Bluesuits Tropical Wool Stretch Business Suit for Plus Size Women

Style Tips for Plus Size Women
1. Look 10 pounds slimmer by wearing a supportive bra.
The key to looking your best in a business suit is what you wear under your suit. Get professionally measured and find out what size bra you should wear. If your bra size falls between a 32D- 44H, consider Le Mystere’s Dream Tisha Bra or Dream Tisha Lace. Wearing the right style bra can make you look 10 pounds slimmer.
2. Go for a tailored and fitted suit.
Wearing a suit that fits your shape will make you look slimmer and proportionate. Avoid wearing baggy clothes.
3. 3-button jackets or jackets that button up high are preferred as they contain the bust.
4. Avoid a line skirts
Pencil skirts or kick pleat skirts will look great on you. If they are cut right no matter how wide your hip is or how pear shaped you are they will fit you.
5. Choose business suits in fabrics that have some body
Usually 270grams or higher are best for suiting. For example wool crepes, double faced wools or tropical wools are best. Heavier weight fabrics will hold better on a fuller body. We specially love double faced wool crepes and Tropical Wool Stretch. We highly recommend wool stretch for fitted business suits. Your suit will fit a lot better and you will be mush more comfortable moving around in a fitted suit.
6. Add a Pinstripe business suit to your work wardrobe. Vertical stripes will make you look taller and slimmer. Avoid horizontal stripes.
If you are a plus size woman who has additional comments or questions please feel free to comment.
Check back to see the different styles that we recommend to our plus size clients, you will find styles that are perfect for your shape.

In my position as the designer of Bluesuits Collection a line of women’s professional attire, I also have the privilege of meeting and communicating with the most accomplished professional women around the world, from young professionals who have just graduated and are embarking on a new path in their career or women who are rising the corporate ladder to women in career transition as well as CEOs and CFOs.

Apart from the usual complaint and one that I have been shouting out since starting Bluesuits regarding stores not offering business attire to professional women with proper style, fabrication and fit I have also been hearing that many women feel they are not being taken seriously at work or that they are not getting the promotion they have been waiting for or landing the job they feel they deserve.

So what does your work attire have to do with being taken seriously and achieving your career goals? We are what we wear. Our appearance coveys a loud and clear message about who we are. It effects our personal brand.

What is personal brand?

“Personal Brand” is your perceived image, it’s what others think of you. In marketing books it is also referred to as “Brand Image”.

On the other hand ” Brand Identity” is your desired image, it’s what you would like others  to think of you.

Often our personal brand and brand identity are not congruent. If we want to be taken seriously we need to manage our personal brand or other will do it for us. Your goal in choosing your work attire should be to manage perceptions and create a positive image.

Style tips:

• Look like a winner and dress for the job you want.
• Invest in high quality suits. We prefer Tropcial wool stretch, wool crepes or tweeds.
• Wear age appropriate styles and fits.
• Wear clothes that fit you properly
• Choose classic and sophisticated styles and leave the trendy puffed sleeves and filly tops or accentuated shoulders for non-work environments.
• Avoid showing cleavage, wearing pants that are too low and show your undies when you bend
• Dress according to the culture of the firm.

For additional style tips check out our posts on: How to Choose a suit for a job interview , Appropriate Interview Attire, How to find the best pant style for your body shape
What has your experience been at your work place? Do you think your appearance has anything to do with how others view you?

Part I- best pant style for pear shaped women

Through out the years, I have seen and helped hundreds of women in despair trying to find the right style for their unique body shape. They often complain about their imperfect shape, excess weight or height. The desperation heightens when it comes to buying a pair of perfect fitting pants and the task becomes daunting when shopping in stores. With so many styles, fabrications and fits how do you decide what style is the best for your shape?

The top two most challenged shapes are pear shapes and apple shapes. In this post I will address the best style, fabrication and fit for pear shaped women and will write about apple shapes, hourglass shapes and the rest later.

Are you pear- shaped? If your hip measurement is 2” or more larger than your chest measurement you are pear shaped. You wear a larger size on the bottom than on top. When you try pants and skirts that fit in the waist or slightly below the waist, you find that if the hips fit, the waist is too large and if the waist fits the hip is too tight.

Bluesuits Fly-Front Wide leg pants

Contrary to general belief models do not all have perfect proportions! In fact the models you see in these pictures are all pear shaped, our  model wears a size 6 on top and a size 10 on the bottom, yet the pants fit her perfectly and she looks terrific.

Style tips:
• You want to look for pants that balance the waist-hip proportion. As pear shaped women have slim waist and wider hips, it is important to wear styles that make the hip look smaller. Boot leg pants and straight leg pants both disguise the wide hips.

Bluesuits Boot Leg Pants

Boot leg pants are pants that have slim legs but wide bottoms and straight leg pants hang straight from the hip. Narrow legged pants will emphasize the hips so please don’t wear them if you don’t want to exaggerate the hips.
• Avoid side pockets with deep pocket bags. I am hoping that designers don’t make those pants any longer. Instead if you like pockets find pants with horizontal pockets and shallow pocket bags as seen here.
• Look for pants with contoured waist with or without a waist band, contoured waist bands are the key to no-gap waists for pants and skirts.
• The fabrication is also very important; we love tropical wool stretch or even microfiber stretch.
• Fully lined pants are preferred but at Bluesuits we have a special lining for our pants and skirts that are light and have a smart stretch, that is no lycra or spandex but the fabric moves with the body, is not bulky and extremely durable. Our pant lining is one of our best kept secrets but one that our customers are addicted to.
• Avoid wearing pants that are too loose in the derriere or hips. You want the hips to fit.
So love your shape and embrace it with flattering styles.
What has your experience been looking for perfect fitting pants?

The short answer is yes, as long as you wear a shift dress with a jacket to a job interview.

With the popularity of shift dresses many women are asking if they can wear a shift dress to an interview. A shift dress should be worn with a jacket if you are wearing it to a job interview. This will give you the same look as a traditional skirt suit which is the most appropriate look for a job interview.

There are however, some style details to watch for when choosing a shift dress for a job interview. The most important detail is the neckline of a shift dress. You would want to wear a high neck dress. The neckline of the shift dress can be boat neck, round neck or v-neck.

Bluesuits Sleevless Dress and Tab jacket

Bluesuits Tropical Wool Sleeveless Shift Dress

Bluesuits Tropical Wool Charcoal Sleeveless Shift Dress

Bluesuits Cap Sleeve Round neck tropical wool Shift Dress

Shop Shift Dresses

For a jacket to have the perfect fit you need to wear the right bra. It is a known fact that 8 out of 10 women wear the wrong size or style bra.  Wearing the right style bra can give you a natural lift, make your torso look slimmer and most importantly your jacket will fit properly, all  helping you to leave the right impression, look professional and be noticed and remembered.  Since here we are talking about job interviews, we are assuming that you are either wearing a shirt or a knit top under the interview suit jacket.

There are few points to remember:

• Under a white shirt it is best to wear a nude bra and not a white bra as white shows under white.
• Wear a seamless, underwire molded bra
• Do not wear a soft cup ( without underwire) bra as there is not enough support to give you the right shape.

A seamless underwire molded bra is best both for under a shirt or a knit top as you want a smooth and professional look. Let us answer your bra questions or if you have any of these bras and would like to make a comment by all means.

We recommend the Le Mystere Tisha Bra for women sizes 30C- 38DD, The Le Mystere Dream tisha Bra for full chested women and the Dream Tisha Bra goes up to size 44 H. If you prefer a plunge bra with a V-neck line, the Le Mystere Gigi Bra for women cup sizes 30C-38DD or Le Mystere Carina Bra which goes up to size 44G. Here are some images of these bras.

Le Mystere Tisha Bra

Here is a picture of Le Mystere Dream Tisha Bra:

Le Mystere Dream Tisha Full Figure Bra 9955

This is the Le Mystere Gig Bra:

Le Mystere Gigi Bra 2215

Le Mystere Carina Bra 9155

While this is one of the most frequently asked questions among young professionals the answer is quite simple. Although there are several styles of shirts or tops available in the market and one can be quite creative, when it comes to a job interview your options are rather limited.

• If you are a young professional just out of college a shirt in white or French blue looks very professional and is appropriate but if you are more senior you can wear a knit round neck or v-neck top under your suit jacket and wear a simple and elegant necklace such as a one strand pearl or even gold or silver color.
  

  Bluesuits Navy Tropical wool Short Jacket

How do I wear my shirt under my jacket? Collar in or out?

• We like to button up the shirt with only the top button undone and wear the collar out neatly placed over the lapel. This,  however is a our choice. Tell us what you prefer.

What Color top do I wear under a Navy suit or a Grey Suit or Black suit?

• A white shirt looks clean, fresh and professional and it is specially attractive under navy. A white top also gives a nice glow to the face. However other colors can work under Navy or Grey. For example French blue livens up a grey suit and is a good match for navy or black. White and French blue are great colors to wear under navy, grey or a black jacket for an interview but you can get a lot more creative once you are on the job. Clearly White or French Blue looks great with a Black suit as well.
• If you are a more senior professional or are interviewing for senior positions a shift dress and a jacket is a great options. Here we are showing the Bluesuits Tropical Wool Shift Dress and Short Jacket.
  

  Bluesuits Tropical Wool Shift Dress and Tab Jacket

Bluesuits Bra Clinic- Part I
Full Figure Chest

It is a known fact that 85% of women wear the wrong style and bra size. We recently held a bra clinic as part of professional wardrobe events at Bluesuits showroom where our clients were professionally measured and fitted. For cup sizes E=DD to H we recommend the following:

• Full cup Style for better coverage
• Underwire for support
• Back closure with 3 hooks
• Wide wing with strong mesh

Wearing the right bra can make you look much slimmer and younger not to mention 2 or 3 inches of natural lift.  Check out the video below to see the effect of Le Mystere slimming bra for full figure women and how Asia got a lift of at least 2 inches with Le Mystere Dream Tisha Bra

Le Mystere Dream Tisha Full Figure Bra 9955

Dream Tisha is also the #1 selling bra for under t-shirts and sweaters as it is a seamless bra giving you that smooth and polished look. It is known as the Le Mystere slimming bra since by lifting the chest the torso looks slimmer. Another one of our favorite Le Mystere bras is the Le Mystere Dream Tisha Lace also known as Lace Tisha. This bra has a scalloped lace trim. Although Dream Tisha Lace has the same mold as Dream Tisha in actual production Dream Tisha is about 2 inches shorter in the band. You want to know this if it is your first time trying to buy Dream Tisha Lace on line. This mean that if you wear the Dream Tisha Style 9955 in size 38E and you are buying the lace tisha style 965 for the first time, you need to order only a 36E. Conversely if you wear the Dream Tisha Lace in size 36E and are trying the Dream Tisha style 9955, then you order a size 38E.
Lastly we would like to give you some information on getting measured and fitted. On our website we do not give you any manual about how to measure yourself and ask that you get fitted by a professional. The reason is that these online guides and bra size calculators simply don’t work. They can give you an idea of you band size and an idea of your cup size. While the fit of a bra is determined by the band and the cup, the style, fabrication and manufacturer must be taken into consideration before you decide on what size to take. To see Le Mystere’s bra collection click here
Do you have a bra challenge?

Appropriate Interview Attire For Women

Bluesuits Tropical Wool Stretch Classic Jacket

Whether you are a young professional embarking on a new course in your life or a seasoned professional in career transition or a professional woman in a secure job, your appearance has significant influence on your own self esteem as well as how others view you. The following is a reference guide to appropriate job interview attire for women written by designer Jamak Khazra who has dressed thousands of women. She launched Bluesuits to address the wardrobe needs of professional women.

Corporate Job Interviews:

First and second round interviews- skirt suit or pantsuit?

A skirt suit in dark navy, charcoal grey or black with a crisp white shirt, preferably brand new, is the most appropriate interview suit for the first or second round interviews. We recommend a classic 2 or 3 button Jacket with a slim skirt for a clean polished and professional look. An A-line or flared or wrap skirt is not as professional looking. A well cut slim skirt such as Bluesuits slim skirt will fit any shape.

If you are wondering what color is best for you the only way to find out is to try different colors but a Navy Blue suit or a Charcoal Grey suit is less severe than a black suit.

A pantsuit is more appropriate if you are going to an informational, an on campus company presentation or after you are hired for everyday work. Additionally pantsuits may be appropriate in less formal industries such as internet companies, and more creative fields

Non-Corporate Job Interviews

If you are interviewing for a creative field such as advertising, fashion or retail or a non-corporate environment you can be more creative with your interview attire. But be subtle not wacky or tacky.

Choose tailored separates

If you are wearing tropical wool suits make sure they have a more couture cut and style for example the Bluesuits J3399 is a good example

Choose brighter colors and novelty wools

Choose less conservative jacket styles

The key is SUBTLE

It is also a good idea to do some research on your own.
Know the culture of the firm.

Go for an informational interview- Most companies are happy to see you for an informational interview. This is your chance to see how people dress. If you see everyone in casual attire make sure it is not a day such as casual Friday. Keep in mind that what people wear to work is not necessarily an indication of what they wore to their first round interview. First round interviews are more formal, we suggest a skirt suit in navy, charcoal grey or black but more on that later.

Research company web site. If you live far away and cannot go for an informational interview check the company web site and see profiles of employees.

Call HR if you would like to get specific information about their preference.

Don’t see the answer to your question send us an e-mail with your questions at sales(at)bluesuitsonline.com

Women’s Suits, Interview suits, Shift Dresses, Work dresses, Coat Dresses, Work Pants, Side-zip pants, Wide-leg pants, Work skirts, Long skirts, Pleated skirts, handbags, bras.

If you have been looking in the stores for a high quality, well fitting, office appropriate business suit you do know that it is not easy to find one at a reasonable price. Here are some guidelines to help you make a purchase that you will not regret. Buying a high quality suit is an investment in your professional wardrobe, a high price doesn’t always translate into high quality but if you know what to look for then you are much better equipped to judge whether the suit is worth the price.

• Fabrication – The absolute best fabrication for interview or everyday work suit for women is high quality tropical wool stretch. Tropical wool is a light weight wool that can be worn all year round. Despite the light weight tropical wool is a durable and wrinkle free fabric making it the best option for traveling business women who might land in different cities in one trip. We also recommend tropical wool stretch not only because it is more comfortable but also because tailored jackets and pants fit a lot better if made in stretch fabric. The ideal combination is 97% wool and 3% lycra.
  

  Bluesuits Tropical Wool Stretch Sleeveless Shift Dress

• Look for ensembles of jacket, skirt, pant and dress- Not that easy to find, we know. This is why at Bluesuits we offer the Tropical Wool Stretch Collection where all the pieces can be mixed and matched. With a jacket, skirt, pants and dress you have 4 different outfits which makes dressing for work and packing for a business trip a breeze. The dress/Jackets combination will take you from day into evening, the pants can be worn with the jacket as pantsuit or with a sweater for a business casual day in the office.
• Pay attention to the lining- The lining is just as important as the self fabric. The lining should be of durable fabric. All Bluesuits jackets are lined in rayon bemberg which is durable and the most desirable lining and bottoms are lined in our signature lining that moves with the body, is lightweight, extremely sturdy and super comfortable, perfect for long work hours.
  

  Bluesuits Pinstripe Tropical Wool Jacket

• Jacket Style – A single breasted 2-button or 3-button jacket about 25 inches to 27 inches long is ideal for interviews specially for younger professionals. V-neck jackets are more traditional and flattering on everyone. If you are an executive you can wear less conservative styles such as round neck jackets.
  

  Bluesuits Tropical Wool Stretch Pencil skirt

• Skirt style and length. Slim skirts not flared or A-line with no belt or belt loops would be our choice. If the skirt is cut well even hourglass shaped women should have no problem fitting into a slim skirt. See Blue suits slim skirt S3380 or S3385. The skirt should hit right in the middle of your knee cap, unless you have a good reason for wearing the skirt below the knee(i.e. really don’t want your knees to show).
  

  Bluesuits Tropical Wool Fly-Front Pants

• Pant style- Classic style flat front pants with horizontal pockets and shallow pocket bags are the most flattering and appropriate pants for work or interviews. Side pocket pants will make the hips look larger. If you have thick thighs or athletic thighs it is best to go with a wide leg or straight leg pair of pants. See Bluesuits Fly-front pants or flat front pants. Boot leg pants can be nice as they can balance a larger hip check out Bluesuits boot leg pants
• Fit – Look for a classic, tailored, and clean cut jacket. We like jackets that fit in the torso, with small, thin shoulder pads. Make sure you are wearing a supportive bra when you try a jacket.