Start With a Suit Archives

I Love It – But Will I Wear It? Navy Striped Blazer & Pants

May 25, 2026

I was looking for two-piece dresses - or tops and skirt that match. Two-piece dresses is such an odd term, isn't it?

And I bumped into this:

I often hear that "I don't want to buy a patterned suit" because there's a concern about being able to wear the two pieces frequently enough to make it worth the while.

I have ideas!

This is a relatively easy suit with which to work, because the print is classic; if it were floral, paisley, or a novelty print of tiny chickens, it might be more difficult...

I'm imagining a heroine with green eyes, for what it's worth. The accent color could be pink, yellow, purple, or even red. Red might be too "flag-like" for some of us...

The striped tote and multi-toned shoes ... View the Post

What Can You Do With a Plaid Suit?

September 17, 2025

We did this last year, and by popular demand, I'm taking a look at this year's Boden plaid suit. Our heroine still works in politics, and her red plaid suit from last year became sort of a signature! She's seriously thinking about getting this suit too, and really leaning into the signature of plaid!

This is a great suit, and from the photographs, it seems to be relatively well constructed. At least the plaids seem to be matched:

There are not a ton of colors in this plaid, but red and white are easy to spot, even at a distance. The more outgoing or creative among us can certain include the brighter blue, or something yellow! A yellow sweater... hmmm...

The first thing this heroine mentioned to me was ... View the Post

Should I Buy the Blazer AND the Pants? Boden Red Plaid Suit

September 11, 2024

She's working for a political campaign! And thus far, she's been wearing summer clothes, of course. But heading into the home stretch of this ENDLESS election (seriously, must this take 2 years?), she needs to pack and all-purpose suitcase for cooler/cold weather...

The temptation is this plaid suit. She loves the plaid, and she's not at all nervous about wearing something this bold. But she's still pondering if it makes sense to buy both pieces:

My approach to helping her with this decision is to show her outfit options using either the blazer or the pants... Her possible colors include the touch of yellow and bright blue found in the plaid, but I think frankly she's going to be a lot happier keeping ... View the Post