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Convey professionalism and
competence with a crisp, well-fitted business
suit.
Steps:
1. Select a suit color and pattern.
Black, navy and gray are all classic tones. If
you opt for a patterned suit, check that the
patterns line up at the seams of the shoulders
and lapels.
2. Choose a suit fabric. High-quality
worsted wool is seasonally versatile; avoid
blends with too much polyester.
3. Crumple the fabric to see if it
bounces back instead of remaining wrinkled.
4. Pick a jacket style. The
single-breasted suit is classic, but there are
also double-breasted suits, as well as those
that button to the collar (Coco Chanel
epitomizes this style).
5. Determine your preferred jacket
length. Pockets can be besom (slit), flap or
patch; besom pockets are formal, while patch
pockets provide a casual look.
6. Decide between a skirt and pants, or
buy both. The traditional skirt suit is
appropriate in highly formal business settings,
but the relaxed pantsuit is sometimes
acceptable. It might be practical to buy a
three-piece set: jacket, skirt and pants.
7. Select your pants style. Pleats make
pants dressy and provide room to move around,
while flat-front pants are slimming. Cuffed legs
are formal and add weight to the suit; uncuffed
pants elongate the leg.
8. Test for jacket fit. Make sure the
collar lies flat against the back of your neck.
Shoulders should be lightly padded and neither
too boxy nor sloped. Sleeves should reveal 1/4
to 1/2 inch of dress cuff or fall 5 inches above
the tip of your thumb.
9. Make sure the skirt or pants fit. You
should be able to slide two fingers under the
waistline and pull about 1 inch of excess fabric
at the hip. Skirts should fall straight. Back,
not side zippers help a skirt to fall more
smoothly. Pay attention to the crotch area for
pants, making sure it lies perfectly flat
against your body.
Tips:
Consider your body shape and the silhouette you
would like to achieve with the suit.
Women with straight, angular bodies might prefer
suits with straight lines. Search for longer
jackets that have sharp lapels and are not too
cinched at the waist.
Women with curvy bodies should wear suits with
rounded lines: a fitted waist, shorter jacket,
curved lapel and skirt with rounded bottom.
Warnings:
Don't forget to check for suit quality.
Well-made suits have full linings, neatly
finished hems and hand-sewn buttonholes
(identifiable by their irregular stitching).
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