Tips on Choosing a Women's Suit

The search for a fashionable women's suit depends just as much on looks as it does comfort, fit and versatility. In the past, women's suits have been basic in color and style, but more designers are focusing on the needs of professional women to help enhance the stylish qualities of a suit. When shopping for a suit, keep your existing wardrobe in mind to increase everyday outfit options.

Buying Women's Suits:

1. Find flattering skirts and pants. For a more professional look, a skirt suit is ideal, but women's pantsuits are also very slimming and add height. To increase your wardrobe options, look for suits that feature a jacket, pants and a skirt that you can wear with existing blouses in your closet. Add one inch to your hip measurements to create comfort and ease of movement and to ensure a good fit with the suit pants. Fashionable skirt suits are straight with a knee-length hem and feature a zipper in the back.

2. Look for quality fabrics. Stick to neutral fabric colors and patterns when deciding on a women's business suit. Black, grey and navy are classic professional colors that coordinate with virtually any blouse you already own. When purchasing a patterned women's business suit, examine it thoroughly to be sure that all patterns line up at the shoulder and side seams. Worsted wool, a quality fiber found most often in suits, flatters most body types and is a durable textile. Worsted wool is versatile for year-round use because it is cool enough for summer use and keeps you warm during the winter. Other suit fabrics that work well during warmer months include linen, poplin and seersucker.

3. Get a perfect fit. Depending on your body type, selecting a properly fitted suit is the difference between looking put-together and looking uncomfortable. Tall women should look for dress suits with simple, straight lines and a jacket with wide lapels. This detail will create the illusion that the body is wider, thus keeping the height proportional. Curvaceous women should look for dress suits that accentuate the waist and hips. Jackets that fall around the waist with a rounded lapel collar are a flattering look, as are skirts that have a curved seam.

4. Choose styles right for your body type. If you have larger hips, buy women's pantsuits with slightly flared legs to balance your top half. Petite women should buy pantsuits with jackets that fall at the hips or slightly below to elongate the body. The best skirt styles are A-line or pencil silhouettes, and vertical patterns or stripes will help to create an illusion of height. Straight-legged pantsuits are flattering on almost every body type, as are pencil skirt suits.