Question for women in business regarding suits

[Charlotte Barnes]

Hi all,

I've been working in online and offline marketing for about 10 years now and from business to business, my dress code has gone from super casual to suited-and-booted. Not a problem, as I love dressing formally, especially when I can wear a dapper suit.

However, my biggest issue has always been buying a suit. I love the way men's suits are marketed online; you can buy the full ensemble - jacket, shirt, trousers and waistcoat on one page. But when you want to do that with a woman's suit, you have to go through pages of 'tailoring', picking out different pieces in different categories and hoping they match once you get them delivered.

I know there are high end online shops that do offer the full package, but I'm looking at more affordable work wear.

So my question is this, am I unique in my search? Are other women looking for suits they can buy in the same way men can, or am I looking for something no one else wants or cares about?

Feedback would be much appreciated.

 

[MikeJ]

Not your target audience here but....

When I was buying suits regularly, I'd use Slaters. My wife would come with me, and always said she'd love to buy work clothes in that environment, rather than have them along side casual clothes in shops.

 

[Alyson Dyer]

I don”t wear suits anymore it’s too formal and it can make clients uncomfortable.
When I did buy suits though I never found it a problem: find a website, click workwear, job done.

 

[ethical PR]

I've never encountered a problem buying workwear. All the high street chains offer workwear including suits. Where you can everything up from suits, to handbags to shoes to scarves to jewellry.

Having said that I don't wear suits that much. More inclined to wear a dress with a jacket for formal meetings.

So in answer to your question. Yes, it does sound like you are unique in encountering a problem sourcing affordable workwear on the high street.

 

[am:pm graphics]

I don't wear suits but if I did I would search on the high street. I'm not a fan of buying clothes online!

 

[Charlotte Barnes]

Thank you all for the replies

 

[J. Gracia]

I don't wear formal office clothing/suits much. But when I did buy this type of clothing, I purchased them in physical shops, rather than online.

That being said, if I were going to buy such clothing nowadays, I would look at buying online and would appreciate easy to buy outfits, in the way you've suggested, similar to how the men's are made easy to buy.

 

[Ian J]

I love the way men's suits are marketed online; you can buy the full ensemble - jacket, shirt, trousers and waistcoat on one page. .

I would never dream of buying a suit online as I would want to feel the fabric before buying it

 

[deniser]

You are right that women's suits are not sold as a set but I don't think they ever were.

In the old days (late 80s, early 90s) we all wore suits to work. But that was pre-internet also so you would go to any shop and the matching items from the same "story" would be displayed together on a rail so that you could easily make up a suit with jacket and different skirt shapes or trousers.

And that is probably the crux of the matter. A man's suit is a pretty standard type of thing whereas a woman's suit has infinite variables - long, 3/4 and short sleeves on the jacket - short, knee length, calf length and ankle length skirts, trousers in slim or classic cut, pencil skirts, fit and flare or gathered skirts.

If they were sold as sets you wouldn't have the choice of styles that there is currently. And the market for women's suits must be tiny compared to that for men so you can't offer as much choice.

I kept one black suit from the old work days. It is a designer one from Paris and has withstood the test of time. I only wear it to funerals now!

 

[HazelC]

Agreed fully with @deniser - there are lots more options for women with jackets and skirts, baggy trousers, skinny trousers, flared trousers, super skinny trousers, bum shaping trousers, short trousers, the list goes on - ans you get different sleeve lengths for jackets too.

When I did wear suits (10yrs back) I liked the fact I could put my own outfit together in a shop and a 'pre-made' suit would probably bother me.

However, now I wear dresses more commonly or trousers and top - the suit thing isn't for me.

I presume @MikeJ means he is not your target audience here, as opposed to this site is not your target audience?

 

[Charlotte Barnes]

@HazelC Yes, I was aiming for women over men as I feel men already have easily accessible suits online. However, the comments posted here have made me think that perhaps I am targeting the wrong audience overall, and I need to focus on more of a niche - women who want the look of men's suits as opposed to fitted women's styles.

Personally, I prefer the fit of men's suits over women's as I think they are more comfortable. All of the suit pieces I currently own are men's.

 

[BustersDogs]

I don't wear suits for work, but if I did I wouldn't want to buy a 'set'. I am, like many women, a different size on the top from the bottom. So would prefer to buy separates. But I'd also want to go to a shop and try them on together, rather than buy online. In fact if I just needed one, I'd get one bespoke and consider it an investment.

 

[HazelC]

I don't wear suits for work, but if I did I wouldn't want to buy a 'set'. I am, like many women, a different size on the top from the bottom. So would prefer to buy separates. But I'd also want to go to a shop and try them on together, rather than buy online. In fact if I just needed one, I'd get one bespoke and consider it an investment.

That's such a valid point; I was thinking different styles wise but you're right... very few women are the same size top and bottom! lol

 

[paulears]

I buy lots of suits - some normal, some very strange, but I work in the entertainment industry, so my needs are a bit weird. I've been an using online supplier for years now - iTailor. I'm not sure how their system would work for ladies - but as I have got older my waist has stayed the same size but my tummy has expanded considerably, and I wanted suits that fitted properly. The iTailor system lets me have suits that fit me properly. Practically everything is customisable - so if you want grey with black pocket flaps and collars, and what vivid cerise lining, any number of buttons and cuts - you can have it. I have never been let down by the fabric and you can see it build your customisations on the screen. Same with their shirts. Its worth spending half an hour playing with shirts and suits - they do have some ladies stuff too, but I've not looked in that section. Would this be of any use. Its probably 6-8 wks for a typical delivery. The measurement section has videos that explain exactly how to produce your measurements and the only bad suit was my son's - where he tried to measure himself, ending up with too short a jacket and very long sleeves. Mine just fit perfectly, and each order you can adjust up or down as it saves your sizes. My next one will have two inches off the stomach as the diet has worked a bit!

 

[Charlotte Barnes]

Thank you @paulears, I'll take a look!