance; the top button on the jacket should hit just above the band of your bra, at the lowest. A three-button jacket is the most universally flattering — and please, when you try the suit on BUTTON THE JACKET. Even if you won’t wear it that way for the interview, you need to test the fit, and the only way to be sure it fits across the shoulders and through the chest is to button up.
Suit skirts come both in a classic pencil shape and in slightly more flared A line shapes. If you have wider hips, look for an A-line; if you are slim through the hips, consider a pencil skirt. No matter what silhouette you choose, keep it slim and simple; it is fine to look for a skirt with a slightly more feminine edge, but this is not the time or place for a big ballet skirt.
Your hemline, for a skirt or dress, should hit just at the knee (slightly above if you are petite, slightly below if you are tall). If you are someone who wears flats most of the time, opt for a slightly shorter hemline (just above the knee) regardless of your height; look for pointy flats to wear for an interview. Pants should be hemmed for the heel height you will wear most often; do not try to wear flats AND heels with the same pants. Again, flats are fine for an interview, but pointy toed flats are a little dressier.
Balance classic and trendy.
The suit has gotten a bad rap in the past decade, primarily because for so long, women’s suits were skirted versions of men’s suits, which wasn’t a good look on anyone. Suiting options for women are so much better now, with shapes and fabrics that are feminine and professional all at once. This year, the retro 60s suit is everywhere, with shorter sleeved jackets and flared skirts. I love these suits, but I would suggest that Stara think carefully about buying a suit that is so very of THIS moment for her interview. Instead, she can look for modern interpretations of the classic suit — an A-line skirt rather than a very straight skirt, for example, or a boxier jacket rather than one that is tailored like a man’s jacket. But the suit should not be the focus; if an interviewer can’t see past what you’re wearing to see what you can bring to the office, you’ve chosen the wrong suit.
Coming Tuesday: where to shop for suits, and what to wear under them.
This entry was posted on Friday, February 8th, 2008 at 1:55 pm and is filed under basics.
Tags: accessories, Ann Taylor, closet, feminine, flats, herringbone, interview, jacket, scarf, shoes, suit, Target, tweed
February 8th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
I am soooo looking forward to Tuesday’s post b/c I am wanting to buy a suit in the next few months.
Do you have any specific recommendations on suits that are washable and do not have to be dry cleaned? At this stage in my life, I would get much more use out of something washable vs. dry clean only.
February 8th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
OOOH! A multi-parter. I feel so loved!
Anyway, I definitely need to be thinking about buying all 3 pieces. I never do that, and it’s kind of a waste not to. It just makes it a bigger investment, so it’s harder to stomach the expenditure. But I think I am definitely going to do that.
Also, I really love that J.Crew suiting dress (I know YOU know the one), but I can’t decide which jacket shape looks best. It’s hard because they don’t have the entire suiting collection in stores. I may just buy several jackets and return what doesn’t work.
And dare I say there is no such thing as a wash and wear suit. I’m sorry! I just don’t think suits are amenable to washing because they have so much structure. I am, however, a big advocate of the Brooks Brothers no iron shirts. You really can wash them and they really do look dry cleaned fresh from the dryer. They are amazing!
February 8th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Susan, I am going to butt in here and give my $.02 on Merry’s question. Because I’m like that.
Merry: I would say to you that a good-quality suit that’s going to last is ALWAYS going to be dry-clean only. Sorry. If it’s machine washable, it’s not the right fabric/quality for such an investment piece. That said, I have had good luck with Dryel (the home kit that allows you to “freshen” dry-clean only pieces in the dryer) and it’s much cheaper than going to the dry cleaner. Really, a blazer isn’t going to need cleaning very often, and barring an actual stain, a skirt or pants will do fine with home freshening, as well.
February 8th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Stara and Mir beat me to it, but I will say it anyway: wash-and-wear suits are a big NO. The fabric is an important part of the suit, and any fabric that can be washed is NOT nice enough for a really great suit.
HOWEVER, there is no reason to dry clean your suit EVERY time you wear it. If you spill on it or if you go somewhere particularly smoky, it will probably need cleaning, but normal daily wear shouldn’t land you at the cleaners more than every few months.
I’m not a fan of the Dryel, for two reasons: one is that the dryer is hard on your clothes, even in the Dryel bag, and the other is that the smell of the chemicals bothers me. I prefer to hang dry clean pieces in an open space to air them out (I use the shower curtain rod in my kids’ bathroom). If I’ve been to a restaurant or anyplace with lingering smells (ever notice how Starbucks can leave you smelling like coffee?) I will spritz lightly with Febreeze. I usually hang things to air overnight and then return to my closet.
February 8th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
I remember returning from my semester abroad after my first year of law school and forcing my mother to go with me to find a black skirt suit. Never mind that I had worked in DC for 3 years and was overrun with every other color/type of suit. Our career services office insisted that we should probably go with a black skirt suit during the first round of interviews.
I think that rule is lame (mainly because I abhor a black skirt suit 99% of the time), but I also think it still comes into play in conservative professions like the law. My former roommate worked in advertising, and she wore the cutest, funkiest suit to an interview once. I know you could never get away with that in the legal profession. What I’m rambling on to say is–I think you also need to consider the type of profession you are interested in when suit shopping. Creative types can get away with a much edgier suit than someone interviewing at Big Law.
Good luck with the interview, Stara! Y’all are just a interviewing/suit buying (or not depending on your shopping fast) household right now.
February 8th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
If need be, I will break the fast for this. But I don’t think it counts.
And I just can’t bring myself to buy another boring black wool crepe suit. HATE BLACK SUITS!
February 8th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
How about what to wear *over* a suit? That is something I have no clue about.
February 9th, 2008 at 2:00 am
My small bit of advice — try on your full interview outfit, with shoes, the day before, and walk around in it. Make sure it’s comfortable to sit and stand in!
February 9th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
oh yay! i have a hard time finding suits that fit - so i am very excited to see where you come up with places to buy them! i am TALL (5′10″) and um… wear a larger size than 14 which seems to be the max on suites at department stores (all the ‘plus size’ suites look like what grandma would wear to church - not what one would wear to an interview!!) so if you can include some larger/tall places to get suites i will be SO! EXCITED!!!
February 10th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
For larger size high quality suits:
Talbot’s (good internet selection and classic styling).
Macy’s and Saks 5th avenue have good women’s departments.
February 12th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
I’d just like to point out that I, too, am an attorney and right now Ann Taylor is having a terrific sale on suiting - 50% off the jacket if you buy the full-price pant and/or skirt. In addition, they have a 20% off coupon running right now SO you can get what is normally a $400 suit for $200 or so. I bought three.
February 16th, 2008 at 5:20 am
[...] - Suiting Up: What to Wear to a Job Interview [...]
February 22nd, 2008 at 12:17 am
Susan, another question about caring for your suits (and other dry clean only pants and skirts) - what about ironing? I hang my clothes up when I take them off, but I still feel like they need to be pressed before I wear them again. Am I nuts to do this much ironing?