Most of my wardrobe is contemporary. And most of it is bold. Short dresses with dramatic prints; top/skirt ensembles in interesting combinations. Those styles were a natural way for me to ease into feminine apparel.
But I'd like to expand beyond them. I'd like to explore clothing worn by women in real life. Last year I experimented with modern pencil skirts and formal office attire. That was fun. It made me feel more connected to real-world female experiences. Instead of play-acting, those clothes feel more authentic.
A style I want to play with now is the skirt-suit. On "Mad Men," there were two types -- pretty, colorful ones worn by office workers and glitzier, more elegant-looking ones worn by wives. I've never worn or even thought about wearing a skirt-suit. But due to my admiring how good the female characters on the show look in them, I'm yearning to try them. I'm actively scouring thrift-stores looking for examples of these two styles.
I bought one of the latter today which I'll show it to you soon. I'm eager to find one of the former, but they're proving hard to locate. That style of skirt-suit isn't common any more and actual vintage clothes are never big enough to fit me. But I'm actively continuing the search.
Have you ever worn a skirt-suit?
I have! I was gifted one from the lovely Amber of Butane Anvil. Sadly it's long gone the way of too small, but it was fun while it lasted. I never really had a reason to wear a suit skirt, but I do love things that match so perfectly.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, I have a couple of vintage suits and at least 2 modern ones. Love 'em!
ReplyDeleteI've tried them on but never bought. I always wonder where the heck I'll wear it, which is rather funny because I could ask that same question of 85% of the clothes I buy.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I also want to rematch MadMen from the beginning. Did you like it as much the second time around? What did you think of the ending?
I adore all of the fashion porn on that show. Even the 70's, which most people hated. I didn't care for the men's fashion, but I still found something in the women's fashions to love.
Can't wait to see your suit!
bisous
Suzanne
Seeing "Mad Men" a second time was fun. I've read analyses of the show which helped me "see" more; I had a deeper understanding of the themes. There's a lot of foreshadowing and connections you miss the first time around. They jump out at you during a second viewing.
DeleteThe ending was good. Lots of highlights, like Peggy realizing she loves Stan, their kiss, Roger's joke about Marie being his mom and, of course, the ending sequence of Don's return to advertising.
DeleteI saw that ending as him returning "home" as Peggy put it. Some other people figure he didn't go back.
DeleteRoger always had the best jokes. Plus now he is living in Paris!
I thought the Stan/Peggy thing was a bit of a stretch. It felt like she was kissing her brother I thought.
Also I thought that the whole Pete thing was silly. That'll last 5 minutes.
I've been wondering what you might wear as a more casual self. But the Mad Men persona is pretty dressed up still. I've been a tomboy my entire life so I've never owned or worn a skirt suit. Do you ever wear elegant caftan type gowns at home? I love elegant flowy type things like that rather than a constricting suit. But they are very attractive! I guess I just never had the confidence or body type I felt was suited for. (pun intended!)
ReplyDeleteI've never worn a caftan. Thanks for the idea!
DeleteSkirts are always wonderful. Great for travel, because you only have to pack one skirt for every 3-4 tops. And below-the-knee skirts are best of all. Trust me. I prefer lower-calf length. SO flattering. Unless you have cankles.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see what you have to show us next!!!! Have never had a suit skirt and now I don't even buy skirts any more because as Connie calls them ... I have cankles which are better hidden under pants.
ReplyDeleteGood luck in your search for your vintage skirt suit! Maybe you should sew one for yourself??
Ooh, I am excited to see your suit! I have never worn a skirt suit. I think I could maybe pull of the shorter version but would feel like I was playing dress up in the fancier, more elegant version. Maybe if I had Joan Holloway's body! (IF ONLY!!!)
ReplyDeletei love the the fashions of that era, they are so fabulously feminine and gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see you in your suit! I have two that are almost right in between the office version and the "wife" version and I used to love wearing them. They were unexpected but very pretty.
ReplyDeletexo
styleontheside.com
When my work environments were a bit more formal, I'd always go for the pant to skirt suit. Mostly pants, but from that era I have held on to about 3 skirt suits that I seldom wear. I wish they were your size so I could pass them on to you :)
ReplyDeletestyle in Mad Man is so inspiring ! I often take a look back in the time through photos I find on the internet and I'm fascinated how similar it is to what we are wearing today.
ReplyDeleteIt's probably safe to say that you know my answer :), but...yes, I have definitely worn a skirt suit many times and love them to bits. It can take a long time for me to find one that works for my figure, but when I do, I wear it like there's no tomorrow, especially during the chillier half of the year.
ReplyDeleteThere is so much versatility and elegance to a skirt suit. You can wear the pieces together or break them up. Dress it up or down, sport it to nearly any sort of event (from a wedding to a business meeting, a night at the theater to cocktail party), and always look polished, poised, and stylish.
As with so many areas of women's fashion, why most ladies stopped wearing suits, especially outside of the office, is largely beyond me. When well fitted, they're one of the most flattering and sophisticated pieces anyone can ever sport and I'll always secretly hope that they come back into mainstream rotation again (though, being a realist, I doubt that they will).
♥ Jessica
I so agree with everything you say, Jessica. In fact, I bought two more of them today. I'm hooked!
Deleteyes...i wore skirt suits in my corporate days. love the look, but our office now is way too casual.
ReplyDelete