Why Amanda Is No Coco Chanel

So, I really, really dislike business formal. I have gone on countless rants to friends and loved ones about how I certainly understand the need to look nice and professional at work, but business formal is an arbitrary, unflattering, and uncomfortable way to accomplish this goal. Mainly though I think the issue is that I am totally insecure about wearing suits. I just do not understand them. I really like clothes, and I love putting together outfits, but I do not get how not to feel costume-y and frumpy-looking in a suit.

To wit: I own several suits, all of which I liked when I purchased, but very few of which do not now make me feel extremely self-conscious. Two of these are fine (Sleek Black and Kicky Gray), but Kicky Gray is really only a summer suit. Which leaves me during the winter months with one non-obtrusive, fairly tasteful suit plus:

*The Paula Poundstone: tan pin-striped, double breasted, enormous shoulder pads;
*The Annie Oakley: tan skirt suit with aggressive brown stitching as trim;
*The Junior League: black dress with matching, bell-sleeved bolero jacket;
*The "I'm Right on Top of That, Rose": black tweed skirt suit with big black buttons and yet another set of enormous shoulder pads;
*The Junior State Senator (TM Matty): pin-striped skirt suit with slightly-too-long skirt.

I know that the solution is either to suck it up, or to make a quick trip to Banana Republic to pick up a classy, stylish, fly-under-the-radar suit. But suits are quite expensive, and also I show no signs of ceasing to be very jealous of any suitless persons I encounter on weekday mornings (Meredith Viera, random NYU students). So I guess I'll probably just sulk about this for the foreseeable future. While trying not to wrinkle the Flight Attendant Circa 1984.