ANNABEL FOWLER GATTO OF SUITABLY
“Launching and then building a business, requires years of hard work, perseverance, and people will be doubting you. True passion is critical to help you move forward when the going gets really tough.”
- ANNABEL FOWLER GATTO
Annabel Gatto is the Co-Founder and CEO of Suitably, a direct-to-consumer workwear brand for professional women.
Annabel developed her sense of office style while working in the corporate world. Her experience at Morgan Stanley, Groupon, and Sullivan & Cromwell each required learning a new industry and deciphering a new dress code. Now, she reaches over 100,000 followers via @annabelfgatto on Instagram who come to her for affordable, practical style inspiration.
Throughout her professional journey, she was often frustrated by the painful experience of shopping for workwear and the lack of resources available to help women succeed in the workplace. She heard over and over again that young women, in particular, wanted simplification, more affordable prices, and transparency. This formed the basis for Suitably where Annabel strives to keep customer input at the heart of every decision.
Annabel is a graduate of Cornell University and Columbia Business School. She currently lives in NYC with her husband and spirited Goldendoodle, Theodore.
1. What inspired you to start Suitably?
Shopping for work is much more expensive and complicated for women than it is for men. This is unacceptable! I was frustrated by the lack of affordable brands to shop for fairly priced, high-quality pieces. Hearing from thousands of women, I realized that my frustrations were not mine alone. I believe that every woman– no matter her background or economic status– deserves a wardrobe that helps her feel confident. I set out to create a brand that would solve this problem and make it easy & affordable for women to feel proud and confident in the clothes they wear to work. From this, Suitably was born!
2. What does a typical workday look like for you?
Due to COVID, Suitably’s fundraising, growing our team, and moving to a fulfillment center have all been delayed. Right now, my 9 to 5 is spent deep in the weeds of running a business. I am usually fulfilling orders that come in throughout the day, steaming garments, packing boxes, and responding to customer inquiries via our email and live chat. In the evening, I usually shift my focus and spend time working on strategic initiatives to help grow Suitably. A few examples of this are partnerships and management of our campus/brand ambassador programs to creating/analyzing the performance of our digital ad campaigns or responding to press inquiries that come in. I also spend time reviewing content for all of our social channels, Suitably’s blog (Well Suited), and our newsletter.
3. What skills are vital to starting a business?
Every entrepreneur's path is different. I have met entrepreneurs from all backgrounds, with varying skill sets or professional experiences, and I wouldn’t say there is a prescribed skill set for entrepreneurs. However, I would add that it’s not an easy path, and being truly passionate about your business or idea is a prerequisite. Launching and then building a business, requires years of hard work, perseverance and people will be doubting you. True passion is critical to help you move forward when the going gets really tough.
4. What are some books, podcasts, newsletters, or blogs that you’ve enjoyed and would recommend to CWBS readers? Any topic goes!
Podcast – How I Built This by Guy Raz for stories on entrepreneurship. Start with the episode on Bonobos with Andy Dunn, it's excellent. In the Dark (Season 2) – highlights flaws in the criminal justice system, very relevant right now. If you are into true crime, Dr.Death, Over My Dead Body and To Live & Die in LA are also good.
Newsletter/Blog – Suitably’s newsletter is a fantastic go-to source for career and style tips for every professional woman. Our blog, Well Suited, also provides a host of career, style and life content that will inform and inspire you! It's divided into three sections: Career, Style, and Women at Work. You'll find everything from free resume/cold email templates and 10 ways to style a classic black blazer to our zoom call style guide, profiles of inspiring professional women and more.
Books – Conversations With Myself by Nelson Mandela is a must-read.
5. Between the 24/7 Blazer, Suite Skirt, Intro Dress, and Keynote Dress, what is your one must-have item of Suitably apparel?
The 24/7 Blazer is a wardrobe staple for every woman. It's the piece you'll invest in now and have for life. It can be dressed up or down, worn for a variety of occasions (from work to weekend) and the 24/7 is always appropriate. There is no blazer out there that is as high quality as ours is, machine washable, comfy, and under $100. Once you own it, you'll never want to wear another blazer again!
6. How do you see Suitably growing in the future?
Traditionally, workwear is overpriced, boring, stuffy, unflattering and there has not been a workwear brand that most women truly love. From the start, it was critical to build a customer-centric brand that redefined workwear for Gen Z and Millennial women. Suitably launched in February 2020, about a month before COVID spread throughout the country, so we are still very much in the toddler phase of the business. That said, we are growing. My goal is to provide as many women as possible with high-quality staples for work that they can wear for life. We're focused on profitability, expanding into new product categories, and opening up some pop-up stores when it is safe to do so! Look out for exciting things to come from Suitably in the future.
7. Who is a woman leader you look up to?
My former manager at Groupon is not only a leader I look up to but the type of leader I aspire to be. When I joined her team, she immediately took me under her wing. She did everything to help me reach my potential and achieve my personal goals. I observed her do this with each person on the team. That’s just the kind of leader she was. The kind of leader who does all she can to lift others up and the kind of leader that wants each team member to succeed. She was incredibly passionate about her job and dedicated to empowering others. She created an environment where I was excited to come to work every day and work my absolute hardest. This is the kind of leader we should all aspire to be! In addition to being a top executive, she is also a mom. She has shown me that it really is possible to do it all. While she is incredibly busy, she is still always there for me whenever I reach out for advice.
8. As a Columbia Business School Alum, is there any general advice you have for Columbia students about opportunities on campus/in NYC?
I know the past few months have been filled with lots of emotions and changes for students during this unprecedented time. I know the semester is different from how students thought it would be. Remember this will pass and a brand new, amazing, chapter of life is ahead.
As for opportunities, Columbia's location and network give students incredible access to a variety of unique opportunities and professionals in New York that those outside of the city do not have access to. This is one aspect that drew me to Columbia Business School and something I even wrote about in my application essays.
It’s very unique to have access to so many professional opportunities while in college and I always encourage New York-based students that I mentor to take full advantage – whether it’s taking on an in-semester internship or setting up coffee chats with alumni in industries you are interested in. It’s also important to note that some of the most interesting opportunities are not necessarily posted on the job board and require reaching out to an alum, expressing your interest, and asking if there is anything you can help out on. As for campus opportunities, I always advise to not get too tied up in putting a ton of clubs on your resume for the sake of it. Find a club, group or volunteer opportunity that you are passionate about, professional or non-professional, showing depth of involvement is very important. As an undergraduate, it was student council for me!