Prince of Wales Check Suit

Wearing a suit definitely gets you taken more seriously. The epitome of power dressing, a Prince of Wales check suit is one to be reckoned with, and this one is serious on so many levels: style, comfort, price and versatility. 

Getting down to business!

Wearing this Prince of Wales check suit reminds me of the olden days when I worked in the corporate world and had to "power" dress, which I did, expensively!

Slick!

Looking back I recall a Prince of Wales check pant suit that I purchased from Harvey Nichols in London in 1991. It cost me in pounds the equivalent of about $400, all those years ago! It was for a job interview I had been head-hunted for and this suit was going to seal the deal, so I considered it more of an investment in my future than an expensive pant suit!

A black crepe blouse was the only way to go for me!

The interview was a success and I got the job so as far as I was concerned the $400 suit paid for itself! Now I'm a blogger and I don't live anywhere near Harvey Nichols (good thing), I don't go for corporate high powered job interviews or feel the need to power dress given my great age, but having fun with clothes I wore twenty plus years ago, well that's another story, as long as they don't cost a corporate salary!

How bloggers wear their jacket!

Let's get this show on the road!

The Prince of Wales check or plaid clearly has it's roots in royalty. Originally named the Glen plaid derived from the Glenurquhart valley in Scotland in the 19th century. Later favoured by the Prince of Wales Sir Edward VIII for his custom made suits and eventually enjoyed by millions watching Sean Connery as James Bond donning the checked suits on film! The fabric has long since been a favorite of designers Ralph Lauren and Michael Bastian, and today is having a revival with modern styles that are sure to get you totally "checked out"!

It's not all about business though!

The jacket is the star of this suit. It can be worn with so many different looks. Still keeping a sharp style going for a night out with the girls, I paired it with black coated jeans, heeled pumps and a fun graphic tee!

Back to black, but this time with ripped jeans, pointy toe sock booties from Zara and an old Jimmy Choo leopard hair clutch!

Feeling the boyfriend look!

And here, a last minute throw together for a stroll around the shops with a contrasting red bag!

The fitted double breasted jacket has a slightly stretchy woven fabric making it blissfully comfortable. It's lined, so it glides on easily over whatever you're wearing and has some serious muscle in the way of 90's shoulder pads that warrant a warning to pedestrians coming in the opposite direction!

The overall color blends to a gray with fine black lines on a natural background; fantastic paired with black. There are decorative buttons at the cuff, welt pockets, notched lapels, and whilst the check is not lined up perfectly at every seam and join, for the less than princely sum of $59.99 the naked eye or my wallet isn't going to mind!

The dressy slim-fit pants are tailored with a flat front, narrow leg and make a decent pair of work pants all by themselves. They're also made with the exact same stretchy woven fabric as the jacket (which is not wool so it doesn't itch), priced at $34.99.

Last but not least, the button up blouse I'm wearing with the suit is a soft flowy crepe fabric with satin cuffs and collar. Decorative black beading at the front edge of the collar adds just a tiny glint of sparkle, also $34.99.

Who else could come up with this level of style, fair quality, and affordable prices - our friend in the high street H&M, of course! The links below will take you to the H&M suit and blouse presented here, plus I've linked a few other either the same or similar items I'm wearing in these looks.

Thank you for stopping by!

Karen xox