Where to buy a Suit?

fathenry

Hi Ladies, Anyone have a good recommendation of where to start looking for a suit? Mine is 8 years old and I'm afraid it's outdated.

16 years ago

Shopping

10 replies

Latest reply was from Dashrashi

Maya

Veteran

What's your budget like? I'm no expert on this at all, but when I think of suiting, J Crew and Ann Taylor come to mind first.

16 years ago

taylor

Veteran

Ann Taylor gets my vote.

16 years ago

Dashrashi

Veteran

This so depends on your body type. J Crew and Ann Taylor suits both look terrible on me (LOFT, too); the vast majority of my suits (5 of 7, I think?) are from Benetton and 2 are from Banana Republic (one older, though, acquired via ebay). I would devote a rather large chunk of time at the mall to this--before I found out that Benetton was my go-to, I had to do multiple 6-or-so-hour trips to multiple malls--going to each store, trying on their suiting in a variety of sizes, and assessing what worked and didn't work about each. I found that the J Crew jackets were too short, and that neither AT nor JC nipped in enough at the waist. The only thing I can say with certainty is that your mileage will vary.

16 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Hmmmm. How tall are you Fathenry? I vote Semantics at Nordies - their cheaper line. Or Classiques Entier - their more expensive line.

AT, BR and J Crew are all great places to look too.

16 years ago

fathenry

Veteran

Thanks gals, I'd like to invest no more than $200 but I really want to find something that gives me confidence and looks nice and modern. Thanks for the suggestions. I'll be checking out JCrew, Banana, Ann Taylor, and Nordstrom. I'm also going to be trolling the Rack regularly, I've seen some suits there that would fall into my price range.

Dashrashi, thanks for the suggestion - I think we also have Benneton in the area so I'll give that a try. I never would have thought of that. I agree that this isn't a quick purchase, unfortunately I know this from experience also!

Angie, I'm 5'6 - I'll be making a beeline directly for Classiques and Semantics.

16 years ago

Laura

(website)

Veteran

Yes I second the suggestion of BR, it would be right in your price range, too. In my opinion, AT had better woven shirts for suits, and better jewelry.

Angie, I've noticed that Classiques is looking better and better these days. Do you think so too?

16 years ago

Jill

Active Member

I adore a suit I bought from the Banana Republic outlet. Since it was the outlet I was able to keep it under $200. Not sure how much the regular store runs. Good luck with your search!

16 years ago

Susan

(website)

Active Member

I only own one "proper" suit, and it's quite boxy and conservative, but I am glad that I have this particular one (from Banana Republic 2007) because it is so classic, won't "date" quickly, and is made of 100% wool. If you think that you'll wear quite a few suits and regularly, I think going for trendier styles (like mandarin collars on jackets, ruched sleevs, non-traditional colors) is awesome and fun. In addition, buying suits with polyester, rayon, and viscose materials is a good way to cut down on costs. But in terms of a value, a three season wool will end up looking fresher longer. My suit is a conservative grey pinstripe with cute contrast lining, so I've unbuttoned it and rolled up the sleeves to wear as my "faux boyfriend" blazer.
Good luck! Try on lots of suits. I have a skirt suit because it flatters my longer torso. Get what makes you feel comfy and confident!

16 years ago

Kristine

Veteran

I've had good luck at Macy's, they have good sales and I like that they have so many different brands to try on.

16 years ago

Dashrashi

Veteran

My suit from BR was $300 full price (jacket and pants) but I got it for 30% off during Friends & Family. I think the skirts are a bit cheaper, but I could be wrong.

16 years ago

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