Business suits... (for women)

lotusflwr

lotusflwr

Member
Dec 11, 2007
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#1
Is it acceptable to mix and match suit separates? I have a suit skirt that is solid black and a suit jacket that is a lighter shade of black with some faint striping on it. It's tough for me to find a matching suit set that fits just right but I really need to figure something out soon as I have some upcoming interviews.

What's the verdict?
 
#2
I don't think it looks right when similar-colored suiting separates are mixed ... such as two shades of black or solid black and black with striping. For interviews especially, I think it's a safer bet to stick with solid matching black, navy or gray. In day to day business casual, however, I mix tweed or boucle jackets with solid black bottoms.

Good luck in your hunt and in your interviews!
 
#3
Hmm ok thanks for the input. Like I said, I'm having a nearly impossible time finding matched pieces that fit so if I could buy a matching suit then I would but it's simply not happening. =( Oh well..happy to have interviews, sad that nothing fits me!
 
#4
Where have you been shopping?

Have you considered a work dress with a matching blazer?

I think mixing and matching fabircis is a little more casual - I think its okay for work every day, or semi-formal interviews, but for formal interviews you should wear a matched suit.

For example - when interviewing for a previous internship several years back the interviewer told me ahead of time to not worry about wearing a suit, but I still felt the need to look put together and professional, so I wore dark green dress slacks, heels, a creame colored dressy t-shirt, and a cropped grey blazer style jacket to acheive a pulled together look (I got the intership).
 
#5
jeneen said:
where have you been shopping?

Have you considered a work dress with a matching blazer?

i think mixing and matching fabircis is a little more casual - i think its okay for work every day, or semi-formal interviews, but for formal interviews you should wear a matched suit.
for example - when interviewing for a previous internship several years back the interviewer told me ahead of time to not worry about wearing a suit, but i still felt the need to look put together and professional, so i wore dark green dress slacks, heels, a creame colored dressy t-shirt, and a cropped grey blazer style jacket to acheive a pulled together look (i got the intership).
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ITA.

I wouldn't buy a brand new suit just for an interview though (although I have done it in the past) - you should always feel comfortable even if dressed in a formal way.
 
#6
OP, i have the same problem. i have suit separates that are black but the finish is slightly different which makes the 2 shades of black slightly different. i probably wouldn't wear it to an interview, but i did it for my business class presentations. i was hoping it wouldn't be too noticeable since the lights would be off lol.

my teacher said that the suit should always match, but she's pretty conservative. i think if it's deliberate mixing and matching, then it'll probably be ok for daily wear, but to an interview your suit should perfectly match although i know how hard it is to find a full suit that will fit properly!
 
#7
Is this an interview for a more fashionable industry, like marketing, public relations, writing, design? Or is it a very business orientated industry, like finance, law? If it is very business orientated then I would try my very hardest to have a matching suit. I would have a jacket that fit and then get the skirt tailored. What is it about the skirts that don't fit you, skirts are usually the easiet thing to get altered. I think a work dress with blazer is a good second option. I think that slightly different blacks are worse than deliberate mismatching because it might convey to the interviewer that you aren't detail oriented.

If this is for a more creative job, then I would go for a deliberate mismatching if you can't find a matching suit. So it shows that you understand how to put a good outfit together and that is a reflection of your creative ability.
 
#8
It's not fashion/creative-related..all business-oriented jobs so sounds like a matching suit is best. I have a bit of a smaller frame so jackets and button-down blouses are very tough to find. Most look oversized on me. I would really love to find good black trousers/dress slacks but those are also tough--most tend not to fit well in the hip/thigh area and I'm also on the short side. Last but not least, it's tough to find a suits made of high quality material.

I'm ready to invest in a good, quality suit so going out to buy a properly fitting set is worth it to me. Just not feeling like i have a lot of options. Department stores have the largest selection but sizes are much too big. I see places like Banana Republic selling separates (mostly trousers, hard to find jackets) but overall not a wide selection at these stores and the material isn't always of good quality.
 
#9
^^Theory tends to fit petite girls or those with a narrow frame very well. I would also try J Crew petites and just order a bunch online. Free shipping and you can return to the store. I think J Crew has been running big lately, but they do have Petite 00 which for them is like a Regular 000 for waist and chest measurements. (ie. Petite 8 fits like Regular 6 in everything but length) I think J crew quality is better than Banana Republic but it is also slightly more expensive. Elie Tahari is also worth a look.
 
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#12
lotusflwr said:
It's not fashion/creative-related..all business-oriented jobs so sounds like a matching suit is best. I have a bit of a smaller frame so jackets and button-down blouses are very tough to find. Most look oversized on me. I would really love to find good black trousers/dress slacks but those are also tough--most tend not to fit well in the hip/thigh area and I'm also on the short side. Last but not least, it's tough to find a suits made of high quality material.

I'm ready to invest in a good, quality suit so going out to buy a properly fitting set is worth it to me. Just not feeling like i have a lot of options. Department stores have the largest selection but sizes are much too big. I see places like Banana Republic selling separates (mostly trousers, hard to find jackets) but overall not a wide selection at these stores and the material isn't always of good quality.
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I am short with a smaller frame as well ... and I agree that Banana Republic and department store separates just don't cut it! J.Crew is decent but their petite sizing swamps me. Ditto to the other recommendations about Theory ... their 00 is the smallest fit I've found in suiting and they have a pretty decent selection. Good luck!
 
#13
i usually just buy suits from the petites section of Ann Taylor and J Crew, then get all of them altered to fit me. Finding a good tailor is key. Alterations for me are like $50 per suit.

I don't like Banana Republic suits...fabric quality is worse.
 
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