The Suit

 

Smart Choices

Just around the corner in every woman’s mind – is a lovely dress, a wonderful suit, or entire costume, which will make an enchanting new creature of her.

-       Wilhela Cushman

Closet Content Analysis: Suits

NICE                   NO THANKS         NOTE-WORTHY            NEED

My spring clothing buying pattern has been influenced by my mother's getting-ready-for-Easter customs. Spring, but particularly Easter, motivates me to buy a suit. My mother bought a new suit, hat and heels; I received a new dress and spring coat, a hat, and matching patent shoes; my little brother got a suit; and my dad managed to pay for everything. There were years a new suit never made it his way, but he always got a new shirt and tie.

NICE Suit #1 Size 12: It was the beginning of July, 2006 and I was at the Holt Renfrew in Calgary, Alberta. All the previous season’s clothes were on sale and I found a black stripe on black Armani Collezioni jacket and trousers. It was about 25% of the original price. I bought the two pieces even though the price was more than what I paid for my wedding gown. I loved that suit. I wore it and wore it over and over. My "cost per wear" was probably down to $1.00 by the time I lost weight, had the pants taken in twice and was no longer able to fit it, in 2010. Did I tell you, I loved that suit? I felt great in it. 

I believe that my clothes can give people a better image of themselves - that it can increase their feelings of confidence and happiness.

-       Giorgio Armani

NICE Suit #2: Size 6 Jacket, Size 4 Skirt: It was the Canadian Victoria Day holiday in May, 2011 and I was at the Holt Renfrew in Calgary, Alberta. Deja-vu. I was shopping for a special occasion and so I visited the Armani section first but found nothing appealing this time. I decided to seriously look at Canadian designers and found a Lida Baday suit that was perfect for the occasion. I chose this beige skirted suit and paid full price. Whereas the black Armani suit was classic and super basic, this one has a little more flair and no room to add an inch. At this very moment, the jacket is fine insofar as fit goes. In fact I wore it this week with a summer sheath dress I bought in 2011. Remember that 6 pounds I was telling you about in a previous post? Well, the bum hug on the skirt is just too grasping for me right now.

Since you are seeing the whole package on the left, the other clothing items and accessories are: Teenflo sleeveless cowl top in a creamy tone; rose quartz necklace (illustrated in the Statement Necklaces by JoyD page); Jimmy Choo nude peep toe heels (photograph in the Heels post, February 17, 2012).

As I look at the photo I realize that the sleeves should be shortened!

NO THANKS: I was in Paris in August, 2010, three days before I was to return to work in Canada and I always came home with something new to wear on my first day back. I guess that habit came from a back-to-school clothing buying tradition that I can blame on my mother. I don’t remember exactly but I was either in the 3^rd arrondisement, Le Marais, or perhaps I was already walking out of it. At any rate, I noticed a “pop-up store”, a temporary storefront loaded with Italian imports. I bought this suit but have never been comfortable or happy with the skirt. The skirt is asymmetrical with a sheer overlay and the jacket is knee-length, so not so much a jacket as a coat. The skirt overlay hangs down below the “jacket”, and just looks odd, actually "goofy" is a better descriptor. It was another piece I felt I had to remove from my closet. After a quick glance, one particular consignment store owner didn’t even consider taking it. I’m thinking of talking to a seamstress and see if I can remove the overlay from the skirt. I think that will make it wearable.


The self is not something ready-made, but something in continuous formation through choice of action.

- John Dewey

NOTE-WORTHY: It was the Canadian Victoria Day weekend in May, 2007, I was still a size 12 and I was at the Holt Renfrew in Edmonton, Alberta. I was shopping for something special for my Masters convocation that was to take place in a couple of weeks and I wanted a suit. Since I was lucky with Armani the year before and I have always liked Armani’s classic lines, I chose to start there. My husband and I walked into the Armani area of the store and he asked, “What about that one?”, as he pointed to a mannequin. Upon first glance, I grimaced, but I tried it on, liked it and bought it. I’ve only done that one other time and it was when my mother asked, “What about that one?” and I bought the wedding dress that was in the Winnipeg bridal shop window, the first one out of the fitting room. As far as this suit is concerned, I liked the asymetrical buttoning on the jacket although I have never been partial to that tight through the top, flared at the bottom style skirt. I ended up buying a brown pair of pants and wore that jacket a lot.


NEED: Presently my work and lifestyle only periodically requires “suits” and so I don’t need anything in this classification of clothing. Mind you, an Armani suit, on sale, in my current size could make its way into my closet, especially since Easter is just over a week away.

I dress for the image. Not for myself, not for the public, not for fashion, not for men. 

- Marlene Dietrich

Inviting your comments on suits.