I’m trying to step up the work wardrobe (a lot! - the mighty have, er, fallen. A lot. I’m starting to look like whoever shines the kindergarten teacher’s shoes.) and I thought, hey, I want to move up, right? Why not do the lawyer-style “get several suits and rotate” gig? Other than the fact that nobody would recognize me, and I’d be outdressing everybody else? So, while I feel very comfortable dressing in all other female pursuits, as evidenced by my other thread I am unsure of some of the rules of women’s suiting.
I’m looking at navy pinstripes, and am unclear on shoe. Not only color, but also heel - I do work in an on-your-feet job, but is it less professional to wear ballet flats with suit pants and skirts?
I’ve asked my husband that used to sell men’s suits what color shoes to wear with navy, figuring if men look classy in that color combination, maybe I would, too. I believe his answer is ox blood. I don’t care for women’s pant suits much, but perhaps a classy low heeled boot of some sort. I think pumps look weird with pants. With a skirt, I would definitely go with pumps. Look for a wider, shorter heel, as they will be more comfortable.
I always think having your shoes lighter than your pants/skirts looks a little odd. Especially with a really dark color. I’d go with black and a low heel, but not flat. Maybe two inches for a skirt, but you could get away with something a bit lower for pants.
You can find comfortable pumps if you look for them. Try a store that specializes in comfortable shoes. I have arthritis in my big toes and, if I can find comfortable pumps, anyone can.
Personally, I always pair navy with brown shoes. It doesn’t clash as badly as black shoes, and every girl should have a pair of brown shoes anyway as a change from black.
Beige shoes = ick, but that’s personal preference.
Ballet flats with a suit is usually a no-no, mostly because the flats are very casual/trendy, while suit tends to say the exact opposite. Kitten heel or wedge would be a good compromise for looking put together but still youthful and fun.
This question is the sole reason I refuse to buy anything navy! I have never been able to determine this to a level I feel comfortable with. I would always be thinking “I am wearing the wrong shoes…”
Black shoes and bag. Nude hose. How about a spectator pump, if you really want get snazzy? I would not go brown or beige. Beige is typically a summer shoe or worn with lighter shades of clothing popular in spring (late spring).
According to Stacy and Clinton, it’s perfectly okay to wear bright shoes to “pop” a mostly sober suit outfit. I figure if you’re wearing a suit already, the shoes are analogous to a man’s necktie–the place where you get to stamp your individual style. So if you’re a hip, happening young lady who’s being forced by circumstance into wearing a navy suit, something in a nice metallic or leopard print or red or other jazzy low heeled pump would be just the ticket. Kitten heels are cute as hell and a very good compromise with comfort.
I know. I’m alternating between drooling over them, and cursing that Zappos doesn’t ship to Canada. I need new shoes like I need a hole in the head… but we’ll ignore that for now.
I agree on pantyhose unless absolutely necessary. Ick ick ick.
Those shoes are very cute but they look far too casual for a suit (especially a pin striped one). They’d be good for business casual tho’. I also think open toe and sandal styles look wrong with a suit although a small peep toe can work.
Patent is usually pretty durable although most cheaper patent is plastic and not great for your feet. Kitten heels are cute but they wear out really fast (because they have tiny heels like stillettos yet you tend to thump down on the heel like walking in a flat). Flats make legs look stumpy if you’re in a skirt; if you’re wearing pants and they’ve been hemmed appropriately, I think flats are fine if the toe is fairly dressy.
I’d go for something like this type of heel. Or if you want to try something a little higher, these come in a variety of colors and have a thicker heel. Wedges that match the shoe color can also look good and feel more stable than a heel.
For color, I like navy shoes or dark red (over bright red) for a conservative suit; bright colors or metallics with a more casual, trendy suit.
I agree with the general principal, but I’d rather have a cute camisole or shell that pops against the suit instead of shoes. I know part of it is my irrational HATRED of navy suiting, but it’s such a conservative, traditional color that funky colored shoes would just look wrong.
Plus, suits in general are more conservative anyway. I’d stick with a non funky shoe and instead use a bit of sassy color in jewelry or the shell. If I saw a red shoe with a navy suit I’d think the person was bizarre. If I saw a brightly patterned (like, bright blue and green and black) shell under a navy suit, I’d think the person was looking cute.
If you were just talking shirt/sweater and and a suiting SKIRT, then I’d go with funky shoes (I love wearing a white sweater, a pinstriped charcoal pencil skirt and my peep toe red leather pumps). If you were just talking the suit jacket with a shell and nicely tailored jeans, then I’d go with funky shoes. But the combination of the jacket and the pants/skirt just doesn’t look right with funky shoes (unless you got some hyper hyper trendy suit cut that will only be in style for a season, if that).
I used to work corporate and I wore a pair of wood-colored slingback pumps with my navy suit, and also a pair of black maryjanes. Both of them worked well. I think it’s important to have a pair of brown shoes but, IMHO, nude/beige color is really gross and channels “older woman”. If you’re fashion-forward, light pink shoes have been on the fashion radar lately, flatter the leg like beige, but are far more stylish and interesting.
Why not?