Suit yourself! How WPO member Jeanne Foley turned formal dress into business success
For WPO member Jeanne Foley, being in the right place at the right time with the right business idea turned out to be a surefire recipe for success. But, she points out, it’s clicking with the perfect business partner and assembling a “dream team” that has really propelled her formal wear venture into the stratosphere.
Jeanne, a member of the WPO’s Columbus I Chapter in Ohio, was ranked 12th on the WPO’s Women2Watch list for 2024. The business that she co-founded, SuitShop, was also recognized on last year’s 50 Fastest Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies list – another feather in her cap, and a strong sign that the young e-tail business and its equally youthful leader are making waves in the business world.
She is thrilled with the recognition. “There’s something unique about the WPO community and the women who are part of it. The 50 Fastest ranking is one of my favorite accomplishments. I can’t tell you how many personal messages of congratulations I received from the connections I’ve made across the WPO community. It’s such a high-touch group!”
The listing, she says, is an endorsement that SuitShop is on the right path – “and it is good for future growth. It’s about visibility and reach, and continuing to push your business forward.” Entries for the 2025 WPO 50 Fastest list are open here.
Spotting a gap in the market
Like many winning business ideas, Jeanne’s came as an epiphany. When she got married, she was dismayed to discover just how much it cost to rent tuxedos for the groomsmen.
“A lot of them had issues with the fit. Being a technical designer, I noticed that stuff. But I didn’t really mind until I went to return them and realized they’d cost $250 apiece to hire! I thought that was so crazy – it seemed like the cost of something that you could purchase.”
With her background in product development and design, Jeanne suspected there had to be a better, cheaper alternative to hiring overpriced, ill-fitting suits for special occasions.
“I had always wanted to start my own business, but in fashion that’s incredibly hard. Once you see behind the scenes what it takes for a brand to operate, you start realizing that starting your own company in fashion and scaling it to any kind of degree seems impossible – unless you can find a niche.”
That niche was supplying affordable, quality suits and tuxedos. After extensive research and groundwork, SuitShop was born in 2016 – co-founded by Jeanne’s best friend Diana Ganz, her sounding board and the yang to her yin.
They started small, using a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign to pre-sell suits. They enlisted the services of a male friend as a suit model, built a simple website and set down modest targets. Against all expectations, SuitShop took off – with a winning value proposition that foregrounded outstanding customer service.
Although it was initially envisaged as an e-commerce business, today, there are seven physical showrooms to complement the online shop. Bar a blip on the radar during Covid – when all special occasions ground to a halt – the company has thrived.
A winning formula
“There have been a lot of copycats where we saw our marketing almost identically knocked off, but nothing compares to authenticity, transparency, your story and your customer service,” Jeanne reflects. “And while suiting isn’t exactly rocket science, we like to stay hyperfocused on what our customers want – and making sure they are 100% happy.”
A key factor in the business’s success, she believes, is not just the fact that she and co-founder Diana have complementary personalities and skills, but also the team they brought on board when SuitShop was in its infancy. “We hired people that we connect with, that fit our ethos of how we operate. Over the years we’ve built this incredible base of talent that has allowed each of us to do what we’re good at and what we love. We have a bond that’s pretty unbreakable.”
She is also grateful for the support she gets from her WPO chapter.
An introvert by nature, Jeanne was “super-nervous” about joining the WPO. “And then you go to a meeting and you’re like, ‘How did I not know I needed this so badly?’ I had no idea that I would benefit from it the way I have. I’m so connected to my [Columbus] group – I call it my business therapy.”
Buying into the business journeys of others
The WPO has opened her eyes to what other women entrepreneurs are going through, helping her to make sense of her own experiences. “Hearing about other people’s business journeys in a place that’s really secure and open, where they are honest about their struggles, is such a comfort when you are also going through it.
“Women tend to think other women have got it figured out – you’re running a business, you’re successful, you’re well put-together, you speak well – but the fact is not one person I know feels like they have it all figured out. And it’s a journey.”
The WPO is not about members giving each other advice, she stresses; it’s more about being a sounding board for women to discuss challenges, share relatable experiences, invest in each other’s journeys and simply listen to each other.
“And for me, that’s so valuable because you don’t feel so alone in that moment. It gets you thinking. The WPO gives you the tools to really think things through and solve your own problems.”