May 11, 2010

What To Look For In A Woman’s Business Suit

pocket of a black business suit

Note the pocket details before buying the suit.

lapel of a black buisness suit

If the seams pucker, don't buy the suit.

cuff of a black business suit

Make sure the buttons on the sleeve are neat, and have no loose threads hanging.

details on a black suit jacket

Inspect the general details and stitching, before buying the suit.

There are several things you should inspect when you buy a woman’s business suit. Just because the price tag is high, it may not be the best business attire for you. It goes with out saying that the suit should of course be fully lined. And super cheap quality lining will sooner or later rip, so stay away from that. Check the wrinkle factor of the suit material by grabbing  a part of the suit with one hand and crunch it all up with your fist – when you let go and the fabric falls out of your hand, you will see how wrinkle prone the material is. (Wool blends don’t wrinkle much; linen wrinkles a lot.) Inspect the seams at the lapels and the pockets – if anything looks less then perfect, don’t buy it. If you see a loose thread, pull it and see what happens. If there are too many loose threads, don’t buy it. Check the suit’s seams for any puckers (especially around the shoulder). If there are any puckers at all, ask the sales associate to steam them out – but if the puckers can’t be steamed out easily, it means the stitching was not done right to begin with when it was sewn, so don’t buy it. Inspect the buttons at the bottom of the sleeve to make sure they are neat and straight. Last, when you wear the business suit, look and see that the lining doesn’t poke out lower than the hem line at the edge of the  sleeves or at the bottom of the suit jacket.

June 14, 2008

Plan Mix And Match Work Outfits When You Shop

Be a smart girl and get the most mix and match outfits for your shopping money. Think ahead. Don’t just jump on one lovely garment, that you just must have. Look around and see what else goes with it. Sometimes the designers make it easy for us by purposely creating outfits that that meant to be re-combined, like these classy ensembles of dresses with suit jackets from St. John. But other times we have to search around the store to match our business suits up. Do bother the sales staff to help you match things up – they usually enjoy helping shoppers creating outfits.