Professional Ladies: Where do you buy your suits/shirts?
 

So I'm having a bit of an issue. In my new job, I have a number of occasions where professional dress is important. This is either a full suit, or dress trousers and dress shirts.

I am also quite broad shouldered, and also tall. The result is either buying boxy ugly shirts that fit my shoulders but make my torso look chubby, or buying shirts that fit my torso but pull at the bust and have arms that stop somewhere nearish my elbow.

The only place I've managed to come up with stylish, fitted, long enough (in arms and shirttails!) shirts that haven't been equally expensive in alterations is a British shirtmaker, TM Lewin. I lurrrve stuff from there, and every once in a while, they have fabulous sales (see also; today! I bought 4 to go along with the 2 I bought in Glasgow earlier in the year). But importing a bloody shirt from Britain every time I need one isn't very practical, is it?

Banana Republic lost my shirt business a while ago for changing the fit of their shirts, and for some reason the fabric they use and my skin do. not. agree. I am good with their trousers, but again, I have a hard time finding longs that are not also huge in the arse (again, with the alterations!).

So, does anyone have any super awesome suiting retailers they'd like to share with me?

I'm 25, if that helps, so the pea colored shoulder padded jacket combo is not for me. I'd be willing to shell out serious cash for a truly fantastic suit (using the "less is more, buy quality and keep it forever" theory). I have a grey suit jacket+skirt that I got at United Colors of Benneton a while ago, but it is starting to show its age, and the skirt is now massive on me (thanks, marathon training)...hmm.

ETA: The final bit complicating this is that I'm stuck in Norman, OK. I don't have a car out here, which is awesome for my bike mileage and the planet, but bad for my ability to go shopping at a decent mall. So that, of course, leaves me with online options. I can get it altered if I can bloody get it here and it fits somewhat. Auugh.

Ann Taylor or New York and Company.

I recommend:

Chico's. Go into any Chico's store and an associate will magnetically attach herself to you and help you with whatever you need. If there isn't a Chico's near you, go online. Buy tank tops or short-sleeved shirts, then buy a jacket.

Lane Bryant. They sell plus sizes, so this may or may not help you. I have an interview suit from LB from when I was heavier... I will be wearing said suit tomorrow as I must attend a funeral :(

The best advice I can give any woman when it comes to buying business apparel: shop like a man.

If you ever go to the Men's suit department of, say, Macy's - they have someone there ready to help you find the right suit who knows the floor and the inventory and can probably tell what size you take by looking at you, and as soon as you step out of the fitting room, a seamstress waiting to mark and tailor the suit for you.

Women beat themselves up for not fitting right off the rack.

First, find a store you like and enlist the sales people to help you. Then find a good seamstress, buy with the expectation that you'll be visiting her soon after, and develop a relationship so that if you need a quick turnaround, she'll be glad to accomodate.

And if stuff doesn't fit off the rack, don't blame yourself...

I go to Zara for workwear.
They have very nice suits,they are very well cut, and cater to tall people.

When I was working I bought everything at Talbot's or Ann Taylor Loft. The materials were awesome and took a beating.

Whenever I go to The Final Cut (a BCBG outlet), they have a large selection of suiting pieces. I rarely need to wear things like that so I can't say much about them in terms of fit and such, but the regular BCBG line tends to fit well. I think a lot of the pieces are from BCBGeneration, but main line suiting is nice too.

I second the New York & Company suggestion. I have to wear suits for work functions and I'm tall (36-37 inch inseam). It's one of the only places I've ever been able to find tall pants and jackets that don't break the bank. It's much cheaper to buy off the rack and get it tailored than to buy a custom suit, in my experience. Clothes from NY&CO tend to be a bit more youthful without being trendy in the suiting department, which I like. Their button-downs are also cut nicely - they fit well, but sometimes I wish they had a tall size in those to get just a little more arm length!

I've also had some luck at JC Penney. They have a variety of lengths and sizes - you just have to search a bit. My local store doesn't have much, but look through the catalog or online.

Third. New York and Company has really good sales very often (like 50% of the entire store or they like) in addition to decent prices. They are also really stylish pieces, but without being unprofessional. This is especially nice with the skirts. It's really hard to find knee-length suit skirts that don't make you feel 50, but they do it.

They also have really cute jewlery, and it's very easy to mix and match everything in the store.

Kasper suits are really nice and if you can find a Kasper outlet they are very much marked down. I got a $200 suit over winter break for $85. Granted that was with some sale prices, but without them it would have only been like $115.
My mom works for the state of PA and always dresses professionally (like I don't even see her in jeans on weekends) and buys A LOT of her suits from Kasper.
They also have nice fitting suits for petites. A lot of their suits I think focus on an older customer, but their simple black/grey/neutral/psuedo neutral suits are very nice and very professional looking for a younger person.

Talbots and Ann Taylor are too conservative for me. They remind me of Bree VandeCamp.

I have purchased some great suits (and at a reduced cost) at TJ Maxx. Each was around $70. I pick up shifts (dresses) at Marshalls and Steinmart, and great jackets at Nordstroms, Saks, etc. I wear these with my vast "black-pant" wordrobe.

I wore Kasper quite a bit in the 90s, but you have to watch which of their lines you are looking at as to what demographic to which they are catering (i.e. ASL, Le Suit, Tahari). One of the things I liked about Kasper was that they were very consistent in their sizing. At the time, I was a size 4 and if I saw a suit, I could buy it without trying it on because I knew it would fit.

Pendleton.

They are not cheap, but their clothes are high quality. They have also really expanded away from just the preppy look to some more fun items. Still fairly conservative and would be appropriate in a professional setting.

I worked in a Pendelton store all through college. I still buy from them and have gorgeous pleated skirts I've worn for years that still look brand new. :)

I'm built kind of like you, tall and inverted triangle shape (broad shoulders, narrow hips, big rack, no waist). My suit is from J. Crew, but I bought it five years ago so I can't speak to their current suiting line.

Best button-down shirts for me are J. Crew -- big enough for my chest but cut slim throughout the torso, and long enough that they stay tucked in. The house brand at Nordstrom also works well, though they aren't as long. Outside of those two brands, I try to avoid button-downs because they're all boxy and look awful. I buy a lot of embellished sleeveless or short sleeved silk tops from various places that look beautiful with cardigans/jackets and still look professional without any boob-gap issues.

I've also done well with pants from J. Crew, as long as I get the long size. I also have four different colors of the same wool pencil skirt from J. Crew that I adore.

Ann Taylor really doesn't work well for me -- the pants seem to be cut for someone with a smaller waist and bigger hips.

I third it! JCPenney's and Macy's are also good. Every suit I've gotten from Macy's, I've gotten on clearance. For some reason, they often have nice suits on clearance at the local one.

I ditto Macys. I have a few suits from there (granted, interview/internship quality, not necessarily as nice as if I was making full-time income) and I really like them.

K&G - looks like you'll be able to shop online before too much longer. kgstores.com. They are kind of like a Burlington Coat factory. Good prices, lots to choose from.

Eldest daughter who is 5'11" with long legs, and has to wear your basic conservative suit to work, has found Tahari and Nine West suits work well for her and are actually long enough (ok, she wears flats, but still the pants are long enough to not look like they are supposed to be cropped length, and the skirts are pretty conservative in length). You can get them at Lord and Taylor, and also sometimes luck out at TJMaxx, Marshalls or Nordstrom Rack, like benzgirl suggested. Shirts are tough, have you tried Gap tall broadcloth suit shirts? How about Tahari shirts sized up and tailored, or Brooks Brothers? Of course you could go all out and get Thomas Pink shirts...

Nordstrom, Talbots and Macys.

Talbots has recently updated their styling a little, and it now offers a nice mix of conservative traditional and updated classics. Their clothes are very high quality and wear really well. All of my dress shirts from there I've had for several years, and they're just as crisp and colorfast as when I bought them. Macys is good for a casual suit, but for a nice wool suit, I'd go with Nordstrom or Talbots.

JCrew has nice suits, as well, I just don't fit their clothes very well.

I don't have to wear "professional dress" (ie, suits) very often--in fact, I only have two, and I can't remember the last time I've worn them. It's just the nature of my profession.

I do, however, prefer Brooks Brothers for the times I have to buy button-down shirts and the like. The stuff lasts forever.

I would recommend Nordstrom when they have a sale because they alter for free. The difference between an ugly unflattering man-fit suit and a perfect feminine line is a perfect alteration. I've had Nordstrom to magical things for me for suits and cocktail dresses.

As for me, I have almost all of my clothes made for peanuts by a tailor, but that's one beautiful thing (along with 75 degree weather in January) about living in the Middle East.

Talbots. The best thing to do is to buy off their sales rack. I've found some great skirts and pants in my size (14, but knocking on the door to 16 - yikes!). You have to go on a regular basis to find the good stuff on sale.

For tops- I've gotten into twin sets and knit tops for some reason, and I've found some good ones at Nordstroms.

I agree when someone mentioned Brooks Brothers for button down shirts.

Nordstroms, sometimes Macy's. Where EVER you get your suits, find a good tailor!!

I love Brooks Brothers, but if you have broad shoulders and long arms with a somewhat narrow torso, the off-the-rack shirts won't fit well. They are beautifully tailored, however.

PhoenixAzul, I did some retail therapy and will let you know how the lewin shirts fit. I just couldn't resist.

And I agree with NinjaPoodle;everyone needs a good tailor. There are times when it makes the difference between looking good and looking great.

Oh hooray! I hope you like them. I always get compliments when I wear the two I already have. They have a great return policy too, so if they're no good, return them! If you're ever in Britain, go to the store because the sale staff, at least in the Glasgow one, were fantastic (non pushy, fun, and gave good opinions).

I'm with you on all this. I'm not a fan of Ann Taylor because it's too conservative preppy for me- I think it looks great if you have just the right body for it, but I'm certainly not one of them.

I purchase almost all of my work clothes from Marshalls, Ross, and TJ Maxx. You have to weed through crazy glittery things, but I go every 4-6 weeks and have gotten quite efficient at flipping through the racks. I don't wear button down shirts because they just plain don't fit me- I go for more knits and silky shirts. There are usually a couple of racks of the fancier name brands as well. Because it's less expensive, I find myself taking more "risks" because if I try wearing something new (a new color, style, pattern, fabric, whatever) and decide after a couple of wearings that it's not for me, I'm okay with being out $8-20. Much better than $40, that's for sure!

I've also had good luck with Macy's, Ann Taylor Loft, and New York & Co... but every season the fabrics and cuts change so dramatically that I'll sometimes take a 2-3 year hiatus between buying anything at the stores. My proper suit jacket is from Macy's, but I've only worn it once I think, during my first round of interviews after college. The northwest is just not fancy enough to demand suit jackets for women in most industries. And hey, I'm not going to argue with that!