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Greyscale

Veteran

Hello all! I haven't been writing much here recently but I've been following all your fashion adventures.

I found myself wearing blazers or buttoned shirts almost every day last semester, so I guess I've settled on my teaching uniform. Great excuse to widen my wardrobe options. I had great luck at Banana Republic (they've really kicked it up a notch this year, with so many high quality pieces and lots of natural fibers). Aritzia and COS turned up some good items too.

My wardrobe star has been a set of coordinating linen pieces from Banana Republic: pleated pants, pleated shorts, and a blazer. (I'm so sad the matching vest didn't come in black too.) I can wear the pants and blazer as a suit (with Converse!) or mix and match with jeans, buttoned shirts, etc. No photos yet but I added them in finds. I did discover what many of you already knew - 100% linen definitely bags out in the butt over the course of a day. But, they're all machine-washable and seem to snap back into shape well.

The linen suit is relaxed but there's a more dramatic oversized suit trend that I've had my eye on, in blogs and such. But I've struggled to make it my own, because my limbs are short and I'm sort of small overall and it can just sort of overwhelm me. I've tried a few iterations from COS (because it's really their sort of look) and the most recent is almost good enough, but not quite right? What do you think? I'd love to have pleated wool pants like this, but even imagining the legs and sleeves shortened, I'm not sure it works.

(I was also irked to realize the pants have a design flaw or sewing mistake, because the front is not at all centered.)

I also found these wool Bermuda shorts at Banana Republic. I sort of love them and sort of wonder if I'd ever wear them. Should I get them hemmed? Thoughts?

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Banana Republic

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Banana Republic

Wide-Leg Linen Pant

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Banana Republic

High-Rise Linen Short

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Wide-leg Tailored Pants

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Cropped Double-breasted Wool Blazer

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Banana Republic

Italian Wool Bermuda Short

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Dressing

26 replies

Latest reply was from Staysfit

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Great teaching wardrobe concept. Starting with the shorts, I like them very much and perhaps you have just the weather for wool shorts. I have at least one pair, but it only works with knee boots for me. The suit is trickier because the pants sort of lose their silhouette under the boxy blazer. I sort of want the blazer to be more cropped or nip in. I don't mind the volume over volume look personally but I am thinking of you in front of a bunch of college students. I do like both pieces individually and the pants especially would fall differently after tailoring.

Runcarla

Veteran

I love, love, love the style of the pants and the shorts with the tank top, and bet you could wear them with similar (body con?) fitting long sleeved tops or body suits as well. I’m not feeling the matching jacket however. I get the idea of oversized and slouchy, but can’t put my finger on why this jacket doesn’t work.

I need to go look at more pictures to see if I can come up with better words. Can you post some pics of the look you envision? The BR model is using her arms to nip in the waist in the product pics, and she has the arms of the jacket scrunched up. (Is it the Mary Kate and Ashley/Row kind of aesthetic?)

PS: agreeing with Jaime about wanting to see a shorter jacket with a nipped in waist!

rachylou

Veteran

I like both the shorts and the suit, but also feel that the jacket doesn’t give the slouchy effect.

Greyscale

Veteran

Here’s another example. Ordered this jacket and pants but they definitely didn’t suit me! Alas. https://www.cos.com/en_usd/wom.....32001.html

Runcarla

Veteran

Ah! That is a very styled look. That ‘collapsed against the body’ look with oversized sweaters is popular in print as well, but hard to translate into real life day-wear. I can kind of achieve a similar look by wearing a compression/minimizer bra that flattens out my front. Hands in pockets and a bit of a hunch forward helps, but isn’t possible when on the move - nor good for your posture.

I think the shoulders have to fit really well, and the overall length of sleeve and body has to be dead on for this kind of fluidity, so that it looks purposeful and not just like you sized up.

I hope folks with a better understanding of tailoring than mine, will chime in!

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David

(website)

Member

I think the style of striped pants, tank top and black jacket would be very suitable.

Greyscale

Veteran

Your point about the minimizer bra seems key - I might just not be angular enough for the look I'm imagining. My curves are front to back, not side to side, if that makes sense.

The sleeve length is a great point too. These would need to be tailored. But I'm pretty sure the blazer is going back. Still deciding on the pants, but the weirdly off-center fly is making me less inclined to keep them.

anchie

Veteran

Off-center fly is a deal breaker for me, maybe try re-ordering, because pants have potential if you would keep them without matching blazer. Shorts a great, I like them very much. I don’t like the blazer- it has awkward length- it would be better if it it’s either longer or shorter.
I must admit I tried the oversized blazers myself because I have admired them on others but on me it just looks sloppy, not cool.

Greyscale

Veteran

Alas, the pants are sold out in my size so not sure I can reorder.

I do have one slouchy blazer I absolutely love (have two copies of it in fact!). Somehow this Everlane blazer accommodates curves better. Shown with a recent Poshmark score, asymmetric leather skirt from & Other Stories. I have a cropped blazer from Aritzia, too. It is cropped to the narrow point of my waist so looks more flattering than the COS option. I think you’re all correct about how it’s just not great.

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cat2

Veteran

I find Cos hard to wear, the big jackets and tops with volume just look horrible on me. I like the pants and shorts, and would wait for a better jacket option.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

LOVE your teaching uniform! Go Team Pants Suit!

You ROCK that suit and the shorts! The blazer and trousers need hemming. After a good hack, I say you're in KILLER territory. The shorter boxy jacket is fab with the pants! Fashion forward proportions, and lots of verve.

Do not hem the shorts. Wear a black blazer over them to make a suit, and wear that to teach in too

Vildy

Veteran

Because I'm five feet tall, when I try on pants with volume I don't roll them up because that makes weird buckling of fabric but I turn them under the amount I think I want. That way you can better see how they actually hang, drape, move.

Greyscale

Veteran

Vildly, I tried that but they wouldn’t stay folded under for even a minute for photos! But I trust that these pants would drape perfectly at the right length.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

I love the way those pants fit you. Can't see the zipper issue from here, but will believe you. Maybe try a different color, or see if there’s a pair left in a store?

Agree with Anchie that the jacket is at that awkward in-between stage.

In the inspo pic you posted and the 1st & 3rd of Carla’s, the pants are not as wide as yours, so they work better with the big jackets, imo. I’m not into the 2nd inspo pic she posted, where jacket & pants are both huge (are you?). Also, the blazer without a top underneath it makes the whole thing slinkier and seem more intentional. Not a teaching look.

I’ve discovered (ok, “Columbused”) shorts + tights in recent years. Of course I’ve seen it many times before, but the first time I tried it, with a pair of dark floral denim shorts I’ve been at whit’s end with, I was in love. I wear ankle boots, but pumps or Oxfords would work too.

Finally, you were encouraging of my pull-up efforts 1 (or was it 2?) summers ago. I fell off the wagon, but today at the gym I decided to hang for time at top pull-up position before my lat pull-downs: 26 seconds! I may be pulling up with you soon, will check the middle position later this week.

Greyscale

Veteran

The pants are pretty much the same width, though you're right that they look different -- I think the difference is that I am wider than the model!

Reassuring that the off-center fly isn't too obvious. It really is uneven, and I ordered them in two sizes and the other size is symmetric, so I don't know what happened.

Well done with the pull up hang! I'm out of practice. You can't see, but my pull-up bar is on the door frame that the mirror is leaning against in these photos.

Lana

(website)

Veteran

I don’t understand the all over slouchy look enough to comment on that, but I love your suit concept for teaching. The off center fly would bug me unless it was intentional. Love the idea of a shorts suit!

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

If the other size is bigger, maybe you can have it tailored to fit? Or a tux stripe if its a smaller size? If you decide to keep these, I wonder if you could get a discount on them.
You’re right that can’t see the bar, but I recall that you have it.

Greyscale

Veteran

You named it, Stagiaire - I was actually just on the customer service chat with them a few minutes ago. No more left in my size, but they gave me an extra 20% off. I stared at it for a while and decided no one but me will notice. So, the pants are staying! Next stop, my tailor to shorten them.

And now to decide on the blazer. Return deadline is tomorrow, so I'll think about it this afternoon. Angie's commentary was helpful. It's just popped back in stock in a smaller size but I don't think a smaller size is the right answer.

Bijou

Veteran

I like all of it and think you wear this 1940's man style suit well.

Anonymous

I like Runcarla's striped suit, maybe cause the stripes keep the eye moving vertically.
Tailoring will make a big difference I think. It's close to being just right.

Joy

Veteran

When I think of your style, I think of loose suits in a neutral like this.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I'm super late here but just wanted to pop in and say YAY for the casualized suit for teaching (right up my alley!) and I love the shorts and hope you keep. Love the pants, too, and if you are not bothered by that fly and with the discount, might as well enjoy them.

I, too, find COS tricky. I love so many things there....and they don't *quite* work on me because I'm a bit too short and short-limbed to make them look right. Sigh.

I really love your asymmetrical skirt outfit, too. That's superb.

Greyscale

Veteran

I decided to keep the pants and return the short blazer - after thinking about it, the side view was boxier and stiffer than I wanted. It seemed like something I would intend to wear but would never actually wear.

That said, if the smaller one pops back into stock I might try again.

And, since I'm keeping the wool bermuda shorts, I snagged the matching blazer. It's long and fitted, so I'm curious if the proportions will work on me. Click through the Find to see it styled with the shorts on the much taller model!

Banana Republic

Sculpted Wool Blazer

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Suz

(website)

Veteran

It might work, because wool drapes differently than linen, and if it is cut in enough at the waist it could be fine. Crossing fingers!

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

If it’s “sculpted” as its title says, I bet it’ll be great.

Staysfit

Veteran

Greyscale, I hope the coordinating blazer you ordered works with the Bermuda shorts. I like where they fall on your leg, however, I see they fall well above the knee on the BR model. Proportion is so tricky…however, I think they may be too short on the model and of course she still looks great in them…..because she’s a model! I look forward to seeing them paired with the longer blazer. I think it’s a great look, and I hope you will have opportunity to wear it.