Women's Suits Buying Guide
from Overstock.comA business suit is the most sophisticated style option in women's career clothing. Easy to wear with no need to coordinate separates, women's suits look smart, well-groomed and in fashion at the same time. It is also versatile. The chic suit is appropriate at most social events where dress pants or skirts are worn. A quick change of accessories will turn your business suit into an elegant evening women's clothing ensemble. At Overstock.com, you'll find a variety of suits to fit your wardrobe needs. We've prepared this women's suit buying guide to help you sort through the options.
Women's suit buying tips
The classic women's business suit consists of a jacket and skirt or trousers made of the same fabric, often a fine wool or wool blend. Three-piece suits for women may include a jacket, pants or skirt plus a shirt, or, sometimes, a jacket plus both pants and a skirt. Dark colors such as black, charcoal, gray and navy are the usual choice for both women's skirt suits and women's pants suits. Pinstripes give you a sharp, serious appearance while bold colors set you apart from the crowd. White and ivory are also popular colors. Shirts, shoes and jewelry further expand the style options for a women's suit.
Clearly, the women's suit maintains a high profile in her wardrobe and should be of good quality. A well-fitting, finely crafted suit creates a sophisticated appearance. If you're among the many who have a hard time finding a well-fitting suit, women's suit separates are an alternative offering more flexibility. Fashion experts agree: anyone who wants to present a professional, elegant appearance should purchase at least one good women's business suit. Even those on a strict budget should buy the best pant suit or skirt suit that fits their budget. Of course, with Overstock.com's discounted prices, even a strict budget can fit some really fine clothing.
Women's suit components
The jacket of a women's suit can be simple, dressy, casual or sporty. A simple women's jacket, such as the single-breasted blazer with slender lapels, is a good choice for a high-end career suit as the design stays in style. The career suit jacket, following menswear designs, may be single breasted or double breasted; having one or two rows of vertical buttons respectively. On the other hand, women's suits also follow current fashion trends. Jackets may have zipper fronts, belts, or short sleeves. High quality jackets have a full lining, though lightweight summer jackets may dispense with the lining for comfort. The suit coat should fit snugly without pulling through the shoulders. A jacket's hem can fall anywhere from the waist to the knee, depending on the suit style.
The other half of a women's suit consists of trousers with loose-fitting legs or a form-fitting pencil skirt. Just like the suit jacket, high-quality pants and skirts have a partial or full lining. Of course, this piece also follows fashion trends in women's pants and women's skirts. A pant leg can be straight, loose or form-fitting. The professional pant leg hem brushes the vamp of the shoe. Skirt lengths usually hit near the knee (just above or just below); however, the trendsetting business suit of the 1990s paired a traditional jacket with a mini skirt. Suits also feature A-line skirts.
Women's suit terminology
- A-line: A dress or skirt that flairs from the waist to the hem to form an A shape. An A-line skirt is often part of a skirt suit.
- Blazer: A single-breasted jacket< with lapels. The modern blazer style evolved from the jackets worn by boys or men as part of school or club uniforms.
- Collar: The section of a shirt or jacket that encircles the neck. The jacket collar often has lapels that extend to the button placket.
- Lapels: The extension of a or coat collar that folds back against the chest.
- Pencil skirt: A classic knee-length, curve-hugging skirt. It usually has a slit in the back or front to aid the wearer in walking. A pencil skirt is often part of a skirt suit.
- Peplum: The flared band of fabric at the hem of fitted women's blouses or jackets that covers the top of pantsor a skirt.
- Pleat: A fold in the fabric that creates fullness in a skirt.
- Princess seams: Curved seams in the bodice of a woman's blouse, dress, or jacket that create a better fit and smoother silhouette.
- Single/Double breasted: A jacket with one or two vertical rows of buttons that fasten the garment. For women, the right front section of a double-breasted jacket overlaps the left section.
- Skinny pants: Women's trousers with narrow legs that emphasize the figure. Skinny pants are a good choice for balancing bulky or long jackets and sweaters.
- Straight leg: Pants with slim legs that neither flare nor taper from hip to ankle. Straight leg pants minimize the curve of the hip.
- Tapered leg: Pant legs that narrow from the hip to the ankle.
- Trousers: Synonym for pants; when applied to women's apparel, trousers usually refers to dressier pants with loose-fitting, ankle-length legs.
- Tuxedo: Originally a men's formal wear exclusive, this suit style has now established itself as women's formal wear also. Usually black, the 'tux' often features satin lapels and a satin seam stripe on the pants.
- Vents: A vertical slit at the back of a jacket that creates a more comfortable fit; most jackets are single- or double-vented, some have no vent.
What are the best fabrics for women's suits?
Carefully consider fabric when choosing a new suit. Fabric and weave affect the style, formality, fit and care of your clothing. Wool and silk are the finest fabrics for women's suits, with wool being more common. To assist your shopping, we include the fabric composition of our clothing in each product description.
- Silk: The finest natural fabric (spun on the looms of the gods, according to legend). Nothing comes close in luster, warmth, strength or durability. Silk clothes are also more expensive and more difficult to maintain than other materials.
- Wool: Overall the best fabric for women's suits, durable, good looking but affordably priced. Actually the hair of certain animals, it varies in grade from good to heavenly. Some wools are of such quality they are never just called wool -- alpaca from the South American alpaca, angora from the Angora rabbit, camel hair from the Bactrian (two-hump) camel, cashmere from the Kashmir sheep and mohair from the Angora goat.
- Linen: A natural fiber produced from the stem of the flax plant. Stronger, stiffer and more lustrous than cotton, it is resistant to deterioration. Linen clothing wrinkles easily, requiring more maintenance than cotton or synthetics, but linen remains a popular fabric for lightweight summer suits.
- Cotton: A natural fiber from the head of the cotton plant. Most of the best dress shirts are cotton, as are casual clothes and, of course, blue jeans. Cotton comes in a variety of weaves -- poplin, broadcloth, Oxford -- to suit many tastes and the new finishes have reduced wrinkling.
- Acrylic, Nylon, Polyester, Rayon: Synthetic fibers, which are easier to clean, but lack the durability, breathability or appearance of natural fibers. Synthetic fibers are often found in dress suits and career clothing.
- Blends: Since each fabric has limitations, they are often blended in women's clothing to take advantage of the best qualities in each. For example, silk with wool for affordability and cotton or linen with synthetics for durability and wrinkle resistance.
- Gabardine: A durable fabric with a worsted twill weave that resists wrinkles. Wool gabardine is a popular year round fabric for suits and trousers.
- Knit: A fabric made from only one set of yarns that all run the same direction. Knit fabrics have a slightly bumpy texture. Knits are a good choice for casual clothing and career clothing. Jersey knit is smooth on the front and looped in back.
- Woven: Fabrics composed of two yarns, one for warp (horizontal fibers), the other for weft (vertical fibers). Woven fabrics are held together by interlacing warp and weft over and under each other.
How do I care for my new suit?
Follow the care instructions on the manufacturer's label to keep your clothes in good condition. These care instructions are tailored to the garment's fabric and design. Most fine suits require professional cleaning. The added expense of professional dry cleaning will pay off in the long run as it prolongs the life of the clothing. All Overstock.com product descriptions include care instructions so you'll be aware of your clothing's care needs before you make the purchase. Check for loose buttons or torn linings often and have a tailor or your cleaner make necessary repairs. A tailor can also replace the entire lining of a jacket or a pair of pants, extending the wearing life.
Can I create a suit from separates?
Of course you can create a suit from women's separates. Clothing separates provide more fashion possibilities. Put together the sleek look of a suit with dress pants, jackets, and blazers. While it is difficult to match patterns, a proper brown tweed jacket pairs beautifully with black wool trousers. Our women's apparel department has a selection of suit separates in standard, juniors, petites and plus sizes to help everyone build a sophisticated corporate wardrobe.
Completing the suit
After choosing the perfect women's suit, complete the outfit with shirts, shoes and accessories from Overstock.com's clothing store. We have an amazing variety of women's shirts. A tailored, long sleeve shirt in white or ivory is your go-to option for pin-striped pant suits. A black turtleneck adds classic sophistication to a women's blazer. Affordable fitted camisoles and tank tops will add snazzy splashes of color to black or gray suits.
Of course, you'll need new shoes to match that new suit. Match shoes to the formality of the clothes and the occasion. When wearing a suit, most women prefer heels, especially if the skirt is mid-length or longer. Women's pumps, sandals and slingbacks all complement skirts and trousers.
Finally, use great accessories and jewelry to change the tone of a women's suit from serious to dressy to casual. A great watch is a must-have item for the office and chic designer handbags enhance any style. You'll find all the accessories you need at Overstock.com.
Taking the suit out of the office
Women's suits provide multiple style options. Put together a hip urban look with a suit blazer, jeans, and boots or heels. For a night on the town, trade the jacket for a glittery sleeveless shirt worn with the pants and strappy sandals.
If you are looking for an elegant outfit for an important occasion, women's dress suits are an ideal choice. The dress suit consists of a skirt and a jacket that doesn't require a blouse. Fancier than the conservative skirt suit, the dress suit often features fashionable colors in bright or pastel tones and patterns. Pretty embellishments such as ruffles on the hems often adorn the suit. This is the suit you wear with matching shoes, a fabulous handbag and equally fabulous hat.
Shopping for women's fashion clothing has never been easier. You'll find these styles and many others, all for a great price, at Overstock.com.