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I don’t think it’s any secret around here that I think it’s better to have fewer items of clothing that are truly loved. I’m talking about the pieces that we wear over and over again that always make us feel amazing whenever we wear them.

I remember what it was like to have a closet full of things, some that I liked, a lot that I was pretty meh about, and maybe there were a few carefully selected pieces that I even loved. But it definitely wasn’t a closet that I was content with.

It was a closet full of items that didn’t satisfy me. No matter how much I bought, I always wanted more. More shoes, more bags, more dresses that I hardly wore. The list goes on.

A lot has changed over the past few years. I have focused on drastically reducing the amount of clothing that I own. I consider every item that I decide to purchase. Sometimes for months, or even years. And they all have to be versatile.

My Dream Jumpsuit

Which brings me to this jumpsuit…the star of this post. The Elizabeth Suzann Mara jumpsuit in black silk crepe. 

I first became aware of this jumpsuit a few years ago.

It was shortly after I had watched a life changing documentary called “The True Cost”.

After watching the documentary, I was trying to decipher what fast fashion and slow fashion meant. This led me to start learning about ethical clothing brands.

Elizabeth Suzann was one of the first brands on my radar. Her clothing is made to order in Nashville, TS using natural materials such as silk, linen and cotton.

[This post has been edited to say that sadly, Liz has closed down her Elizabeth Suzann shop. The majority, if not all, of her clothing has been sold off. She will be making her patterns available to the public at some point, if sewing your own clothes is something that interests you.]

This is a reminder that fast fashion brands have such a large cushion to weather any storm, in this case, COVID-19. However, smaller brands who care about their workers and the planet, don’t have the same luxury. It’s time to move the resources away from these fast fashion brands and towards ethically and socially responsible companies.

Made to order clothing was such a foreign concept to me at the time.

I was used to going out to a local shop and just buying whatever I tried on and liked.

I was entirely intimidated by a piece of clothing that would take 6-7 weeks to receive (that was her production time back then, but she has drastically reduced it to about 3 weeks presently).

So, for about 2 years, I chose to buy nothing from her shop. But I would visit the site from time to time to have a look at the Mara jumpsuit, amongst other items. 

Fast forward to now and I finally own the Mara jumpsuit. There were 2 main things that happened for this to occur.

The first was an announcement by a family member that they would be getting married. I immediately knew that this was what I wanted to wear for the wedding.

The second thing was that Elizabeth Suzann announced that she would be discontinuing all versions of the Mara jumpsuit at the end of January 2019.

And the icing on the cake was that it was discounted.

All of these things combined made it possible for me to go ahead and get it before it was gone!

All the Outfit Possibilities

Once it was ordered, I began thinking of all the ways that I would wear it. I thought of all the outfit combinations and event possibilities.

This was a welcome distraction during the first month of the shopping ban.  

After thinking of all the ways that I could wear the Mara, I thought it would be fun to do another styling post where I style a jumpsuit in 3 different ways for 3 different situations.

I did the same thing with a skirt that I had thrifted a while back, which you can read about here.

The 3 different situations that I chose were no brainers really – work, date night and hanging out on the weekend. 

Look 1 – Style a Jumpsuit for Work

One of my favorite ways to wear the Mara is with a silk button up shirt layered underneath. For this look I chose a white silk shirt with contrasting black piping down the front (similar).

I think the 2 pair perfectly in terms of material, fit and color. A silk shirt works well under this jumpsuit because it drapes nicely inside the jumpsuit and thus, there is no extra bulk. I added some patent leather Oxford shoes and some fun leopard print socks.

To finish the look, I keep the jewelry simple with just my wedding ring and a pair of funky blue earrings. For heading outside, I thought it would be fun to add an oversized jacket. I find that this jacket looks best over items that are not bulky, and this shirt and jumpsuit combo pair perfectly with it.

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Look 2 – Style a Jumpsuit for Date Night

This jumpsuit has a very tasteful, but sexy, plunging neckline, which I wanted to be the focus for a date night look. I decided to add my vintage black silk blazer over top for some warmth and coverage.

Leopard print mules add a fun touch and a non-black element to the outfit. I probably wouldn’t wear these shoes during the winter (I would add a pair of black booties instead) but I would love wearing this outfit in the warmer months.

In terms of jewelry, I layered my old gold chain and pendant with my choker. I added my old gold hoop earrings and old two-tone watch. Finally, I added an old gold ring for something a little extra. Overall, I ended up adding quite a few pieces of jewelry but all of the pieces are small and do not overwhelm the look!

Look 3 – Style a Jumpsuit for the Weekend

This jumpsuit is made out of silk which means that past me would have saved it for a special occasion. But current me believes that every day is a special occasion, even a weekend day spent lounging at home, and a good excuse to bring out the silk.

Since it is silk and can easily show the outline of what’s underneath, I definitely prefer layering something less bulky under the jumpsuit. Here, I chose a thrifted oatmeal long sleeve. Then I added some cozy socks and a pair of studded combat boots. The only jewelry I added were my simple gold hoops.

To infuse a little color and warmth for the colder months, I would add a vintage wool shirt. This cardigan would be perfect too. I would wear this to head out for brunch or to do errands.

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Looking for a similar jumpsuit?

The Mara is no longer available for order but it will likely become available in the secondhand market from time to time. I find the best places to look for secondhand Elizabeth Suzann pieces are @selltradees on Instagram, followed by Ebay.

I also took the liberty of searching for some other ethically made jumpsuits that have a similar style to the Mara…

Vanessa Romper // Ozma of California

Santi Jumpsuit // Lacausa Clothing

So, what was your favorite way to style a jumpsuit? Work, date night or weekend?

Until next time,

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