Here are some examples of simple but classic plus size dresses that would work really well with the “suit dress” look. These dresses have clean lines and simple cuts, and would make a great work outfit. Put a classic black suit jacket over this dress and you’ll have a really nice casual business look. Your business attire wardrobe should consist of casual work clothes as well as formal women’s business suits. And having a couple of simple but classic dresses like these to wear under a suit jacket, gives more options to what you can do with your business suit.

I found these pretty dresses at OverStock.com

Some days you just don’t feel like wearing a conventional woman’s business suit. One alternative would be to wear a “suit dress”. Put on a straight, “pencil skirt type” dress, with a pair of smart pumps. If it comes with a matching suit jacket, then buy it too. If it doesn’t, then throw on a jacket from one of your standard woman’s business suits, and wear the jacket with the dress as suit separates. Black or charcoal gray suit jackets could be your reliable staple for this “suit dress look”. Accessorize with a pretty necklace and you are ready to go make things happen. This is a great way to vary your professional image.

Another version of this business look is the skirt with a long jacket (above).

You should get more skirt suits for your summer wardrobe. Don’t forget, a classic woman’s business suit can have either pants or a skirt. And for this season, why don’t you get a couple of gray skirt suits. If you work in a place where you have to maintain a very professional image, and stick to traditional women’s business attire, you can wear a charcoal gray skirt suit as an alternative to the classic black business suit. Personalize it with a bright, pretty necklace that expresses your personality, so you don’t loose your identity in the corporate business attire dress code. Add your own signature with an accessory.

Stay cool in the summer with women’s business suit in white or off white. Business attire in white gives a very crisp and clean look. A pant suit in white can be made more lively and chic with a blouse in a bright color, like chartreuse. Or if you want to stay within a little more conservative business attire, you can wear a striped black-and-white blouse. However, business attire for women is not as strict as for men, so you have a lot more licence with what colors you choose. Also, a woman’s business suit in white can be complemented with a separate jacket in a bright color, like coral or chartreuse. This way you can create a new look with the same white suit pants.

Note the pocket details before buying the suit.

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

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

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.

Spring is here and it’s time to update your professional wardrobe with something white. Get a new crisp white woman’s business suit for your business attire. If you live in a warm climate, like Florida or Southern California, then you could get a suit with a short sleeved suit jacket. A white skirt suit will keep you cool, and looking good. Accessorize it with silver or gold jewelry.

For women who don’t look good in starch white,  a beige skirt suit may be an option. Like this suit below:

Evan Picone Women’s Skirt Suit

Finding the good, reliable basics for your professional wardrobe is important. These classic, black or gray women’s business suits, are the first things anyone building a stylish work wardrobe should buy. But even for us who have many of these suits as our business attire “building blocks” – they do wear out sometimes, and we have to get new ones every now and then. If your get black business suits with jackets, pants and skirts that are interchangeable, then you can create more work outfits with the same pieces. And if just the jacket wears out, then you will be able to wear the pants or the skirt with another one of your suit jackets instead of having to toss  out the entire suit. You actually save money by purchasing more than one suit at a time – the total amount of that purchase is higher, but you end up spending less on your professional wardrobe budget annually, if you plan it that way.

I recently found a good on-line source for women’s business suits called  JKL Clothing. They offer a wide range of women’s business suits,  leisurewear and also embroidered clothing. I thought it might be a good idea to try getting a white blouse embroidered with my initials for example. It has been a thing that men do with their shirts, but I think I may try it with two or three blouses for myself.

Here’s in interesting task – how do we take advantage of a subtle hue in a plaid fabric? In the first photo we have a argyle print stockings with a very thin mustard yellow stripe. The skirt is is in the same shade of yellow as in the stockings, and it’s worn with a traditional black suit jacket and black shoes. The second photo is gray plaid skirt with a very slight line of mustard yellow. That subtle hue is matched up with a suit jacket in the same color. This could be worn with black stockings and black pumps, or perhaps tall black boots. If you have the colors carefully planned out, you can create some good work outfits by mix-and-matching suit separates. Any other suggestions on picking up hues from the readers ?

  The standard white, gray and black business attire can be brightened up with some color – for example pink! In the first photo we have a basic white blouse with a subtle pink stripe under a cute gray cardigan, with a basic black suit skirt. Second we have a classic gray buisness suit (skirt suit) with a basic white blouse, however it is layered with a pink unbuttoned cardigan – this is a great way to mix in some color into your professional wardrobe. In the last example we have work outfit consisting of a gray suit jacket with a taupe pencil skirt, brightened up by a classic blouse in mauve. This style of basic blouse in different colors is the staple of most women’s business attire and can be worn both with suit separates, as in this photo, or with classic business suits.

Here are some ideas of how to break up the all black business casual work outfits. Keep your most comfortable standard black slacks, and add tops or jackets in black and white. Keep it simple. Add a little bit of white. Or a lot of white. Lighten things up in your buisness casual outfits by putting together mix and match items in black and white.

The buttons on a woman’s business suit is part of what gives that particular suit it’s style and look. Some business suits have buttons that stand out, as in the case with these suit jackets and coat above. Some suits have inconspicuous, or even hidden buttons. When you look a business suit over, pay attention to what kind of impression the buttons give. Some women like big buttons, some don’t. You can even repalce the buttons if you like. One way to improve your business attire and upgrade the image of a business suit is to go to a fabric store and buy some more classy, expensive looking buttons and sew them onto your suit jacket. These days some women don’t know how to sew, and if that’s the case you can turn it into a dry-cleaning place that does alterations. If you find a buisness suit that has a cut that looks really good on you, but the buttons are cheap looking plastic buttons, it may be a good idea to have new ones put on. The buttons can be considered part of the subtle image of your business attire.

A light business suit will keep you cool in hot summer weather. Keep your most comfortable white slacks at hand, and mix-match them with a cool, light weight, gray suit jacket. Use your white slacks and summer suit separate jackets to create casual business suit ensembles. But that alone could be a little bit bland. What makes this work outfit interesting is the accessory – the yellow necklace perfectly matched with the yellow top peaking out between the suit lapels. It’s worth spending time to find the right accessories for your business suit.

Does your black power suit bore you? Break it up with some bright yellow jackets. Business attire doesn’t always have to be dark to create a professional image. Buy a bright yellow suit jacket to wear with your favorit black suit pants.  Don’t let business attire dress codes restirct you in terms of color.

Here are two dramatic examples of black business suits with red tops. The first one is a black pant suit with very wide lapels, and black top under neath that creates a dramatic contrast. The second is a business suit with a skirt and a suit jacket that has ruffled lapels. It is also contrasted with a red top that shows in the wide opening of the suit jacket. Both of these power suits have lapels that are unique.

What should you prioritize if your work clothes budget isn’t big enough to buy you everything you need? If your wardrobe budget is miserably limited you should put most of the money on this garment: the suit jacket. Best would of course be to wear a woman’s business suit, with a suit jacket and pants that go together. But if there isn’t enough money for that, then create a work outfit with suit separates using a blazer or suit jacket and a pair of slacks in a neutral color (black, gray, brown etc.) that goes with the jacket. Suit separates are great for business casual outfits.

When your wardrobe budget is uncomfortably tight, you can get away with skimping on quality in regards to the work slacks, the blouse, and possibly the shoes – you can even buy these clothes on sale at a discount clothing store, like Ross or Marshalls. But never skimp on quality for the suit jacket; it is the one thing that people notice the most and that suit jacket sets the tone of your entire professional work outfit. Always make sure the suit jacket is lined, has good buttons and detailing, lapels that lay flat, and that it fits your body well (if it doesn’t fit you right, it may look cheap on you even if it cost a lot). It’s worth spending some time in the dressing room trying on jackets to make sure you get a good fit.

When you shop for a woman’s business suit, think ahead and plan out what else you can wear it with. Perhaps you have other suit separates at home that your new wardrobe addition can be mix and matched with. If not, you could look around the mall for other business suits, or separate jackets that can be worn with it. Don’t just buy one piece of clothing because you like it, think of how it can be recombined to make as many work outfits as possible.

Here are some examples of women’s business suits and suit separates in red, gray and white that can be mix and matched and recombined into many various work outfits.

How about adding some green to your work wardrobe? Pep things up a bit with a bright green top or jacket. You can mix in a green top with business suits in black and white. Or brighten a brown women’s suit with a green silk top that has a very slight shine to it. What about creating a casual office outfit with a green separate suit jacket to wear with a blouse, and your favorite black or white slacks? Perhaps balance it with a subtle green bracelet.

Working women are buying a lot of business suits in light colors for summer. Work outfits with suits and separate slacks and jackets in white, cream, bone and taupe is the order of the day. Here are some examples of how to accessorize light colored business suits with coral and orange. Short necklaces with big coral stones contrasts nicely with a cream suit jacket. Career blouses and casual tops in organge and coral creates a lovely spring office look. Combining work outfits by alternating long gold necklaces, beige bags, big buckeled belts and a few bright orange or soft coral tops brings your light colored suits to life.

How about breaking up your regular black power suit and wearing the pants or skirt with a suit jacket that has contrasting trim at the edges? This is a great way to create new work outfits, by mix and matching women’s business suits. The fundamentals of business attire for women is to build a wardrobe with classic matching pant suits and skirt suits. But after that you can add various suit jackets with design details that makes women’s business suits into whole new suits. When you go shopping for women’s business attire, don’t just look at the suit – look at what other work outfits can be created with it.

While wandering around the malls yesterday, I noticed a color combination for suit separates that I haven’t tried before: orange, navy and beige. In two different stores I saw mannequins dressed in business outfits combining these three colors. I think it’s doable for a casual work outfit, and I might try it myself – it had never occured to me before to try orange and navy together. In the left photo we have a orange suit jacket, beige pants with a navy top. In the right photo we have a beige suit jacket, navy slacks with an oragne top, accessorized with a two layer silver necklace. This may not work for a super formal business meeting in which you have to wear strict business attire, but I think it would be a fun and spunky casual office outfit.

What should you wear to create a work outfit with brown pants? With pants in a warm brown tone, like in the first photo, you can wear a rich golden orange suit jacket. This suit jacket has a slight silky sheen to it, which gives this outfit a formal look.

With pants in a cool brown tone, as in the second photo, why not wear a purple blouse and a long off-white jacket. This makes a nice casual work outfit.

In the last two photos, we have the same pair of brown pants: once with ruffle blouse in a white and brown hound’s tooth design, accentuated with a bold brown belt. And again with a brown top and a casual off-white suit jacket. These last two are comfortable office outfits that can be mix and matched. A pair of brown pants that fit you well is a good basic, that creates a solid foundation for your professional wardrobe.

By: Danielle Gonzalez

When looking in a woman’s closet, most likely, it is filled with black; black sweaters, black blouses, black dresses, and black suits.  And though black does go with nearly everything and is a simple solution to most wardrobe questions, adding a couple colorful suits is a fresh way to add dimension and more outfit choices to mix and match with your professional wardrobe.  Shades of red are always a popular choice for business suits in the spring, don’t be afraid to find the right tone for you; coral, pink, and even peach are soft colors with a lot of professional appeal.  Navy is common also in the spring,  and should you be more daring, a softer blue can also be a lovely choice for a young woman.  But if you are more conservative when it comes to suiting colors, grey tones in tweed are an excellent choice.  When it comes to colorful women’s suits, make sure that you’re picking strong shoes in a color at least two shades darker than the suit, the idea is to look bold, not matchie-matchie. 

These suits from: Chadwicks and Barry Pace

By Danielle Gonzalez

With Winter receding to the warmth of Spring, it can be a challenge to bring the brightness of the season into the still chilly climate.  By mixing a few basic winter pieces with essential feminine spring items, the look is effortless and flirty.  The dark colored items of fall accent the brightness of the season in a mature way for all business attire.  For casual work clothes grab the long button up cardigan that was your winter favorite and pair it with an airy patterned spring dress.   For a work outfit that goes from day to night without changing one detail, a colorful dress or skirt with the staple black trench, is polished and strong wherever you go. Getting ready for spring doesn’t mean putting away your winter wardrobe, it simply means incorporating it with your colorful and patterned spring pieces.

Clothing from The Limited

By Danielle Gonzalez

When it comes to jewelry accesorizing many women are of the school of thought “Less is More”. And in some instances, this idea is a good standby, especially when wearing a work outfit that is very intricate and detailed. You want your outfit to have a theme, to make a particular statement, and too much of even great jewelry can take away from the look. But in most cases, more jewelry is simply that: more! Don’t be afraid to stand out with some eclectic and big jewelry, even costume jewelry is hugely popular in all social spheres. When trying to add on to a conservative professional wardrobe, oversized jewelry is a fast and fun way to instantly add drama to an otherwise blah look.

Tyra Banks showcased (at the President’s Inaugural Ball January 20) that a plain black blazer can become a wonderful frame for interesting and eye catching jewelry. And throw the notion that the items much match each other perfectly out the window; it’s all about pairing differing colors and shapes. It keeps the look fresh and youthful to go for something unexpected, like pearl and silver chains, gemstones and colorful beads, and even adding silver and gold together. Going a little overboard with jewelry while keeping the rest of your business attire subdued adds that extra “oomph” to any look!

Kara Ross New York, LLC
http://www.kararossny.com/press/celebrities.html REUTERS/Mitch Dumke