Formal Business Wear

[Jeannette]

I find myself having to wear a suit more and more lately, complete with jacket. This is a tough fit for me at best, as anything that'll fit my chest is loose on my waist, and anything that fits my waist wont close over my chest. Then there's the matter of having enough arm movement to self-propel.

So, for all you women who wear them, where do you get your suit jackets from, and how much motion limitation do you have to "just deal with" in order to get a nice fit?

[betheny]

Find a good tailor. Buy them to fit your chest, and the tailor will make it fit your waist. I get them cut shorter too, works better in a chair for me. Make sure they understand that you want the pants long. I buy expensive suits for the rallies, but I get them cheap at smartbargains.com. Sometimes they have $99 suit sales! They carry a lot of Anne Klein and such, it is basically clearance for Loehmann's. Last year's red silk was a $1200.00 Italian suit, got it for $300. Gotta go pick up this year's at the tailor here in a sec.

I think my new favorite is Larry Levine. Unbelievably well cut, with all these inserts at the waist.

I also learned by watching What Not To Wear that if you're big-chested, the number and placement of buttons on the jacket is important. More buttons, with the top one above the breasts = more coverage and less chest emphasis for the business environment.

I have freakishly broad shoulders. If it fits my shoulders it will definitely have pushing room.

How do you prefer them cut at the bottom? Do you like your belly covered? I find that a jacket cut with the curve below the buttons, that sort of exposes the belly is more slimming. (If I'm making sense.) I don't have much curve between waist-hips and find that gives me some. My daily leather jacket is cut that way and I love it.

I hate it when the bottom of the jacket is cut straight. It hangs well on the standing but it gapes and looks sloppy in a chair.

[Foolish Old]

Originally Posted by betheny

Find a good tailor. Buy them to fit your chest, and the tailor will make it fit your waist. I get them cut shorter too, works better in a chair for me. Make sure they understand that you want the pants long. I buy expensive suits for the rallies, but I get them cheap at smartbargains.com. Gotta go pick up this year's at the tailor here in a sec.

I also learned by watching What Not To Wear that if you're big-chested, the number and placement of buttons on the jacket is important. More buttons, with the top one above the breasts = more coverage and less chest emphasis for the business environment.

I have freakishly broad shoulders. If it fits my shoulders it will definitely have pushing room.

Bethany,

Maybe it's just here in South Florida, but I see a trend for women to accent their breasts in business settings.

[betheny]

My TV viewing tells me that is a major trend in South Florida!

I guess anytime you buy something new you want to show it off, right? But there is a time and place for everything.

[Jeannette]

Originally Posted by betheny

I guess anytime you buy something new you want to show it off, right? But there is a time and place for everything.

Well, mine aren't new, nor are they purchased - but they're impossible to hide. In a truly supportive bra, they're quite obvious, even. :P

I'm not worried about it, it's not like I flant 'em, and half of having them be shown off is body language.

I have one jacket that fits me well, and one jacket that hubby says looks awesome on me. I should maybe get pictures of the two. Both are off-the-rack and the one that "looks awesome" I can barely move my arms in. The one that fits well I found out that I can pull my chair across me in the car while wearing it. How's that for well fit?

[betheny]

I can't stand being unable to move my arms because of clothing. It panics me LOL. A good cut can really help that, also fabric w/ some give.

The red silk was cut for the arms to be loose, very comfortable. I hope this year's aqua summerweight wool turns out as well!

[Jeannette]

Originally Posted by betheny

How do you prefer them cut at the bottom? Do you like your belly covered? I find that a jacket cut with the curve below the buttons, that sort of exposes the belly is more slimming. (If I'm making sense.) I don't have much curve between waist-hips and find that gives me some. My daily leather jacket is cut that way and I love it.

I hate it when the bottom of the jacket is cut straight. It hangs well on the standing but it gapes and looks sloppy in a chair.

I'm not really sure. I haven't worn enough suits to judge. I don't have a lot of curve, but I can't say that I'm exactly skinny. In fact, I'd say pretty certainly I'm not, but I'm also not huge, although that's a matter of opinion, I suppose.

I think, given my druthers, I'd rather have a jacket that fit so well I could keep it buttoned (I get cold easily, but I also sweat easily). In my current suits, if I unbutton the jacket, and move about, the ends of the jacket fall off my lap into the wheels.

I would kind of like to hide the chair-gut, and I honestly thought about a waist cinch or corset for that. It'll give me extra support too, which I sorely need as I have no abdominal or low-back muscles to speak of, which means that when sitting without proper support I'll slowly hunch over until I'm propping my elbows on something. Damn heavy chest.

[Liz321]

buy fabric u like and take jacket you like to a tailor/dressmaker

otherwise it is hit and miss

I find Talbot's good

[LaMemChose]

Ditto on Talbot's and a good tailor. Betheny and I had talked about this yesterday because finding decent clothes which fit our bods and the movement and positioning for our chairs can be difficult.

If you have trouble with your hands and fingers, repeat after me:

"Velcro is my friend."

[jccarolina]

I don't know if and one would be interested or if I would be busted for spamming but....
I make formals and adaptive clothing...
http://home.ec.rr.com/jccarolina/