Little Black Suit - Keep or Return?

lala

Hi Ladies -
I'd love to hear from all of you regarding my dilemna. I purchased a black suit from Target (both pieces under $100!) and I would expect that I could wear these pieces as a suit and separates 3 seasons out of the year. Now here's my dilemna...
I'm a SAHM of 3 little ones and mostly live in sharp casual classics. I have one dressy outfit for each of the seasons and can incorporate the separates from these outfits for everyday wear as well. REALISTICALLY, how often will I need a black suit? I have a casual LBD and a dressy LBD in case I need a black outfit. BTW, the suit will need extensive alterations to make it look great which will run me about $50 to $75.

I'd love to hear from the moms out there! Really, do I need this suit?
(sorry but I can't figure out how to download the link)

17 years ago

Dressing

4 replies

Latest reply was from shiny

shana

Veteran

Personally, I think having a suit in your wardrobe is always useful. You can wear the items as separates to get more wear out of them - a well fitting black blazer can be dressed up or down and who doesn't need a flattering pair of black pants once in a while. I have worn my black suit on numerous occasions over the past few years (I am involved in lots of activities & am in school part time so I've worn it for meetings, conferences, giving presentations in class etc) and now that I am interviewing again, I have been looking to replace it. My only regret about my black suit is that it is very blah - I wish that instead of a plain black suit, I had gone with a black or charcoal pinstripe because it would have been just as practical but a little more interesting.

My only comment is this - it looks like you will be spending about $150-$175 on this suit from Target. How is the material & quality? I have spent less than this (on sale of course) on some pretty decent quality suits from Ann Taylor that fit perfectly and didn't require any altering. Since I have been suit hunting lately, I've seen many stores that have suits on sale in this price range - everything from Macy's to BR. Just a thought....

17 years ago

Antje

Veteran

Hmmm, I think we need a bit more info. First, do you LOVE the suit? Second, is this within your budget without affecting other purchases? If the answer to both questions is yes, then this might be a good investment, assuming the cut of the suit is classic and you expect to wear it for years to come.

I actually agree with Shana that the suit doesn't sound all that inexpensive. So you'd really want to be sure that you love it and get a lot of wear out of it. As a SAHM you probably won't have too many needs for it, as you yourself already stated. How long do you expect to be a SAHM? If you're thinking of going back into the workforce in the next couple years, or take on other responsibilities that might require more dressy clothing like certain kinds of volunteer positions, then it's more justifiable than as if you're planning to remain a SAHM. Though even then, you could also consider getting a pair of dressy pants and a nice jackets, which you might find easier to combine with your existing smart casual clothes than all-black suit pieces.

Finally, are you weighing this purchase against other purchases of clothes that you need? Sorry for all the additional questions, but I'm hoping these will help you more than just my personal opinion. (Note that I myself am not a SAHM, but I work in casual environments and thus do not "need" a black suit, either, so I hope my perspective is still valuable And for what it's worth, I personally would forego a black suit unless/until my work situation changed, since I'd get more use out of other wardrobe items.)

17 years ago

lala

Active Member

Shana and Antje thank you! You've brought up questions that were lurking in the back of my head! I currently have an AT suit that I bought about 5 years ago. I've probably worn it 20 times in those 5 years and it's starting to get shiny from dry cleaning - so I'm basically looking to replace it. Shana, like you, I can walk into AT and pick suit separates from the rack and they will fit, guaranteed, without alteration. But considering how FEW times I wore the AT suit in my closet, I hesitate to pay too much for something I won't wear that much. Antje - yes, I have to weigh my purchase of these suit seperates against other "needs" notably transistional accessories to stretch my current wardrobe. Like I mentioned, I have plenty of dressy separates (most from AT) that can fit the bill for volunteering, dinner out, parties, etc. but I lack a real suit in my wardrobe and I don't want to pay $300 for something that I will only wear a few times a year (that whole cost-per-wear thing!)

17 years ago

shiny

Veteran

I vote "pass."

If you wore the other black suit 20x's in 5 years, it does sound to me like you can justify buying a replacement, but if you can get one at AT without alterations then this Target one sounds like too much $ and too much trouble.

Instead, hold your money and make due with separates, while waiting for the perfect black suit that has a lot of interesting details and such.

Also, is black your best color? That's a critical question. If you want to invest in a suit, it should be a neutral that looks fab on you. Not everyone looks best in black.

17 years ago

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