Hope’s How-To: Wear a Suit | Banana Republic Lightweight Wool Classic
May 1st, 2007 at 4:34am
Watch any re-run of Dallas or Dynasty and you will see illustrated that when a suit isn’t tailored to a woman’s unique shape, everything goes wrong – including, but not limited to – accessories, hair, makeup, and relationships. Eighties or no Eighties; there is no excuse for not owning a tailored suit.
My personal philosophy when it comes to buying a suit? Take notes, ladies.
- First-time buyers should consider lightweight wool; a classic material that will wear right in summer and winter. After your first suit you can stretch your borders and go with cotton twill or a sateen/polyester blend.
- Consider the construction of the suit – Don’t buy it unless it’s fully lined with straight hems, flat collars, and even buttons.
- Try it on — While there are few things your tailor can’t fix, you should try to buy a suit as perfectly fitted as possible. Shoulders should be about 1-inch wider than your natural shoulder, and suit sleeves should extend to your wrist bone. Pants should be fitted with whatever heel height you frequent most.
- Keep it classic — While some women can pull off a double-breasted jacket, most women ’suit’ a classic single-breasted jacket. Always opt for flat-front pants, and in the event that your suit comes with a skirt, stick with the pencil shape. A-line skirts read too ‘of the moment’ and have less of a classic appeal.
- Colour your world — Black, navy, grey, and tan are great all-season, every-season colours. White should only be worn in late spring and summer.
Lightweight Wool Classic Blazer and Pants, $98-198, BananaRepublic.com.
