I’ve got some job interviews coming up, and need something a bit better than my cheapie H&M stuff. What is the best place to buy a quality suit that will last me a while? I’m probably hoping for a shapely fit and pencil skirt. Cheap is good, but I’ll shell out for quality. It’s important to look and feel spot-on.
Took a look in Banana Republic and loved what I tried on, but it’s my understanding that paying full-price there is not so smart. In any case, I’d like some additional options.
Higher end department stores: Around here it would be Lord and Taylor, Nordstrom’s, Sak’s, even Macy’s.
If you don’t want to spend that much, try Burlington Coat Factory or Ross Dress For Less. It can be a crap shoot, and you might have to do a lot of searching and put up with some screaming kids, but you can find great deals on brand-name clothes.
Syms, also, if you have them in your area.
If you have some time, are between a 6-14 in size, and are looking more for something that does the job than expresses your unique style, I have found the women’s suits at Goodwill to be the best deal in the store. Lots and lots of women have one nice suit that they hardly ever wear, and then they donate it when they outgrow it. I suspect consignment shops also have great suits for this reason. If you find a great suit for pennies on the dollar, you free up cash for the purse and shoes, which can really add up.
I don’t know that this works for women, but it definitely does for men:
eBay.
There are a huge number of people re-selling used (or for all I know, stolen) high-end clothes on eBay. Assuming they have enough transactions and high-90% feedback, it’s a very safe bet that they are above board and, equally important, that they will make a pretty good faith effort to describe the condition of the item, disclose any problems/flaws etc.
And the savings can be substantial. I just bought a Burberry suit that would have been I dunno $900+, paid $160. It’s in perfect shape.
Then – because you won’t have tried it on, but you generally know your size, right? – plan on giving back a bit of that savings by going to a professional tailor who’s willing to take it apart if necessary. I spent more on tailoring than I did on the suit ($175, but my guy did some complex stuff like tapering both the jacket and pants – I’m stylish!). Do not go to a Korean dry cleaner (well, any dry cleaner, mine just happen to be Korean). They’ll gladly charge you up to 2/3 of what a real tailor will, but it won’t be worth it. You will know you don’t have a proper tailor if: (a) they only measure one of your arms to adjust the sleeves – arms and legs differ from side to side; (b) they don’t consider anything other than sleeve length or hemline (real tailors also think about things like the tapering I mentioned and how the collar on some suits, for me, bunches up in the back if they don’t alter things); © they don’t insist on having you try it on after the alterations are done – often/usually real tailors will find one or two more minor tweaks to make once they see how the altered suit wears on you.
I second consignment shops and thrift stores. Over the years, I’ve bought some good quality, nice looking business wear for comparatively little money. As Huerta mentioned, you may spend as much or more to have it altered than you spent on the suit itself (but then again, it may fit well from the get-go).
For the love of God and all that is holy, PLEASE do not buy any suits like the ones Hillary Rodham Clinton wears!
SOMEBODY needs to tell that woman how AWFUL her clothing selection is! She wears the SAME DAMNED suit style, in every single color of the rainbow. I even saw her wearing a gigantic houndstooth check in that style!
The pants are highwater, the jacket ALWAYS looks too tight, and I honestly think it’s El Cheapo polyester fabric.
~VOW
I doubt that there will be any in her area, as the chain went bankrupt and closed all of the stores.
Odd, we have one here that I thought was still open. Never mind, then.
J Crew and Brooks Brothers both have very nice ladies suits also. And both tend to have pretty awesome sales too. If you sign up for Banana Republic online or make a purchase in store yiu can get a 40% off coupon for a future date also.
Dr Mom ( college prof before she retired) used to buy her nicer stuff on sale at Talbots. They got a couple of outlets in the DC burbs, so maybe cheap.
Yeah, with Banana Republic/Gap/Old Navy the key is to get on their mailing list and pair a sale with a blanket percentage-off coupon. If I needed a suit I would definitely try to do that because Banana Republic stuff is lovely.
Having said that, I get most of my Banana Republic/J. Crew/Ann Taylor level stuff from eBay and it’s surprising how successful you can be doing that, especially since as a previous poster said these nice clothes tend to get very little wear. A listing should have measurements in it that will give you a good idea of how the suit will fit, and if it doesn’t, you should ask the seller to give them to you.
I have a whole lotta $5 cashmere sweaters from eBay.
Somewhat echoing Huerta88, whatever suit you buy, take it to a tailor. A real tailor, not a hems/cuffs sort of place. It may run you between $100 and $200, but you will have upgraded just about any suit beyond recognition. The difference is extraordinarily.
QFT. If you want to look like a million bucks, get something large enough to fit you at your widest point - for me it’s shoulders - then drop the money to get it tailored. Ever watched What Not To Wear? They tailor EVERYTHING that their makeover recipients end up with. That’s why the end result looks so good. Clothes don’t look like that off the hanger. Why the show doesn’t clue its viewers into this little fact, I really don’t know.
I’ve had good luck finding things at Nordstrom’s Rack from time to time. Most of the stuff there tends to be pretty ugly, but every now and then a good piece will show up. If you’re willing to pay into the $200 range for something new, Macy’s would be my go-to store.
If she buys nicer suits they’ll clash with her hideously unflattering hairstyles.
I like J C Penny. Liz Claiborne for classics, and Sag Harbor for that splash of pattern and color.
I like this eBay idea, and I’m seeing a lot of good options there. Unfortunately, I’m pulling 70 hour weeks, so rooting around discount stores is probably not an option.
Great ideas, guys.
Usually with women’s suits there is a designer that works for you and some that don’t. For example, I can wear any Anne Klein suit, and I can wear Ann Taylor but only the skirts suits. ArthurLevine/Tahari is hit and miss. There is a 0% chance a 9 West or Calvin Klein suit will fit me. It has to do with the slightly different base body models each designer uses.
I usually buy at Macy’s; they basically have constant sales. I’ve paid $75 for an Anne Klein or Tahari on the low end, and $125 on the high end. I’ve never once had to pay anything close to the marked price. I’ve bought twice on ebay but the deals weren’t wildly better than a Macy’s sale.
ETA: yes, SYMS went out of business; they began liquidation before Christmas and should be done by now.
I get mine at Nordstrom Rack