Lawstudents.ca

It could have a collar, or not. And if you go into a store, they should know what you are talking about, unless they suck at their jobs.

elecia, please see page 5 of this thread, re: shopping with you

Seriously? or are you just kidding?
I have a sister who works for the cBC, so obviously she needs to dress professionally, though she probably doesn't wear too many suits. And after reading your posts in this thread, I'd basically call you an expert--where'd you learn about all this shit anyway? you're probably one of those sexy bitches at the office who the other girls try and hate on but can't because you're actually nice so people are just left in a state of cognitive dissonnance (sp?) in your presence. Ok, we're on. So excited!

Oh and carter, thanks for the link, but I'm blind so can't see it.

ahhh i feel like a tool!!! To be fair, I don't think I noticed who posted that question.

tsall good. Snuggle it out.

I don't know if I have a good eye for suits - I work at American Apparel so maybe my taste is wacky. I just want a shopping buddy!
I think I'd go for something like this: http://doostang.files.wordpress.com/200 ... s-suit.jpg

ETA: oops, never mind about the link

I just found this thread, and it's making me so happy! I am 6' tall, slim but muscular, definitely *not* conservative in appearance, and I have been dreading the inevitable drabness of law school, etc.

I am thrilled to read so many great suggestions of what to buy and where to buy it. Jayleeh, thank you in particular for everything you've shared! Where are you going to school? I'll be at Osgoode in September, keep your eyes peeled for a tall girl in heels growing out her hipster haircut and trying to cover her tattoos. Perhaps some of us could start an Osgoode fashion alliance? I love bright colours, big jewelery, and tall heels too much...

My office attire "resume", if you will:

- 6 years of working in retail, some of it high-end (some of it not so much -- Le Chateau, anyone?)
- 2 years of said high-end retail job often required dressing women in suits. A lot of women need help shopping for them.
- 6 years working around women who wear suits
- 2 years of those years I was required to wear suits myself.

"12 years?" you ask, eyebrows askance... Yes. Yes, I have worked for that long. I am not 20. But I will be at heart. Forever. Those were my glory days.

Plus:

- 1 fiancee who spoiled me rotten for four years (ended up being a rotten cheater too, if anyone's interested). The more you shop, the more you know!
- 1 very wealthy, self-absorbed fashion blogger best friend, who I am childishly envious of at times, whose knowledge of fashion far surpasses mine. And that's saying a lot.


*sheepishly looks down and shuffles feet uncomfortably* I'm...I'm still waiting to hear back from all the schools I applied to. But there is nothing that I would love more than a law school fashion buddy to have swap meets with. If you like big rings then we can definitely be friends. And, wow, you're going to wear heels to law school? I feel so out of place, so I never do that at school. And I'm only 5'8. But give me my red Ferragamo flats or give me death!

So jaygirl, I'm impressed. In order to find me a suit, how much do you think I should pay for it? this is only for first year, so I want it to fit and be flattering, but I also don't want to pay like, five hundred, given that I'll eventually have to spend my life in a suit (which is kind of exciting, because it feels a bit "adult" and I sometimes feel immature)

That's because we are immature. Stay that way. I love it. If you get all frigid on me, I'll be really lonely on this board.

Call me next time you're planning to come to Toronto, and I'll take you to a few places. I think I could find you something decent in the $200-$300 range, either in a cheaper label or discount designer. You just have to shop around when you're looking for good prices.

A shell and cami are pretty much the same thing. A camisole is usually a strappy (tank-top) top, while a shell is understood to be a little more conservative, often times a very in a classic cut and fabric with a boat or scoop neck that goes under a jacket or suit. A shell can a capped, short or quarter-sleeved top, or it can sleeveless. What can be worn under a suit jacket really depends on the cut and fit of the suit really. Some jackets an can accommodate a blouse underneath while others will only go with something light and sleeveless underneath. I don't think your jacket needs to stay on all day so I'd just make sure you have something office-appropriate underneath that work with your slacks when the jacket comes off (so probably not a lacy v-neck cami ). If you feel more comfortable/professional with the jacket on for most of the day, then it'd be better to opt for higher quality natural fabrics or wools that are both lightweight and breathe well. Any place selling the suit should be able to make recommendations that flatter you and work with the occasion. Happy suit-hunting!

Coco.

While shopping for "lawyer attire" I suppose we of the fairer sex should heed the lawyer's experience in Miami where her choice of undergarments affected her ability to consult with her client http://business.financialpost.com/2010/ ... te-client/.

I just have a question, though I'm not sure if this is the appropriate forum for it.

Does anyone who is already in LS know how men typically dress? And do you find women dressed 'better' than men in LS?

I have another question, and it's about shoes. Do people usually buy several pairs of heels for different pant-lengths/cuts? is there such a thing as comfortable heels? what are people wearing on their feet these days? how about travelling in the winter? (they wo't let me drive)

In my experience, the more fashionable the heel, the less comfortable it is. Nonetheless, I am guilty of putting fashion before comfort.

With that in mind, if you are planning to buy a pointy toe heel, consider buying a size larger than you normally wear (by the end of the day, your feet get all swelled and you get these nasty red marks on the top of your foot where it digs in). Also consider wearing a stocking or using talcum powder to soak up some moisture and allow your foot to move around a bit. I have heard great things about Dr. Scholl's inserts too.

If you aren't used to heels, wear them out somewhere before you go somewhere important so that you can practice. You don't want to fall on a$$ in front of people you don't know well.

Heels may not be too comfortable, but damn do they make your legs look nice.

I've been to a couple of open house events this summer and I noticed that almost all of the female lawyers wear flats. I imagine that it's okay to wear a small heel when you're actually working at a firm, but for OCI's I will definitely wear flats.

Also I've seen many women with longish (shoulder length or a little longer) hair who wear it loose. Which is good because that is one thing I couldn't compromise on. I'll wear flats, leave my cute sleeveless tops at home, and wear tights in the summer. But I'm not cutting my hair or pulling it back.

Oh, I hear you re: the hair. Is having hair out long really such a bad idea? when I have my hair in a ponytail, I seriously look as though I'm like 13.
And I agree that the more fashionable the heel, the less comfortable. I was just hoping that there'd be some crazy-ass expensive brand that touts itself as having a comfortable heel (though it may just be an oxymoron, sadly).

Cole Haan has Nike Air technology; I have a couple friends who swear by them, so you could try a pair of those.

nine west shoes are pretty comfy, and are much cheaper than cole haan.

nine west shoes are sooooo comfy!!! i have some nine west stilettos that have built in padding in the sole, my feet never hurt in them! geox make comfy shoes too - they have breathable soles so you don't get sweaty feet

Hey,

I just finished 1L and didn't need to wear a full suit at all... I just wore business casual to wine & cheese events (not really formal events) or clinic interviews. I was involved with the legal aid clinic, but it's actually good not to look too intimidating too... these are clients who are often in poverty and a bit intimidated by lawyers. My clinic leader just advised not to wear jeans -to wear dress pants/skirt, and a collar top - that's good enough & what I always did. It looked fine & professional and only cost me around $100 at most.

That said, I am now entering 2L year and preparing for job interviews & it is pretty much *required* you have a suit for 2nd year. You may need one for interviews for 1L summer but it's not like a formal interview process and you can get it if and when the time comes. I'm always a bit hesitant to buy suits a bit too much in advance because I find I gain/lose weight all the time and would rather not buy anything too small/big for a year later or something.

Anyway, as a tall girl myself (I'm 5'9") I'd recommend Banana Republic - I was there recently & the sales lady told me that they cater to taller girls in their sizes (nice!!) and if you bring a student card you also get a student discount (i didn't know that until she told me..) Their prices are pretty standard. I didn't find their style that amazing though,..

I found Jacob a bit more stylish/dressy but they didn't have anything for tall women (i'd imagine they cater to around women 5'5" and 5'6"...or average size) and they were REALLY sparse in their selection. They didn't even have a suit jacket in size small, only large... (I'm size small, despite being tall.) So anyway, I don't know why Jacob's selection is really crap right now, but this was at Sherway Gardens in Etobicoke & maybe other locations are better. They didn't even have collar shirts in the colour white... just cute feminine button-ups and stuff, but it didn't look professional. Their skirts were also not that professional.. but I <3 Jacobs so I'm not trying to put them down, just saying their summer selection seems all sold out.

I do need a suit for around July though, so if anyone has any suggestions for me too.. would be appreciated! I'm not a fan of Zara although I haven't shopped there much.

I went into Tristan and America the other day - they have some nice suits in right now! The lady also told me they'd be getting new suits in at the end of August.

My suggestion is this....buy good quality stuff, in classic styles which won't date at Holts ON SALE!! If you live in Toronto there is "Holts Last Call" up at Vaughn Mills....the discounts are deep....but it does take a bit of time to do proper digging around and you have to try everything on (if you find a defect that you can repair....ask for a further discount)! What I am going to do is regularly pop in there and buy winter stuff in the summer and summer stuff in the winter. I recently bought a Diane Von Furstenburg jacket for $140....reduced from $680...and the matching skirt for $97....reduced from the $240. They are beautiful garments of the highest quality....plain black and beautifully tailored that will look great for years!!!

i was under the impression that we should not get black suits! and that the colour to go with is a charcoal.

I am pretty sure the black suit rule applies more to men than women. Men should buy a charcoal and a navy suit before a black, because black is not a "traditional" suit colour (for men). I am going into 2L and lots of the girls have black suits. If you find a nice suit that fits, and is black, buy it. If you are going to get more than one, I would suggest getting a lighter and darker one. I have a black one, a lighter gray one, and a charcoal pinstripe one, which is a nice variety.

True, but even so part of the reason not to buy black is because it can look harsh and formal.

BLACK clothing on women is HOT. I encourage!

lots of women at my firm, and at other firms ive visited, wear black suits. i dont think its that big of a deal.

I think black would be ok as long as it was good quality and you wore nice accessories. Basically, you just have to make sure you don't look like you work at the make-up counter at the Bay.

I stumbled on this thread and I think it's so helpful as I ve been having problems on the suit-hunting front. So, my question is, is it okay if we mix and match? i.e. you buy a jacket and skirt/pant separately and wear them together. My head tells me this is fine but you never know. I would appreciate any thoughts

I always thought a suit matched. For guys, if they are wearing a pair of pants and jacket that don't match, it's not a suit, it's a sport jacket and pants. No?

Shoes - Naturalizer has a huge sale on right now and they have some mumsy styles but some really hot ones too. Pick and choose but the bottom line is I got a wicked pair of peep toes yesterday, regular $100+ for $40 and they are very comfortable.

Suits - Banana Republic has a very, very nice suit usually (think they're all sold out right now, at least in Vancouver it seems) - they should start getting more in over the next month for the Fall. It's a nice weight suiting material, gray or black. The best part for this athletic girl with curves (read: not chubby but not a bone rack either) is that the skirt hugs in all the right places, fits in the waist (usually if it fits in the hips it's gappy at the waist). It also has a higher waist. Comes in regular or tall - although I'm 5'4 I may consider buying the tall next time. It's called the Classic Pencil Skirt I think. The skirt is regular $98 and the jacket is $198 I think. Seems like something they resurrect with slight adjustments every season. My new go to skirt.

Just poking my head in here for this specific question. Men definitely can wear a suit jacket with the pants from a different suit. However, and this is a bit however, it's considered an "advanced" look, and not something you would try if you are just entering the suit-wearing world. Not everyone can pull it off, and not every combination looks good (or even anything but sloppy). Most often it's seen with grey pants paired with a darker jacket (charcoal or dark navy, maybe black if you are very daring). Italians can pull off the navy jacket with white (often tuxedo) pants, but as I've said over in the men's suits thread, Italians can do anything and still look good. Anyone else attempting the navy/white look usually ends up looking like Hugh Hefner.

^ What he said. Doing separates and maintaining a professional look is something you need to know how to do; you could end up looking a bit too eclectic (and not in a good way). If you're having some start-up difficulty, I'd go with others' advice and stick with a basic (not too light) grey suit and shell/blouse. Yes, you can do black but I think grey is a much better choice, if you're just getting one suit. The reason I advise not to get black is that I find many women tend to gravitate towards tighter fitting suits, and the grey offsets this common mistake because it's more conservative. If you know how to do black, you can do it. Black works better for a good skirt suit, IMO.

Thanks for the feedbacks, helps a great deal!