Bluesuits got a shout out today on CNBC by Jane Wells. We are thrilled. At a time when many manufacturers are trying to cut costs by using less expensive fabrics, trim and production practices, Bluesuits is doing just the opposite and raising the bar by introducing more luxurious fabrics and trims and even better constructed jackets in our Fall Collection.

Bluesuits Haute couture Evening Gown

Inspiration
In the true tradition of Haute couture, this dress was first custom fitted and made exclusively for a client who wore it on New Years Eve at the Metropolitan Club in New York City. Our client’s Jeweler whose jewels are seen on celebrities during the awards called this Gown” The Oscar Gown”. We later made another version, one you are looking at, somewhat different from the first version which I debuted at my friends wedding the night before 2011 Golden Globes Awards. Man, woman, young and old fell in love with the dress.
Sewing Technique
This evening Gown is an improvisation on a sewing technique where the top layers lay flat even over the curves of the body. This sewing technique requires hand executed techniques and is extremely time consuming. The dress has over 100 pieces sewn on top where each piece is individually laid, shaped, sewn and cut. The dress features a fully boned bustier inside. For our client in addition to the fully boned bustier we added a girdle that completely flattened her tummy.
I experimented with layering five different textures including Silk Taffeta, Satin face silk organza, Silk charmeuse and Silk organza of the same shade instead of using the same fabric for all the layers. Combining shiny textures with matte and interlacing sheer with opaque. The visual effect is simply magnificent. To break the solid I chose to run layers of silk print throughout the dress. The floral print was cut out of tens of yards of silk print to get just the print and colors I liked.
Virtuoso at the sewing machine
The dress is made by one of Bluesuits most experienced seamstresses, one I call a virtuoso at the sewing machine. I watched every stitch and was present during the entire sewing time to guide and supervise since this dress was truly improvised and created as we went along, The best part was seeing how inspired the seamstress was. In fact all other sewers would gather around the dress every hour to see the progress. The dress is a feast for the eyes and you’d feel like a million bucks in it
Ordering the dress
This dress is custom made for each client and is priced based on the fabrication used and the complexity of the dress. To order please contact us at sales@off7th.com or call us at 212-787-0278, you can also schedule an appointment online

Bluesuits Navy Tropical Wool Women' Suit

• The business jacket that looks great with a skirt, dress or pants. We love this jacket because it has just the right length to go over a pencil skirt or any style pant or any of our shift dresses.

• We recommend this jacket to full chested plus size clients or flat chested petite women. This jacket also looks great on tall women. The model in this picture is 5’11″ but if you are under 5’4″ and consider yourself petite it will look good on you too. We have perfected the fit such that it falls perfectly on your waist regardless of how tall you are. If you have an unusually long torso you can go up a size for a perfect fit. Generally whether you are a full chested plus size woman or flat chested petite woman, a jacket with three buttons is a good choice for you. Three button jackets that button right above the chest are good for full chests because they contain and hold the chest, at the same time if you are a flat chested woman, you will find that because this style jacket holds itself, you will not find it too large around your chest. Additionally this jacket is the ideal length to go over a sheath dress or a pencil skirt and looks fabulous with any style pant. This jacket also looks fantastic on tall women.
• A perfect interview suit for women
  We recommend this business jacket with a skirt in our signature tropical wool stretch to women looking for interview suits, or work attire. The jacket looks fantastic with a button down shirt or a knit top or it can be worn with a shell as the neck closure is high enough. In addition when you are interviewing for a job, you want your jacket to stay put, 2 button jackets that button on the chest or three button jackets are fantastic choices for interviews where as one button jackets are not unless that one button is right under the chest but often one-button jackets button low. We also have dresses anchor women in this jacket for a picture perfect look on the screen,

• A great business suit for young professionals
  Bluesuits has been dressing young professionals looking for office appropriate business attire since 1997.  We also love this suit because it is ageless and can be worn by younger business women as well as seasoned executives.

• A great travel suit for business women on the go
• The suit is shown here in Bluesuits signature tropical wool stretch. Tropical wool is a season less fabric which does not wrinkle, as such its fantastic for traveling business women or those who work long hours.

What are some of your choices when you are looking for a women’s suit or interview suit? Post your great finds or ask questions right here in the comments area and we will be sure to respond in a timely manner.

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.

Bluesuits hand crafted custom tailored suits for women

Located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, Bluesuits has long been a destination for smart and savvy business women looking for that perfect fitting, elegant, tailored business attire and sports wear coordinates. Bluesuits has been featured on CNN Headline News, " All About Women", as one of the best places to shop in New York. Our business has grown through repeat customers, word of mouth and loyal clients since then
For those who frequent our showroom, it may come as no news that Bluesuits also offers custom fit, made-to-measure and custom made business suits for women made in the heart of Fashion District in New York City. We have offered custom women’s jackets, pants, skirts, dresses and shirts as an extension of our personal services to our clients for years but we recently have made custom fit business attire and personal tailoring services available to women all over the world on Bluesuits online store. We thought you might like to know more about Bluesuits custom tailored clothing services.

Free consultation services:

You can make a shopping appointment online to visit us at our showroom or fill out our custom order request form for an initial free consultation, when we will discuss your needs and offer customized options for you. After our initial communication we will recommend either a made-to-measure or custom tailored option for you.

Bluesuits Collection is designed by a woman who understands a woman’s body and wardrobe needs

Jamak Khazra the designer of Bluesuits Collection launched the collection in 1999 after having dressed thousands of women who could not find appropriate styles and fits in the stores. Bluesuits several styles of jackets, pants, skirts, dressers or shirts are designed to fulfill the wish list of her many satisfied clients.

Bluesuits made-to-measure women’s suits

There seems to be a lot of confusion about what made-to-measure is. Let’s define it so we are all on the same page. For our purposes we will define a made-to-measure garment as a garment that is made with your body measurements but the pattern has already been created based on a fit model ( not you). That pre-existing pattern is altered to accommodate your measurements. Some companies misguide and confuse consumers by advertising their made-to-measure service as custom made. When they in fact do not develop a pattern from scratch for your body shape but they simply alter an existing pattern to your measurements and call that custom made.
Bluesuits made-to-measure garments can be customized to your specifications. You will find that because Bluesuits line of clothing is based on the unique body shapes of women, we already have styles in every category including jackets, pants, skirts and dresses that will fit your unique body shape so often our customers will customize the color, fabric or trim.

Bluesuits custom made women’s business attire

Our custom made garments are based on true custom fit, hand crafted patterns made with your exact measurements:
When you order a custom garment from Bluesuits a pattern is developed by our expert pattern maker and tailor with your exact measurements. Regardless of your shape, height, weight or size, you will have a perfect fitting suit.

You can choose any fabric, trim or lining you desire.

While Bluesuits offers a variety of high quality European fabrics designed by our designer, Jamak Khazra and exclusively produced for us, we do not limit you to fabrics we offer, instead you can order any color or fabric you dream of. We will send you several swatches that you can choose from.

You will get to try a prototype in your exact measurements before we cut your final garment.

We will use 25 body measurements to make a sample garment in the styles you have chosen and in a fabric with similar properties to your final garment for your approval before we cut your final garment. If you are unable to visit us at our showroom, we will send you a detailed measuring guide that can be taken to a tailor. Once you have your measurements you can input the data on our website through a link that we will send to you. Your custom suit will fit you perfectly regardless of your size, shape or height or weight

Made in the heart of Fashion District in New York City.

Bluesuits garments including Bluesuits ready-to-wear as well as Bluesuits custom tailored collections are made in high quality factories in New York City’s legendary Garment District under strict quality control. You will also have the luxury of short lead time for your custom order. You can normally have your order in about 10 days to 2 weeks from the time you have finalized your choices.

Oprah’s and the First Lady, Michelle Obama’s Pattern Maker

Our expert pattern maker has been assigned to make several garments including suits, skirts, pants and evening gowns for Oprah Winfrey. Our pattern maker has also made several dresses for the First Lady, Michelle Obama. When you order your custom garments at Bluesuits, the patterns are made and adjusted by the same pattern maker who has made Oprah and the First Lay’s garments. However, rest assured you won’t have to pay exorbitant prices. We will quote you the cost depending on the scope of the work that needs to be done to have your custom suit made

We ship our custom suits worldwide

Yuo can shop for custom women’s suits online on our website. Because of our over 30 years of experience in design and production of women’s business suits and our extensive network of experts in New York City as well as careful steps we take in making your custom order, we take orders form women who need custom tailored clothing from all over the world and have satisfied clients across the globe. Regardless of your location we will ship your perfect fitting suit to you.

We are eager to hear your experience with custom tailoring services, so please feel free to share your comments.

Bluesuits original design kick pleat skirt from Fall 2009 and Dior's dress Fall 2010

This was the case with yours truly when I was flipping through the pages of Vogue issue of May 2010 while waiting to get a hair cut yesterday. I was shocked to see a near exact copy of Bluesuits original design of Fall 2009 kick-pleat skirt in the upcoming Christian Dior’s Fall 2010 collection.

Similarities were striking while differences were minor and negligible. Design details make Bluesuits kick pleat skirt unique:
1. Triple pleats instead of the usual pleats
2. Pleats on all 6 seams so 6 pleats instead of 4. ( in fact I took lots of heat from my pattern maker and factory as they saw it unnecessary to have the two extra pleats on the side seams). I meant for the skirt to have movement on the bottom against the very fitted hips.
3. The black and white fabric that gives the skirt it’s classic look and versatility.

Dior’s godet skirt has the same number of triple pleats but is made into a dress ( that really looks like a skirt and blouse) and the placement of the pleats is slightly different.

At Bluesuits, we do not follow fashion trends but instead we are inspired by our customers. This skirt was designed for women who can incorporate work appropriate pieces that go beyond the basic pencil skirt and a jacket.

Should I be flattered that Bluesuits kick pleat skirt has inspired or is really really similar to Dior’s? Somewhat!!

While it is a known fact that all designers find inspiration everywhere, including each other’s works this incident along with many more instances made me think about fashion piracy and the fact that While counterfeit with the label is illegal, there are no laws in the US to protect original designs by fashion designers.

I will end with a quote form Arie Kopelman Vice Chairman and past president of Chanel Inc. who says: ” We often say that when you copy a design it’s essentially counterfeit without the label”.
To learn more about design piracy and how to stop it please visit http://www.stopfashionpiracy.com/
See Bluesuits Kick- Pleat skirts Video, probably the most versatile skirt in your wardrobe. Fits every shape.

Le Mystere New Dream Tisha

If you have been wearing Le Mystere Dream Tisha and are looking to order new bras you will find that the fit has changed. Subtle changes have been made to the Dream Tisha pattern to make the fit more consistent with Dream Tisha Lace style 965.
If you look closely at Dream Tisha Lace you will see that it has the exact same shape as Dream Tisha with the addition of the scalloped lace trim. However, these two styles never had the same fit. Dream Tisha 9955 had a smaller fit and we always suggested that when you ordered Dream Tisha you’d go up a size in the band as the band was about 2.5 inches shorter.
In addition the follwing changes have been made to Dream Tisha:

� The cup has been re-molded to make Dream Tisha more forward fitting and less �East/West�.

� The new Dream Tisha has three different strap widths, with the strap width more closely correlated to size of bra. For example, the 32G has a narrower strap than the 40G, which will better fit the smaller frame of a 32G woman
� Updated microfiber fabric is slightly softer to the touch
� A different stitch has been used to attach the binding to the band under the arm. The new stitch has more stretch and will allow for more ease in fitting and smoothness under the arm and on the back
� The new Dream Tisha Slightly softer foam in contouring
� Heat sealed label instead of stitched in fabric label.
However, some women are desperately looking for the old Dream Tisha fit. Le Mystere realizes the demand for the old fit and will be bringing the old Dream Tisha back to market in May 2010. So don’t despair, if you have never worn Dream Tisha before, we suggest that you try the new style as the new fit has lots of great features, if you loved your Dream Tisha and are unwilling to take a chance on the new one, you can get more of the old style in just 6 weeks. The old Dream Tisha will have a new style number CL9955. Do you wear Le Mystere bras, would you try the new Dream Tisha 9955 or are you going to wait for the old style and buy it in May. Share you thoughts.

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?

David Garrett Plays Flight of the Bumble Bee on The Oprah Show

Virtuoso violinist David Garrett, dubbed � The fastest Violin player on the planet� by Oprah, played �The Flight of the Bumble Bee � on Oprah yesterday to an astounded Host and an estimated 42 million viewers including his fans cheering for him and hanging on to every second of his brief appearance.
David Garrett plays � The Flight of the Bumblebee� in 66 seconds or 13 notes per second, which will be documented in the 2010 Guinness Book of World Records.

Mr. Garrett who keeps a very demanding International concert schedule, had to reschedule a concert in Dallas to appear on Oprah. Many fans were hoping for more exposure on Oprah but from Mr. Garrett’s fast growing fan page on Face Book since the show it seems that even a one minute exposure to Mr. Garrett leaves people smitten.
Here is David Garrett’s official site: http://www.david-garrett.com/

This post is the second in a series of posts in the category” Personal” where I share my personal finding and interests with our readers. I first heard David Garrett on PBS and would like to do my share of exposing the world to his talent.