<p>Sort of a random thread, but maybe it'll be fun: let's talk fashion!
I love clothes and shopping, but being 18, my wardrobe is woefully lacking in the business-nice department. I have enough things to wear to business casual receptions, interviews, and such, but next week I have to wear business formal for an internship thing in the state capital (Sacramento). I believe business formal means full skirt/pantsuit, please correct me if I'm wrong.</p>
<p>Anyway, I have reasonably nice black lightwool pants. I think I need a jacket though, maybe shoes, and maybe a new dress shirt (the one I have is a little too...pink...)</p>
<p>Please post with advice on what are good stores to go to (esp. on a college student budget), what to buy for optimal versatility, and how to not look 40 simply because I'm wearing business clothing.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Okay - twenty-something wanna-be attorney here... :)</p>
<p>"Professional," in the adult world, means skirt suit for women in black, navy, or charcoal. Heels and stockings are a must. Must have a blouse; can be a colour, but it depends on the occaison.</p>
<p>Now, the problem is that teenagers look completely ridiculous when they try to do this. You know this. So, you have a couple of options for a modified business-formal look:
*wear a pants suit. A nice, slim jacket will be good - avoid shoulder pads, double-breasted suits, etc. (I have a double-breasted wool Italian suit, and I think I need to grow into it - just age-wise, because it's a lot of suit.)<br>
*A cuter, younger suit could be fine - try to find one in black so it doesn't look trashy - but a more feminine skirt and a jacket that is meant to be worn open would be fine. Add pearls to be more formal.</p>
<p>If you buy a blazer, try to find one of the same material as your slacks. </p>
<p>If there are outlets near you, I would highly recommend that route. Otherwise: Ann Taylor on sale is good - I bought a suit jacket there for $42 once. (Then again, I also bought one for $200.) They also tend to have jackets that don't look completely weird on younger women. </p>
<p>Department stores, IMO, have older woman stuff that just doesn't look right. It also won't fit correctly, because it's usually based on a model that is a different size from most 18-year-olds.</p>
<p>you need to go shopping :) fun fun fun!</p>
<p>If you are on a tight budget, some Forever 21 stores have blazers, and if you look hard enough - matching slacks or skirts.. and they are a younger fit (i.e. no shoulder pads & jackets down over the butt). Other places to raid are places like Ross or TJ Max. I've picked up a couple matching suit sets for $20, usually they hide them with the dresses.</p>
<p>For shoes, again Ross or TJ Max.. but also Payless. Payless had some really cute black shoes with a kitten heel a few weeks ago for only $15. If you can't find the shoe you want in your size, ask for the nearest location where they have it - they'll give you a coupon that's good for $1 off every pair of shoes purchased at the other location. If you're going to be walking around all day in the shoes, you want to keep the heel as low as possible :)</p>
<p>thank you! and yes I am looking forward to the fact that I absolutely HAVE TO go shopping on Sunday :)</p>
<p>Go to Ann Taylor or Ann Taylor Loft. Their suits are lovely.</p>
<p>Fallas Parades = great store ; D business suites ranging from $10-25</p>
<p>pearlinthemist had a good idea. stores like forever 21, and h&m have very good businesslike cloting, and for good prices. get a nice pair of black pants (maybe even pinstriped?) and a nice black blazer to go with it. you'll definitely need appropriate skirts too, either at knee lenghth, or slightly above or below, depending on the skirt style. a few blouses (in different colors, but definitely have at least one white one) will be needed, and also, if you don't already own nice dress up shoes, buy a pair of black flats, and heels.</p>
<p>If you have a Burlington Coat Factory you can get away with some really great stuff really cheap. I bought a really nice fitting black skirt suit there for an interview, a top, although not a blouse, and then I got a pair of shoes at Payless. I got away with the whole outfit for less than $75. I definitely recommend it because I felt like the suit fit well and I felt confident in it; it didn't look too old.</p>
<p>the power suit is in</p>
<p>Try Anne Taylor, Banana Republic is terribly expensive but there are great sales in theback!</p>
<p>sometimes you can get nice black pants at urban outfitters, but often they're really expensive or too casual. if you go at the right time, though, you might hit a good sale and even find a matching jacket.</p>
<p>thanks everyone. i'm going shopping tmrw, wish me luck. i love ann taylor and banana republic but it's sooo expensive. hopefully something will be on sale. & i also checked out the target website when i remembered its mizrahi line; found some pretty cheap jackets but i need to check out the quality</p>
<p>Unfortunately since winter sales just ended, the racks of Banana Republic were pretty lacking. All I found were $200 jackets. Lovely but out of my current price range. </p>
<p>I found a Calvin Klein blazer at Loehmann's for $70 (apparently reduced from original price of $250...) and I'll probably purchase it tomorrow (put in on hold today). </p>
<p>The one thing I found was that my blazer size seems to be larger than my trouser size. Is that normal?</p>
<p>Also, does it look really bad to wear a pinstriped one thing and then a plain black other item? I don't plan to, but I was just wondering. </p>
<p>Thanks everyone!</p>
<p>I wore black pants with a faint pinstripe with a plain black blazer to a law mediation last week. I thought it looked ok since the pinstripe was subtle. Hopefully I'm not wrong about it, but no one said anything or snickered so I'm guessing it's fine.</p>
<p>another thing, sweetdreams - are you going to the youth and government conference in sacramento, by any chance? I can't go this year, wish I could, but I heard that it's next week.</p>
<p>Hey jackson17. No, I'm in this Cal-in-Sacramento program my college has, so I am basically interviewing to secure a specific internship next week. </p>
<p>About H&M: to be completely honest, I don't like H&M that much. I must be the only person who thinks so, but I visited the new San Francisco branch and just wasn't very impressed. Still, I should check there in case.</p>