Basic Suit

Basic Suit by carryonstyle featuring blue jackets

HUGO blue jacket, $510
HUGO blue pants, $270
Hugo, $140

One suit can be 4 outfits.  Have you ever found out that you are going out of town, hours before your plane leaves?  This may not be common to you, but for many consultants, this is the story of their life.  How do you handle this quick turnaround to pack light enough that it can be a carryon, but still be fashion forward?  It’s called a three-piece suit.  The three piece suit gives you the flexibility to be professional while showing your style.  You should be particular in purchasing this suit.  It should be of a good quality (so that it can be worn and cleaned multiply times), structured, and tailored to fit (nothing looks more unprofessional than a suit that is made to fit someone else’s body).   Grab two button downs (solid white and a pin stripped would be nice), a camisole (white with a laced top), a scarf (black, white and grey,) and you have 4 outfits.  Outfit pairings could be:

·         Skirt and Button Down (Stripped)

·         Skirt, Jacket and Scarf

·         Pant, Jacket and Camisole

·         Pant and Button Down (Solid) with or without Jacket

Most conferences/trainings are 4 days long, but if you need a 5^th outfit, go for a solid color tailored straight or A-line dress.  The dress should be a bold color, like red so that it can be paired with the suit jacket during the day and the replaced with a thin belt for night wear.  As for shoes, a simple high healed black pump works, but if you want to jazz it up a bit, a pewter or nude shoe works for all outfits.  Remember that stockings for this should be flesh toned and jewelry can be silver/gold hoops.  A necklace can be a single stone on a silver/gold short to medium length chain.  Don’t try to do too much with your jewelry; it can become distracting in that business meeting.  Always take a pair of cute flats with you, so that when your feet are crying for a relief, you still look fashionable.

So the next time you are in a hurry to pack for that week long business trip, remember to grab your 3-piece suit.

- Cheney