Did you have the same first suit shopping experience I did in college?
It was time to start applying for internships and so I needed to have a suit to wear to an interview. My mom and I went to Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, and Macy’s in pursuit of an affordable suit that fit well and looked professional. All of the suits I tried on made me feel like my high school principal (basically, not great) because they were just so stuffy, traditional, and boring. Fast forward to almost ten years later, I am now in a client-facing role where first impressions matter more than ever. I want to be perceived as polished, sophisticated, and knowledgeable. Most importantly, I wanted to feel confident and powerful.
To start my hunt for a suit, I asked my female colleagues where they had purchased their favorite suits. Some had suggested Theory, Massimo Dutti, The Kooples, and Reiss. These are all on the pricey side so if I was going down that route, I wanted perfect fit, timeless design, and to feel like Olivia Pope.
I struck luck at Theory with their Good Wool Suit. I loved the modern design of the collarless blazer which felt youthful. There was the option to pair the blazer with pants, skirt, or dress. I opted for the pants and the dress (pant first, dress later on sale). I chose to get the suit in navy blue because again, black felt just too traditional and stuffy for me personally.
While it was a splurge, I didn’t have to spend a cent on tailoring and I can’t explain how great it made me feel. Immediately, I felt ready to conquer the world, so that was all I needed to justify the cost at the time. Three years later, the suit has held up really well and I still find myself reaching for it before every important meeting.
