Tailoring does make a world of difference! Of course, no amount of tailoring could make a piece made of completely crappy fabric look good, but many mid-range suits will look great if they are altered to fit well.
For everyone who sent me a PM, I hope to respond later this week.
Thanks for the info on men’s suits. Mr. Fireandrain is grudgingly upping his budget.
Macys makes me crazy. I don’t live near one. Sometimes I order on line and they ship the items from several different stores- this is good because they arrive quickly- but each has to be mailed directly back to the stores. I called them to ask if I would be charged return shipping for several items in one order- and the reply was " well, you could just return them at the store". My reply was " if I was near a store I wouldn’t have ordered them!"
On occasion when I am near a Macy’s, I will look. I found that the selection really varies between stores from some nice things to not at all.
They did have a sale recently on deep pocket sheets, which are hard to find. I still order on occasion since they carry some things that I like.
@fireandrain, I’ve been gone but this is the first thread I wanted to check upon return to CC. Bless you for being your friend’s support - happy to hear it went very well! Wondering how she feels this week if she is walking into the office in her new apparel!
Might I suggest that you make photos of complete outfits that your friend can wear, including any accessories that you think complete the outfit? Undergarments too. Makeup too, if she is supposed to be wearing makeup.
For those of us who are more fashion- challenged, comments like “and then you accessorize it with a scarf and earrings” are not easy to follow. Whenever I am holding a scarf in my hand, wanting to wear it with a dress or blouse, I never know how to fold it. I’d want explicit instructions: use THIS scarf, fold it THIS way, tie it like THIS.
Your friend is lucky to have you to help her.
My husband got a gorgeous suit at Lord and Taylor on sale with extra off for using l and t credit card. I think it was less than 300 and it was hugo boss! depends on your lord and taylor which brands they carry!
I’m back!!! The saga continues!
My friend and I are going on another shopping trip for her — our calendars magically aligned and we are in Manhattan on the same day in October.
It has to be Manhattan, where (much to my chagrin) there is still no Nordstrom’s. Going to a suburban Nordstrom’s is not feasible.
The main goal is business casual/casual. Pants she can wear to work but are not part of a suit. (She needs khakis that aren’t high-waisted and pleated). Sweaters. Shirts. Tops that go with her new skinny jeans. Shoes.
I would LOVE to go to Nordstrom’s and have the personal shopper LasMa had and buy some of the same clothing and teach my friend some of the same lessons . LasMa’s experience, where the personal shopper really taught her how to shop, would be ideal.
We do need to spend some time in Saks — the personal shopper sent her some skirts and dresses that need alteration.
Two options:
- We spend the entire time in Saks, with the personal shopper that worked the first time.
- We spend some time in Saks and but also book a personal shopper at another store — but where? Macy’s or Bloomingdale’s or Lord & Taylor?
I guess that’s my main question — which department store if not Saks? I’m interested in a lower price point and more selection. One thing I learned from our last excursion is that using a personal shopper is the way to go – so visiting a bunch of assorted stores (like Ann Taylor and Banana Republic) with just me as her personal shopper wouldn’t work.
I was in Manhattan last week, and did a quick reconnaissance of Saks — it is so upscale and I just didn’t see a lot of more casual non-designer options.
And shoes — this is a real problem. She desperately needs fashionable shoes and boots, but she has Morton’s Neuroma, which means no heels and a large toe box. I googled MN and women’s dress shoes, and virtually nothing came up. Getting her out of her ugly orthopedic shoes is both necessary and a challenge.
What brand shoe does she currently wear? Given that it is essential that she have proper fitting shoes, fashion wise you may have to compromise. Though I do not have MN I do have other issues with my feet and back and have had good luck with Dansko and Finn Comfort as a compromise when I dress up professionally. Fortunately I have small feet.
Business casual? Look no further than Max Mara and their Weekend line. Saks carries both of them. A Hugo Boss gal should have no problems fitting into a few MM pieces. Much better quality than anything sold at BR and AT, although I was quite impressed with AT stuff lately.
For shoes, try Paul Green and Munro. They are - sigh! - carried by Nordstrom, but I see that Bloomies has them online.
Google barking dog shoes. It’s a blog where they review shoes for problem feet. I know there is a post about Morton’s Neuroma.
If she is looking for business casual/casual, and the option are Bloomie’s, Macy’s or Lord & Taylor…I would opt for Lord & Taylor. The L&T’s near me closed several years ago, but before they closed I bought many outfits and single pieces there. Not familiar with the shoe dept. but the clothing is stylish & much more reasonably priced than Saks. Good luck and have fun!
From Saks at 5th Ave and 50th St to Lord & Taylor at 5th Ave and 38th St is a nice brief walk.
@deb922 neat blog. @fireandrain some of the brands mentioned on the barking dog blog for NM are carried by The Walking Company. They have a NYC store at 551 Madison Ave. 7 blocks from Saks. My guess is that given the location they are used to professional women with foot issues needing dress shoes.
Barking Dog Shoes came up when I did a google search. Most of its recommendations were either not appropriate for a lawyer in a business suit (clogs) or no longer being sold. I did get some ideas – like Naot, for example – from them (I love my Naot shoes). What I learned from my few minutes of googling is that Morton’s Neuroma is really tough when it comes to dress shoes – any sort of heel or narrow toe base makes the situation worse.
I don’t know what shoes she wears now. Black, orthopedic and not attractive would be my guess. And she has very large feet – size 11, I think.
I’ve started an Amazon and Zappo wishlist for shoes for her. I’ll add some Munro and Paul Green. While I think dress shoes might be tough, I’m sure there are fashionable ankle boots out there that would work.
My inclination was to do L&T, since it’s so close to Saks. I haven’t been in there in years, so wanted some verification from you guys. Walking Company is a good idea – doubt we’ll have time to hit it that day, though. I’m pretty sure the Saks shopper is going to try to redo her makeup and hairstyle, too!
As someone who is fashion challenged I love these types of threads. Comfort has always been way more important than style, but I’m getting better at blending the two. So the only recommendation I can make involves shoes. Have you considered looking at equestrian footwear? It’s not all Durango cowboy boots and spurs. There are some very cute styles - especially in the paddock boot category. And, they are beyond amazingly comfortable because they are made to actually wear while one does life instead of while one sits and looks pretty. These particular ones are amazing…and I’ve suggested them on all the appropriate threads
http://www.ariat.com/YORK_W_FOO.html?dwvar_YORK__W__FOO_color=BROWN_BLACK#q=york&start=2
Don’t go to Loft. Quality is terrible- think Gap. The clothes won’t last a season.
I second also looking at Ariats. I have had really good luck with them.
Ouch, I missed the neuroma part. She likely needs shoes with very wide toebox then to accommodate her orthotics which likely have a wide front to keep her toes spread apart. Some Munro shoes accept orthotics and come in wide widths.
If you don’t already get Lord and Taylor Coupons, you may want to start. They sent messages to phone and you often get additional 20% off. And you can use whatever credit card you want. I do a fair amount of shopping there.