10th Commandment: January 11

Jan 11, 2012

Instead of three items, how about one item and a question/discussion? 

Is this suit too daring for Capitol Hill?

Boyfriend Blazer and Pencil Skirt with Fluro Trim (Asos, $100 and $63)

My brain say, “Yes.” But my heart says,”Buy me, and wear me everywhere.”

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  1. Belle says:

    J: Thanks! Hope you like the suit.

  2. B says:

    hmmm- maybe in the gray and lime green trim, but the navy with orange accents may not be so risky.

  3. Aunt_Pete says:

    The jacket is amazing. I love it. The skirt though…I would have some issues and my office isn't even that conservative in terms of attire.

  4. Dakota says:

    The jacket is adorable and looks great in the pic on the retailer website where the model is wearing a black tank dress underneath. Seeing it worn that way makes me think the jacket actually looks better on its own, without the skirt.

  5. Dr. Jean Grey says:

    Not wearable for the office. It looks like sweats, IMHO.

  6. Jessica says:

    I think the navy and orange is great!

  7. E says:

    It kind of reminds me of athletic gear, i.e. Adidas…not sure if that's office appropriate.

  8. JS says:

    The jacket could be cute for weekend wear (to an eighties cover band show), but the skirt looks very informal and cheap to me.

  9. EK says:

    I think the jacket is, maybe over a plain gray skirt/dress or the black tank dress suggested above. I think one piece with neon trim would be edgy but still appropriate – two would be too much, especially given the cut of the skirt.

  10. E says:

    Agree with the above — jacket is really cute for a casual Friday or recess, especially in the blue — but the skirt looks like Nike workout shorts. No-can-do for the office – and I work in a “business casual” environment.

  11. LC says:

    Not appropriate for Capitol Hill. I am surprised you like this so much!

  12. KLo says:

    I think you could wear both pieces broken up. I could be wrong, but the skirt still might pass muster if it's paired with the appropriate blouse and sweater combination (but maybe only for recess/cold snowy days?)

    I adore that jacket so much that it might come home with me…

  13. alicia says:

    I concur with others- I like the navy and orange better. Weird that you and Corporette both featured it this morning.

  14. CynthiaW says:

    Hmmm… I don't know – I think that it would depend on the material/accessories. I'm going to defer to the people who actually live and work in DC and say that it probably falls on the casual end of the spectrum. However, I have no such restrictions and could wear the heck out of it!

  15. VA says:

    Love the jacket and would definitely wear it to my (business casual) office, plus date night and brunch and everywhere else. But the skirt looks like it was made during the “New Balance Heidi Klum fashionable athletic wear that you can't actually play sports in” challenge on PR last year.

  16. Kaylee says:

    I'm with others-the jacket may work, but not the skirt. IMO, it's not because it's too daring, but rather that it's too casual. (It looks like sweatshirt type material to me-but if I'm wrong on that, I apologize. It's hard to tell.)

  17. L says:

    I agree, not appropriate. It looks like sweatshirt material.

    The blazer for a weekend brunch or something… but not a big fan of the neon.

  18. EAC says:

    I agree with those who say that this looks like sweatsuit material. Not as a full suit, but I could see the jacket working with very polished trouser jeans on a casual Friday. I hate the cut of the skirt. I too am surprised that you like this one.

  19. Joey says:

    am i seeing double? this is featured on corporette this morning as well.

  20. SM says:

    Pajama suit?

  21. LE says:

    Terrible. It's like an office version of a 1992 nylon wind suit.

  22. Emme Gee says:

    Concur with PJ suit.

  23. BB says:

    This is perfect for those situations where an outfit from Chico's is just too formal.

  24. DB says:

    Dying over the Chico's comment…hilarious.

    And I concur with the pajama suit assessment. No thanks.

  25. Maharani says:

    Agree with most posters: jacket is a possibility (except that for me, grey is just blah) but skirt is nasty-it looks like sweats, the hem just does not work and the fabric is cheap looking. I work in admin in ACADEMIA which is obviously not as formal as Capitol Hill, but even here this suit would be an office no no. I dont know what it is about the skirt-it is beyond ugly and think it is the hem-it screams nightshirt to me.

  26. Belle says:

    First off: I like this suit because it's different. Walking around in the same black suit as everyone else gets boring after awhile.

    Second: It's not for everyone, but I absolutely think that I could wear the jacket on more casual days. And I could probably wear the full suit to some other non-work events, like speeches, etc.

    Third: Unless every suit in your closet is pristine wool or cotton, you have no right to talk smack about a heavy jersey dress. Because I would wear this before I would wear some of the poly-blend monstrosities that I see on Capitol Hill every day. And as for jersey in general, women wear matte jersey wrap dresses to work every day and no one says it looks like they're wearing pajamas. Hell, DvF has made her living selling those dresses.

  27. Rachel says:

    This suit is also featured on Corporette!

  28. Belle says:

    I saw that! Clearly, Kat and I are turning into the same person.

  29. Katherine says:

    The hemline of the skirt looks just like Nike's Tempo running shorts. Given the price point it's hard to imagine the blazer will be well tailored enough to compensate for the trendiness, but I'm not familar with the brand. I'd say it's a pass for work. It could be cute for the weekend.

  30. BB says:

    Belle,

    You are really defending this suit, which means you like it. You probably also already have styling ideas in mind, as well as places where you would feel comfortable wearing it. If you like it, get it. Who care what a bunch of anonymous blog commenters think?

    But, you did ask for a discussion, so don't get offended when people offer their opinions.

    Buy the suit. I'm sure you will make it work.

  31. Belle says:

    I'm not necessarily offended, I just think it's funny that a matte jersey suit is off limits but a jersey dress is fine. Kind of like when women will go bare legged March to October, but bare legs at other times of year are somehow profane. It just perplexes me.

  32. strin012 says:

    I would say that the fabric looks like sweats and the slits in the skit make it not-OK.

    I like the idea, but not the execution.

  33. Hmmm... says:

    I actually don't think this is jersey. According to the ASOS site, it's a poly blend.

    And I think it's the heathered grey that's throwing people off. For some reason (at least to me), heathered grey looks more casual than a solid color.

    Lastly, I don't think anyone is “talking smack.” You asked for opinions, people gave them. Shrug.

  34. VA says:

    It's not just that it looks like jersey – it's that it looks like jersey (even though the site says it's a poly blend) AND the vents on the hem look like those on running shorts and tennis dresses AND the neon trim could be a warning to drivers not to hit you when you're jogging across the street. There's a combo of things happening here that make the skirt, in my opinion (which is what you asked us for) neither flattering nor office-appropriate.

    But you obviously love it, so buy it, style it, post a picture, and prove us wrong.

  35. AD says:

    I would have the skirt altered into a straight across pencil and keep the green accent along the hem, or I would just wear the jacket with black dresses. Really fun set.

  36. B says:

    I agree with the people who said blazer OK – skirt not OK. As others have already pointed out, there are different ways to use jersey material and some may be office appropriate (like a sophisticated wrap dress – but of course there are also wrap dresses that are no-go), and others may not be. For me, the skirt falls in the latter category. It looks like one leg of a pair of over dimensional running shorts to me.
    If you were to style the blazer with a tame set of trousers or a conservative-coloured (i.e. black) pencil skirt, I think it would rock.

  37. D says:

    I actually love it. I work in law and I am so sick of plain suits. My lovely boss, who is in her early sixties, rocks colored suits all the time.

    I would, but it's very difficult finding colored pieces in youthful cuts. I would probably alter the skirt so it didn't dip up on the sides (like running shorts), but otherwise, I think it's a great way to add some color and a youthful vibe to an otherwise neutral ensemble.

  38. SD says:

    In my opinion, it is not the fact that the suit is matte jersey that is the problem, it is the fact that the jersey is a heathered gray, which is very reminiscent of gray sweats. I would feel the same way about a matte jersey dress in a heathered gray–okay for the weekends, but not for the office. Additionally, as many other commenters have mentioned, the shape of the hem on this skirt coupled with the neon trim makes it look a bit like running shorts. Combine the running-short type hem with the heathered gray fabric and you can't help but conjure images of athletic wear.

    Finally, if you ask for a discussion about whether it is office appropriate, it hardly seems fair for you to fire back so vehmently at the readers who are discussing.

  39. MT says:

    I agree that jersey is an informal-looking material, but I think a well-fitting DVF-type dress is higher on the Hill-appropriate scale than a 'suit' that reminds most commenters of sports attire. It's the slit on the sides and the hem- not necessarily the jersey material itself that makes it look informal.

    P.S. I think the reason people think it's strange to go bare-legged in the winter is that if it's cold enough to wear a coat, then a third of your body shouldn't be naked. Sure, it's not that cold out most winter days, but it just looks a little silly- just as wearing thick, opaque black tights even on a non-sweltering day in July or August would look silly.

  40. Belle says:

    MT-Oh, so it's not the jersey, it's the trim. I can see that.

    And on the tights topic, I'm not against people who prefer tights in winter, that's fine. But awhile back there were some commenters arguing that it was slutty, which I thought was totally weird.

  41. MT says:

    Slutty? That makes no sense to me at all.

  42. Belle says:

    That's what I said.

  43. what she said says:

    But it's sill not jersey, right? It's a wondrous blend of synthetics.

  44. lindsay says:

    Love the jacket, but the accent on the skirt makes it look cheap – the rounded edge gives it a younger appearance (middle school). The navy and orange is nice, but still same issue with the skirt.

  45. Katie says:

    Perhaps it's the Broncos fan inside me, but I love the orange and navy version!

  46. Betty says:

    Why ask for reader feedback on this poly-blend suit if you had already formed your opinion? I don't get it. I thought you asked us. And most like the jacket anyways…

  47. J says:

    Ok, I had to buy it immediately after seeing the navy version. I'm a 40 year old lawyer and after many years in a very formal corporate law firm, have been on my own for 2 years now and definitely having more fun in the clothes department. I'll let you know if it's a keeper (they have free returns so I'm thinking nothing to lose). (BTW Belle, I found your blog for the first time today and am smitten :).)

  48. J says:

    Arrived today! Bought the navy and the jacket is really cute.The skirt unfortunately is not really wearable for work (or in my case for play either). The slits are just odd. Also the material is not Italian wool, so to speak, so to have a whole outfit in synthetic material really doesn't work for me. (But I think a much younger girl, uh, woman (I read that post!) could probably pull it off.) Still, the jacket paired with a bottom or dress in good fabric looks fine and I like the cut and piping so much I am seriously considering getting the gray one to pair with black as well. My 2 cents.

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