If you want to ditch uncomfortably stiff skirts and dresses, a suit is the best way to go. Donning the right suit can make you instantly feel more powerful, confident, and even give you a little bit of a royal pep in your step. But it can be hard to know exactly where to shop for women’s workwear if you want a high-quality suit without the budget of a Duchess.
Whether you’re after a bridal suit to wear in lieu of a bridesmaid dress or need a sharp suit for the office, we’ve got you covered.
The top suits we’ve tested
My top retailer overall has to be Suitshop for its incredible, affordable options that feel custom, yet retail for under $250. As a petite person, I was amazed that I could get both the top and pants in short options — and that everything fit perfectly when it arrived.
Everlane is an amazing place to get separates. This is one of their enduring and iconic blazers, which can be paired with the Tencel Way-High Taper Pant or the skirt of the same material. Paired together, create a slightly oversized silhouette that gives a more modern, relaxed look.
If typical suits are a little too stuffy for you, check out Everlane’s contemporary selection. You’ll find skirt suits, sets with slightly cropped silhouettes, and suits in bright, fun colors. Plus, they usually retail for between $200-$300.
SuitShop is an incredible place to get suits that feel like custom fits for much less money. In fact, most of their options hover around $225 for a full suit. Both the jacket and the pants in all of their offerings come in short, regular, and long lengths — and the sizes range from a 00 to a 24.
Though you could dress it down for work, SuitShop’s Women’s White Tuxedo is a showstopper at formal events and elegant outings. I’m five-foot-two and the short option hits me perfectly at the ankle. I absolutely love how custom it feels, despite it being only $250. The material is also luxurious. It’s made of satin and expertly tailored to flatter your figure. I’ve worn it with a cheeky bra to a birthday dinner, with a silk blouse to a professional event, and have even suggested it to a friend as the perfect bridal suit.
If you want a suit made of a more casual fabric, staples like the Deep Teal Suit and the Charcoal Grey Suit are made of a stretchier polyester and spandex blend.
Quince
We love Quince for hitting the sweet spot between high quality and low prices. Almost everything we’ve tested from them has been worth it for the price — and we particularly love their workwear. Though you can’t buy a top and bottom together as a suit, you can browse their blazer section and their work pants options and put together a matching look that will cost you about $120.
They have seasonally appropriate picks like a linen blazer or one made from Italian wool, but we’re particular fans of their versatile Ponte pants and matching blazer.
The Quince Ponte pants are some of our favorite work pants ever, earning the award for the best stretchy pants in our guide to the best work pants. Our team has tested a bunch of these, and we are obsessed with their stretchy waistband and legging-like comfort. They also come in a whole slew of cuts like bootcut, straight leg, super wide leg, and skinny. You can also get them in different lengths to accommodate petites or tall folks.
Express
Express’ suit section is a great go-to for suits that are colorful and trendy. Unlike some retailers that focus on muted and traditional styles, you can find options for standout skirt suits, vibrant colors, and even options with shorts in the summer. Plus, after the work day is done, you can easily hit a happy hour with friends in the same outfit without feeling like you’re dressed too stuffy to be drinking a margarita.
Spanx
The Spanx PerfectFit Pant is famous for being — well, perfect. With over a thousand five-sta reviews on the website and lots of buzz about how comfortable they are, these might just become one-half of your new favorite Spanx suit.
Our Executive Editor, Sally Kaplan, loves the petite wide-leg version: “The waist on the wide-leg pair was smoothing but not uncomfortably tight. I loved that they just slipped right on (good for busy mornings) and that the weight of the pants keeps the legs from blowing around too much.” See our full review of the Spanx Perfect Pant to see which other cuts were our favorites. The Perfect Blazer pairs with the pants for a look that is classic — but far more comfortable and sculpting than you might expect.
We reviewed Everlane’s collection of women’s workwear and loved their Tencel Oversized Blazer and Way-High Taper Pant. All of their blazer and trouser separates bring stylish touches to classic silhouettes — whether it’s a modern oversized look or a retro 80s cut. We’ve always loved Everlane for their transparent pricing and their suit options reflect their usual commitment to quality.
See Everlane’s suit options here.
Everlane The Tencel™ Oversized Blazer
M.M. LaFleur
M.M. LaFleur’s suits are highly functional and built with their signature attention to detail. Many of their options come with features that will make your most practical friend drool — like deep pockets, snaps to keep your bra straps in place, and adjustable hems that turn your full-length trouser into a cropped pant. These clothes are slightly more expensive than some other options on this list, but springing for an M.M. LaFleur suit guarantees a piece made with ultra-high quality materials and meticulous design.
Plus, we reviewed M.M. LaFleur’s wrinkle-resistant packable suits and loved how their travel-friendly suits made business trips far easier.
Indochino
You might know Indochino as a men’s retailer of custom suits, but they have also launched a women’s line. Indochino is known for its made-to-measure sizing, which means you’ll have to go into the shop or take your own measurements at home to get your perfect fit. Men’s style editor Amir Ismael tested the brand himself for an Indochino review and loved what he got: “Everything that I’ve ever custom-ordered at Indochino was made with exceptional quality. I’ve found each garment to match up with the measurements and fit I aimed to achieve.”
You can choose from tons of customizations, like lining fabric, button color, and pocket style. You can also pick intricate details like the number of vents, the drape of the shoulder fabric, and the color of the stitching around button holes. Plus, you can pick if you want the suit to have a more masculine or feminine fit depending on your preferences.
Good American
Good American’s Bosswear section is a treasure trove of blazers, skirts, trousers, and dresses that are designed to make you feel like you’re the CEO. What’s unique about Good American is the hint of sexy that part-owner Khloe Kardashian brings to her tailored apparel. Though sexy workwear seems like an oxymoron, Good American’s styles prove that you don’t have to hide your curves under baggy fabrics in order to look professional. The Scuba Slim Zip Pant is designed to give you “the best butt ever.”
The clothes are also available in extended sizes up to 28 or 5XL — check out our review of Good American’s pull-on jeans to see how they look on different body types.
Universal Standard
We love Universal Standard for its extensive range of sizes, which goes from a size 00 to a size 40. In our review of Universal Standard’s denim line, we were particularly impressed with how comfortable the styles can be. The trousers in their professional line also feature an elastic waistband for comfort — something we definitely need when sitting at a desk for long hours or traveling for work.
The fabric of its suiting is also designed with a little bit of stretch and (miraculously) won’t wrinkle. The brand promises that you can wear these pieces “right out of your suitcase when traveling,” which is great for jet-setters.
Theory
Theory is famous for their high-quality, work-ready attire. Their pants, in particular, are incredibly flattering since they come in all kinds of cuts for all kinds of legs. While the Demetria Pant is meant to elongate your legs, their high-rise Pleated Wide-Leg Pant is designed for people who prefer their pants to be roomier. A full suit at Theory will run you about $500, but it can get you from a wedding to a board room and everywhere in between.
Banana Republic
Banana Republic is a mall staple and one of the best places to get professional-looking suits in a variety of materials. The mainstays of Banana Republic’s suiting collection are one of our favorites for fitting small frames. Most of their offerings come in petite sizes, so you won’t have to bother with running to the tailor before you want to wear them.
Ann Taylor
Ann Taylor is great for getting all kinds of separates. In fact, many of the suit options can also be paired with dresses and skirts in the same color and material. This is a great option for making the blazers go from winter to summer without having to buy a whole new set. Another bonus is that lots of these pieces are machine washable, which means you wont have to spend extra money at the dry cleaners every time your suit needs to be cleaned.
Ann Taylor’s sizing goes from 00-18 and you can get the most of the suits in petite, regular, and tall lengths.
J.Crew
J.Crew is a trusted name in workwear and their suits naturally reflect their preppy, professional vibe. They have a collection of typical blazers ranging from slim to a relaxed fit — but they also have a fun and unique line of sweater blazers. These are made of soft material like cotton and Merino wool so they fit more like a cardigan but still have lapels like a blazer. You can pair them with a sweater pant for a comfy version of a suit that’s perfect for the winter. And while you’re at it, be sure to check out J. Crew’s line of statement jewelry to spice up some of their more muted styles.
Sene
Sene’s options are “sizeless” and 100% customizable. You can get your custom measurements one of two ways — you can either take a quiz to determine your fit or you can measure yourself at home. If you opt for the quiz, it will ask your questions about your height and weight, but also about your posture, how clothes normally fit you, the slope of your shoulders, and more. We reviewed the Sene Soho FlexTech Suit that’s designed for men and loved it because of how comfortable and customizable it is. At just under $600, getting a Sene suit will be slightly more expensive than some of the options on this list — but it would cost far more to go to a tailor and get a suit customized for you. If you want a suit built for you, this is the way to go.
