Before I get into some outfits, here some key points that should be considered.
Now that you have some tips on purchasing, tailoring and caring for your suits so they always look good, here are three suited outfits to show you how to make them look stylish. These are really important things to consider because, let’s face it, suits are just suits. Few of them are all that exciting and you need to go the extra mile to make them look more than just okay. Whenever I style clients in suits the finishing touches and accessories are always the most important step. Below you’ll see why.
Outfit #1
I like this suit from Reiss because it takes a basic navy suit to the next level with the tone-on-tone plaid. It can still act like a solid navy suit but looks a little more interesting. Suits typically come in neutral shades, like this navy one, which means that any colors can be paired with it. In this outfit, I wanted to keep it soft and also wanted to show the strength of pink when styled right. I used this blush sleeveless blouse from Banana Republic under the jacket and added this beaded necklace from Max & Chloe that picks up the tone of the top. Lastly, I finished this suited look with taupe heels from Vince Camuto.
Now, imagine this suit was styled with the pink top and none of the finishing components, and was, instead, styled with navy shoes and a string of pearls. The suit would still look fine, but would be lacking something to make it really stand out while still being appropriate. Also, taupe shoes, beige ones and shades of nude make a huge difference in making a suit look more refined.
Outfit #2
Pinstripe suits, like this jacket and skirt from J. Crew, are so classic and so versatile. Treat pinstripes like solid suits and have fun with what you wear with them. In fact, when putting this outfit together I thought about using a printed top. It would really feminize the more serious stripe. Instead, I chose this Diane Von Furstenberg top in bright cobalt. To make the outfit more exciting, I added these colorful earrings from Kate Spade which allowed me introduce more colors while also picking up the blue in the top. Colorful jewelry can be so crucial when styling suits because they not only make the outfits look better but they can also tie together additional colors to the outfits. With the red in the earrings, I added these pumps from Ted Baker.
Take the accessories away and style this suit and top with a pair of black pumps and without jewelry. Can you see how these minor accessory tweaks make all the difference?
Outfit #3
Not all suited looks have to be suits. In fact, if suits aren’t required at your job on a daily basis, creating suited looks with skirts, dresses and pants and separate jackets can be a great alternative. However, it is important to keep in mind that, in order to successfully do this, you can’t force pieces to look like a suit. Make sure the jacket can stand on its own and looks more like a topper.
You may recognize this jacket from Boden which I used in this post on how to style casual blazers. I love when pieces can go from work-to-weekend so I wanted to use in this post. In this outfit I used the jacket over this basic black dress from Karen Millen. I’m sure you have a basic black dress in your closet. If you are looking to do more with it, try popping a blazer over it. If you are already doing that, take the next step, accessorize. Even though there are a lot of different colors in this outfit, they still harmonize. I did that by starting with the blazer and figuring out what colors would work well with it. I chose these shoes because yellow is and easy accent color that works well with other ones. Lastly, I added the blue bracelet from Bloomingdales for small hint of a final color. With all this color going on, I chose this gold multilayered necklace from Stella & Dot.
Now what if you wore the blazer with the jacket, didn’t accessorize and just wore black shoes? Fine, but not incredible. It’s all in the finishing.
Suits can be boring or they can be exciting. How you accessorize them will make all the difference.
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