Please help me decide - Should I keep this suit??

Hi Ladies,

Hope you can help me with a decision I need to make before tomorrow. I bought this suit awhile back from Ann Taylor in anticipation of a series of interviews for a rotational program at a local engineering firm. I figured I would need a couple of suits (have one plain black one) and saw this one sale so I scooped it up. Unfortunately, the company decided not to fill the remaining positions due to cost cutting so I didn't need it at the time. I am out of the job market for a little longer (decided to just focus on finishing my degree for now) so I have no immediate need for a suit. However, I do wear a suit few times a year for various events and my old suit (about abut 5 years ago) is looking...well, old so I am definitely in the market to replace. I just don't know if this one is worth keeping or whether I should keep looking.

It is a black pinstripe lined wool suit and it fits about as well as any off the rack suit would. I actually need to have the pants hemmed (I didn't buy the pants in petite because with my heels on it was actually too short!). I really like the pinstripe and it nips in at the waist nicely. Black is also my preferred color and looks better on me than charcoal or navy. However, it does have a teeny tiny shoulder pouf which I hate - I tried to take a close up so that you could see it. I am an inverted triangle so I usually avoid shoulder details like the plague. It also came with a cheap plastic belt (how can they charge $350+ for a suit and then add in such a cheap belt??) which I photographed just for kicks but I would never wear it with a belt.

What I need is a classic suit that I can wear for the next 2-4 years (assuming sizes don't change). I am a little worried that the 4 buttons, the length and the shoulder pouf makes this suit a little more on the trendy side (well trendy in terms of conservative black pinstripe suits!). I also got a pretty good deal on the suit - with a sale & coupons, I paid a little less than $100. So I don't know - does it look good enough and not trendy enough to wear for the next few years or am I better off looking for a more classic 3 button pinstripe suit? ???

I hope that Angie can also chime in! Thanks so much!

Album: http://s374.photobucket.com/al.....ew%20Suit/

Suit without belt: http://s374.photobucket.com/al.....=Suit1.jpg

Suit with belt:
http://s374.photobucket.com/al.....=suit2.jpg

Close up of shoulder:
http://s374.photobucket.com/al.....G_2299.jpg

17 years ago

Chris

Active Member

I see what your hesitation is. It's the shoulder that makes me place this in a trendy suit category as well.

The jacket seems to fit nicely though. I would keep as a secondary suit if you can budget it (and that way you have a suit in case you need right away - one never knows!) and keep on the hunt for a more classic suit.

Anonymous

My 2 cents: Can you wear the jacket and pants with other things you own? Would you get your money's worth out of wearing just the pants?
If you don't feel fab in the suit, you might be happiest returning it. When you wear it you will want to feel confident.

rute

Veteran

I totally agree with Joy! You should only buy things that makes you feel fab. I speak for myself.. when I don't I tend to leave the clothes in the back of my closet and it is a waist of money, it's always better to spend a little more money and invest in things you love because you will use time and time again..

If possible, return the suit.. if not invest in a nice belt (not gray.. choose a color one) and a nice blouse to give the outifit a more fashionable look.

Melody

You might watch jcrew sales for suiting. I have found them to be very classic, consistent, yet still modern ... I can't tell much of difference style-wise between the black suit I bought five years ago and the navy one I bought this year. They usually put suits on sale at the end of each season.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Return the suit Shana, and get something that makes you feel fabulous. I agree that you need a suit in your wardrobe and the pinstripe is FANTASTIC on you. (I have a black baby pinstripe suit too).

I think you look GREAT in this suit but you’ll probably want something without the puffed shoulder if you’re going to love it, right? We are heading for a fabulous suit season (NAS will have suits too), so there won’t be a shortage. How does that argument grab you?

shana

Thanks everyone for your input! My gut instinct was to return but my husband felt strongly that I should keep it so I was unsure. I have a tendency to go out and buy stuff at the last minute (i.e. I have to go to a wedding tomorrow and I need to buy a dress today sort of scenario) so he thinks by keeping this suit, at least I would be prepared.

Chris - I'm glad that you understand what I meant. My black suit is O.K. as a backup so I don't really need this one.

Joy, well I probably could wear the pants alone but I have plenty of dressier pants that don't get much circulation (why oh why I am attracted to clothes that I don't need!).

Rute, I agree, I want to feel fab but honestly, I rarely do in many of my clothes these days so I tend to settle.

Melody, thanks for the tip. I have been keeping my eye on the J crew suits for awhile. Since I need petite sizes, I have no opportunity to try them on before buying which is my major hesitation. Also, this past year, every major retailer (J Crew included) seemed to feature this weird obvious stitching on all their suits which turned me off. But I fully intend to look into their suits this fall.

Angie, you are totally my inspiration for buying a pinstripe suit. As much as I need a conservative looking suit, I want it to be a little fun too! Do you have any recommendations for brands I should be looking at with petite sizing? AT is my "old faithful" so to speak but the pant cuts are usually a little on wide on me (I would love to find more of a bootcut pants style).

Happy to have planted the pinstripe seed!

Let's wait for the NAS, Shana. Check out the petites “Semantics” brand when the time comes. AT and ATL are great for petite suiting though. I’d keep checking them out too.

Angie, thank a million! I returned the suit and will be eagerly awaiting the fall suit collections as well as what's available at NAS. I saw a terrific pinstriped suit at Club Monaco yesterday but unfortunately, they don't carry petites

16 years ago

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