When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more
If you want to ditch uncomfortably stiff skirts and dresses that you can't walk in, a suit is the best way to go. Donning the right suit can make you instantly feel more powerful, confident, and even give you a little bit of a royal pep in your step. But it can be hard to know exactly where to shop for women's workwear if you want a high-quality suit without the budget of a Duchess.
Whether you're in the market for a bridal suit for your big day or an everyday work suit to get you through meetings and commuting, we've got you covered. Personally, I highly recommend SuitShop's incredible, affordable options that feel custom, yet retail for under $250. We also know how difficult it can be maintain a sleek silhouette when it's the season for bundling up, so we've highlighted J.Crew's sweater blazer collection among our favorites for cozy business-casual separates.
Here are our picks for the best places to buy women's suits.
Best overall: SuitShop
SuitShop is an incredible place to get suits that feel like custom fits for much less money. In fact, most of their options hover around $225 for a full suit. Both the jacket and the pants in all of their offerings come in a short, a regular, and a long length — and the sizes range from a 00 to a 24.
Though you could dress it down for work, SuitShop's Women's White Tuxedo would be a showstopper at formal events and elegant outings. It's made of satin and expertly tailored to be flattering on your figure. If you want a suit made of a more casual fabric, staples like the Deep Teal Suit and the Charcoal Grey Suit are made of a stretchier polyester and spandex blend.
Best separates: Everlane
We reviewed Everlane's collection of women's workwear and loved their Tencel Oversized Blazer and Way-High Taper Pant. All of their blazer and trouser separates bring stylish touches to classic silhouettes — whether it's a modern oversized look or a retro 80s cut. We've always loved Everlane for their transparent pricing and their suit options reflect their usual commitment to quality.
Most variety: Express
Express is a great go-to for suits that are colorful and trendy. Unlike some retailers that focus on muted and traditional styles, you can find options for a velvet jewel toned suit, a fully sequined ensemble, and a suit with shorts. Plus, after the work day is done, you can easily hit a happy hour with friends in the same outfit without feeling like you're dressed too stuffy to be drinking a margarita.
Best basic: Spanx
The Spanx Perfect Pant is famous for being — well, perfect. With over a thousand five star reviews on the website and lots of buzz about how comfortable they are, these might just become one-half of your new favorite suit. They come in petite, regular, and tall, in addition to a bunch of cuts like flare, wide-leg, slim, split-seam, and more.
Our Executive Editor, Sally Kaplan, loves the petite wide-leg version: "The waist on the wide-leg pair was smoothing but not uncomfortably tight. I loved that they just slipped right on (good for busy mornings) and that the weight of the pants keeps the legs from blowing around too much." See our full review of the Spanx Perfect Pant to see which other cuts were our favorites. The Perfect Blazer pairs with the pants for a look that is classic — but far more comfortable and sculpting than you might expect.
Best splurge: M.M. LaFleur
M.M. LaFleur's suits are highly-functional and built with their signature attention to detail. Many of their options come with features that will make your most practical friend drool — like deep pockets, snaps to keep your bra straps in place, and adjustable hems that turn your full-length trouser into a cropped pant. These clothes are slightly more expensive than some other options on this list, but springing for an M.M. LaFleur suit guarantees a piece made with ultra-high quality materials and meticulous design.
Best with inclusive sizing: Universal Standard
We love this brand for their huge range of sizes — they go from a size 00 to a size 40. In our review of Universal Standard's denim line, we were particularly impressed with how comfortable the styles can be. The trousers in their professional line also feature an elastic waistband for comfort — something we definitely need when sitting at a desk for long hours or traveling for work. The fabric itself is also designed with a little bit of stretch and (miraculously) won't wrinkle. The brand promises that you can wear these pieces "right out of your suitcase when traveling," which is great for jet-setters.
Best for standing out: Good American
Good American's Bosswear section is a treasure trove of blazers, skirts, trousers, and dresses that are designed to make you feel like you're the CEO. What's unique about Good American is the hint of sexy that part-owner Khloe Kardashian brings to her tailored apparel. The Scuba Slim Zip Pant is designed to give you "the best butt ever" and the Compression Shine Bootcut Trouser is billed as "curve-hugging, shape-enhancing, confidence-boosting." Though sexy workwear seems like an oxymoron, Good American's styles prove that you don't have to hide your curves under baggy fabrics in order to look professional.
The clothes are also available in extended sizes up to 28 or 5XL — check out our review of Good American's pull-on jeans to see how they look on different body types.
Best for building a capsule wardrobe: Theory
Theory is famous for their high-quality, work-ready attire. Their pants, in particular, are incredibly flattering since they come in all kinds of cuts for all kinds of legs. While the Demetria Pant is meant to elongate your legs, their high-rise Pleated Wide-Leg Pant is designed for people who prefer their pants to be roomier. A full suit at Theory will run you about $500, but it can get you from a wedding to a board room and everywhere in between.
Best for petites: Banana Republic
Banana Republic is a mall staple and one of the best places to get professional-looking suits in a variety of colors and materials. This fall, the luxury tier of the GAP brand partnered with fashion designer and Peter Do for a masterfully tailored collaboration that quickly sold out. Still, the mainstays of Banana Republic's suiting collection are one of our favorites for fitting small frames. Most of their offerings come in petite sizes, so you won't have to bother with running to the tailor before you want to wear them.
Best for winter suiting: J. Crew
J.Crew is a trusted name in workwear and their suits naturally reflect their preppy, professional vibe. They have a collection of typical blazers ranging from slim to a relaxed fit — but they also have a fun and unique line of sweater blazers. These are made of soft material like cotton and Merino wool so they fit more like a cardigan but still have lapels like a blazer. You can pair them with a sweater pant for a comfy version of a suit that's perfect for the winter. And while you're at it, be sure to check out J. Crew's line of statement jewelry to spice up some of their more muted styles.
Best for summer suiting: Ann Taylor
Ann Taylor is great for getting all kinds of separates. In fact, many of the suit options can also be paired with dresses and skirts in the same color and material. This is a great option for making the blazers go from winter to summer without having to buy a whole new set. Another bonus is that lots of these pieces are machine washable, which means you wont have to spend extra money at the dry cleaners everytime your suit needs to be cleaned.
Ann Taylor's sizing goes from 00-18 and you can get the most of the suits in petite, regular, and tall lengths.
Best for customization: Sene
Sene's options are "sizeless" and 100% customizable. You can get your custom measurements one of two ways — you can either take a quiz to determine your fit or you can measure yourself at home. If you opt for the quiz, it will ask your questions about your height and weight, but also about your posture, how clothes normally fit you, the slope of your shoulders, and more. We reviewed the Sene Soho FlexTech Suit that's designed for men and loved it because of how comfortable and customizable it is. At just under $600, getting a Sene suit will be slightly more expensive than some of the options on this list — but it would cost far more to go to a tailor and get a suit customized for you. If you want a suit built for you, this is the way to go.
Read the original article on Insider
------------ Read More
By: [email protected] (Samantha Crozier) Title: The 12 best suits for women 2023 Sourced From: www.insider.com/guides/style/best-suits-for-women Published Date: Tue, 12 Dec 2023 17:59:06 +0000