Melanie Moss Styling Styl-E-letter February 2006

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How to Pick the Perfect Suit

Everybody knows a great suit when they see one. They may not know why, but something will make them stop and turn their head and admire the person wearing it.

Many factors make up a great suit. In fact, most of the time it’s these factors all combined to create a well cut, beautifully designed and created outfit.

Some things to look for when choosing a quality suit:

• Quality of fabric is the most important feature of a suit. Australia is doing some beautiful wool at the moment but if in doubt stick to Italian wool. It breathes and will last forever if cared for properly.
• Look for special details and tailoring that make the suit individual to you. This could be a nipped in waist to accentuate curves, Bell sleeves to lengthen your arms or a detailed lapel. Cue Design is known for its beautifully detailed suiting at fairly good prices.
• Choose your suit to accentuate and flatter your shape. A one button jacket is perfect for most women and flatters the waist. Petite figures should wear a cropped style to avoid getting swamped whilst curvy shapes look great in a mid length style. Beware of buying jackets too long – your jacket should finish at the top of your waist, mid hip length is best. The era of the shoulder pad is long gone! You want your jacket to skim over the shoulders and lightly follow the line of your arm. You should be able to reach fully forward without feeling constricted or the suit being too loose. Look for cute details like a slight puff to the shoulder – a very feminine look. Your sleeves should end at your wrist bone with a centimetre of sleeve visible.
• Skirts have come far since the Eighties; unfortunately most women are still wearing the dullest of dull slimline skirt that finishes at the worst part of the leg – just above the knee. Try some of the new styles on the market and you will be surprised how well they suit modern shapes. Try a pleat skirt that finishes just below the knee or a pencil skirt that skims your curves and nips in, perhaps with a split or pintuck detail. Look for a heavy fabric to hold everything where it is supposed to be and you will look and feel fabulous. For something different choose a light coloured suit in white or cream with a fitted jacket and pleated skirt. Not only is this a gorgeous corporate look, it can be easily worn on weekends. Try the jacket with jeans or the skirt with flats a singlet and a denim jacket. Very versatile.
• Trousers are so easy to buy these days with the multitude of designs out there. We can now choose from manstyle, slimline, cropped, wide leg, bootleg, the list goes on. My primary recommendation for most clients is to try a manstyle pant. Look for a style that can be worn on its own without the jacket there to “hold it up” so to speak. You want the pant to sit well on your body without having to be hidden by a long shirt. An untucked shirt isn’t a good corporate look. If selected properly they should tuck well into your pants for a smart look. It’s then up to you whether you like the pants tapering widely down the leg or just sitting as a straight seam. Seduce, Esprit and Cue do a fabulous manstyle, whilst Country Road does a lovely slimline suit pant. Your pant should finish just below your ankle bone, long enough to hide your foot and the top of your shoe. Never have your pants dragging on the ground or hiding your entire beautifully tailored shoe. The pant should sit nicely on the waist without pinching. You want it to correspond with the widest part of your waist that way any bulges are hidden.
• Pinstripes are a great way to break up a monotonous suit, particularly black. Always make sure the pinstripes are vertical at a medium distance apart. Too close and you will add weight, too far apart can look overly casual.
• I recommend that you have at least 2 suits. Think about navy as apposed to black. It’s easier on the eye and less aggressive to clients. In our country there should be more people wearing lighter suits, particularly in summer. Just looking at people wearing black in summer makes me feel hot! You can purchase great alternative knits and shirts as well as gorgeous silk scarves and accessories. This will keep your look fresh and updated as apposed to buying lots of varied styles.
• If you really want a beautiful suit you should consider having a bespoke suit tailor made for you. Sydney’s favourite seamstress: Mitzi Skyring (02) 9327 1433 is well known for her attention to detail and divine finishes.

Style Tip of the Week

With the change in season on its way its time to move away from summer casual and into a smarter style. The best way to do this is with a light wrap dress and striking accessories. Check out stores like Sportsgirl and DVIA for great cheap accessories or try Dinosaur Designs for more expensive resin styles.

Match bold colours to your eyes and you will be surprised at how they stand out in a crowd. Team a wool blend jersey wrap dress with a large set of beads and shoes matching your eyes for a statement look that will have everyone bending for a second glance as you walk by!

Beauty Tip of the Week

Keep your body well moisturised during summer to stop skin cracking and looking tired. Use a fake tan with an inbuilt moisturising cream to save your skin from the suns harmful rays.

Try a great self tanning product like Ella Bache Great Tan WithoutSun $36 for a gorgeous sheen. The best thing about this product is its internal moisturising coco butter. It does two jobs in one. Add it to your normal moisturiser for a lighter shade for your face.

Discount Retailer of the Week

This week’s award must go to Cue for its exceptional shift dresses. In particular a black piece with a slight v-neck cross front with detailing. It sits beautifully on the body and flatters every shape. They have also done a paisley print dress with a tulip style skirt that sits around the hips and pulls in below the knee to outline an hour glass shape.

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