For women, a major decision when it comes to wearing off the rack or custom made suit is whether to get a custom skirt suit or a custom pant suit. A lot of women and very sensitive about their legs and calves and so prefer the complete cover offered by a tailored pant suit. On the other hand a custom skirt suit is so much more comfortable to wear and definitely more feminine! Here are some guidelines to help women put other considerations into play when making the choice between custom skirt suits and pants suits from a custom tailor's perspective.
Selecting Pants versus a Skirt for Your Custom Suit
If you are a woman designing your suit then you will have a host of decisions to make about color, cut and style preferences. There is however one additional decision that will be included in your design process. Custom suits have a wider variety of options than ever before. One of the most important design decisions that you will need to make will be whether or not you prefer to wear a pant or a skirt with your custom suit. During the design process, there are several questions that you need to ask before you make your final selection? What event are you designing this suit for? What will you be doing at this event? What are you most comfortable in? What are others wearing to the same event?
What Event Are You Wearing Your Custom made skirt suit or pant suit to?
Start by considering where you are wearing your custom suit to. If your suit will be worn primarily in an office setting, then a tailored pant suit will be an acceptable choice since pants do tend to offer more freedom of moment without compromising modesty. However, you may also want to consider a skirt to go along with your custom pant suit as well since more formal occasions will call for a skirt in order to be considered appropriately feminine. A custom pant suit with an additional skirt or a custom skirt suit with an additional pair of pants is something only a custom tailor will be able to offer. Essentially by this option you get the functionality of two suits (one a skirt suit and one a pant suit) from just three pieces of the garment – helping you save money in the process!
What Will You Be Doing At This Event?
Another factor to consider as you are choosing between designing a tailored pant suit or skirt suit is what you will be doing at the event. If the event requires a great deal of physical activity then a custom skirt may not be the wisest choice since skirts can restrict mobility. For example, if you are attending an exhibition where you are working in your company's booth at the exhibition, you may be required to do some physical work and yet be appropriately dressed to represent your company and its corporate image. In such a situation, skirts will not be as practical as a pair of pants – hence pants suit is a better choice for wear. Skirts can sometimes hinder the level of activity that you are able to engage in, so remember that as you are in the midst of the design process. At other times, you may be attending a corporate seminar and be responsible for some of the VIPs there – in which case, a more feminine look is preferred – hence a skirt suit would be more appropriate.
What Are You Most Comfortable in?
Your comfort level is actually the most important factor in the decision making process. If you are uncomfortable in your selection, it will definitely show when you wear the garment. If you are usually uncomfortable in a skirt, then do a pants suit but remember to add in a custom skirt in any case, just so you have some variety and latitude in your wardrobe. Using the skirt with the jacket once in a while will enable the suit to look fresh and new even if you have worn it as a custom pant suit before on several occasions. No matter how stylish your look is, you need to and you must be comfortable in your selected ensemble to portray the right effect. As they say, eat what suits you, but dress what others see suit you.
What Are Others Wearing to the Same Event?
You must also take into consideration what others will be wearing to the event. It is one thing to be comfortable in the outfit that you chose, but your choice can be impacted by the choices of others. If you are too far off the ‘presentable' grid, then you may be uncomfortable when all eyes are on you for being different. Only you know how that scenario will impact you, so make your choice accordingly. If for instance, you are at the corporate seminar and most of your fellow attendees are dressed in a pant suit and you turn up wearing an ultra-short mid-thigh length skirt with your suit, you will not only look out of place but perhaps downright provocative resulting in frowns or sneers from people you don't want frowning or sneering at you, your immediate boss for instance! But, don't worry, the debate about whether to wear pants or a hand tailored skirt with your custom suit is a battle with a long history. At the end of the day, weigh your options accordingly and make the best decision for your own personal situation. Use the above basic guidelines to put some thought into whether it is a skirt or a pants suit you find better suited to you and you will be fine.
Choosing the Style of the Skirt for your Custom Skirt Suit
Once you have completed your initial design decisions and chosen to wear a skirt over a pair of pants in your suit, then the next step is things to consider when designing the made to measure skirt that goes along in your ensemble. Some of the design elements to consider when you are creating your custom skirt are shape or flare, style, and length. As you design the style of your skirt, there are several factors that you need to consider in order for the custom skirt to be appropriate for the function you intend to use if for... Begin your process by examining your body type and which style will look best on your figure. This will determine the shape and flare of the skirt. Once you have chosen a style based on your shape you must then consider what looks best on a person of your height. This will determine the length of the skirt. And finally, consider the event that you will be attending and make your selection based on the dress code of that event. This will determine the modesty level of the skirt in your suit. Which in turn will also help you decide on the style and type of jacket that will go with the skirt.
What type of Skirt Looks Best on Your Shape?
The most important factor that you need to consider when designing your custom wardrobe is your shape. Your shape will have the greatest impact on how a custom skirt would look on you. You must begin by identifying your shape and then designing your custom skirt around that. If you have a thick waist for example, then choose a skirt shape that will divert attention away from your waist. Choose a longish, fuller skirt and avoiding designing a skirt that will include any embellishment at the waistline. If you have a long waist, then design your custom skirt with a straight silhouette to flow with your waistline. However, if you have a short waist, then design a skirt with a drop waist in order to add some dimension at the waist. On a thicker waist, you might want to do away with the waistband altogether so as to reduce bulk from the waistline. And of course, this is only possible with a custom tailor – unfortunately such choice is not available when you buy off the shelf. If you have heavy hips, consider lots of pleating – specially knife pleats all around the shirt. The additional flow and fabric in the pleating will take attention away from the bulk at the buttocks! On the other hand, if you have quite thin hips, an A-line shaped skirt will add some sense of bulk to the hips. General rule of thumb is that the more triangular the shape of the skirt silhouette, the more bulk it adds to the hips and the more flared or pleated the skirt, the more it removes appearance of bulk at the hips.
Which Skirt Length is best for Your Height?
Other than your body shape, the other big element to consider when designing your skirt is your own height. The length of your custom skirt will create a silhouette that will either lengthen or shorten your frame. As a rule of thumb, the length of a classic skirt should fall just above the knee, just on or just below the knee. Classic lengths are appropriate in every setting without being immodest, but will still be stylish enough. If you have a petite frame, any skirt that falls below the knee will make you appear shorter than you are. If you have a shorter frame and very thick legs, it is better to do a longer under the mid knee – perhaps mid-calf length. So, generally, if you are slim and wish to look taller, a shorter skirt is better. If you are not so slim but wish to look taller, a mid-knee length is the best option. If you are very tall and wish to look not as tall, opt for a longer skirt to take away from height.
What is the Dress Code of the Event That You Will Attend?
Finally, consider the dress code for the event that you are attending. If the event is a formal event, then you want to choose a skirt that will be long enough to be appropriate for the event while at the same time still being the correct length for your height. If you are designing a custom skirt for a less formal event like an evening date then you may want to design a shorter skirt that will contain a slightly flirty vibe. A skirt is a staple that should be included in every woman's wardrobe. Be sure to work closely with your custom tailor and create a look that you can both be proud of. Apart from this, you might want to use a belt to accessorize the skirt to give it a bit more flare and make it look more fashionable. Here are a couple of tips on how to select a belt for your skirt.
Choosing the Right Belt for Your Skirt
The design and style process does not stop once you leave the office of your custom tailor with your new creation in tow. Style is about what you wear, what you pair with it and how you carry yourself in your ensemble. You can craft the perfect design, but if you do not pair the right accessories with it, then all your efforts are for naught. Take the time to craft a complete look by investing as much time in your selection of accessories as you do creating the designer suit itself. One of the hardest accessories to choose when it comes to designing your custom suit is the selection of the perfect belt to coordinate with your custom skirt. What color should you choose? What material should you use? What width should you choose?
What Color Belt for Your Custom Suit?
Every stylish wardrobe is brought to the next level by the use of accessories within the collection. One of the most prominent accessories in any wardrobe is the belt, especially when wearing a pant suit. Belts come in many shapes and sizes which mean that decision with regards to which one to choose becomes that much more difficult. Every wardrobe needs at minimum a black and a brown belt. Those two colors will be the foundation of your accessories wardrobe. For women, there are some other important colors to include in the accessory arsenal that you will use to pair with your custom suit. For example, this season saw the return of the metallic belt. Metallic belts would be a great option to add some edge to your wardrobe and demonstrate your ability to remain on the forefront of a fashion trend. If you want to know what belt would best match your tailored suit, you should ask your tailor for some advice.
What Type of Belt Goes Best With Your Skirt?
Most belts are made of quality leather, so leather is the natural choice to pair with your custom skirt. For women, depending on the environment that you are working in, you can choose to wear metal belts that are made in the form of a chain link as a choice or sometimes a patterned fabric belt to bring some color to the suit. Be careful though that patterned suits should generally have a plainer looking belt as an accessory with solid color suits can have more patterns or work going on the belt. Too much pattern or too busy a look after all will hinder not advance the look you wish to portray. The accessory that you chose to pair with your custom suit can make or break the entire look. No great custom suit can outshine a poor accessory. Your eye will continue to be drawn to the belt that was not quite right, and at the end of the day that will be what you ultimately remember. So, don't scrimp when it comes to your accessory collection, after all they are the icing on your style cake.