Internet, I need work clothes help. I work in an office-y place; the majority of the year I’m in work pants and a nice top, with a suit jacket at the ready, in case I need to look more professional in a quick second.
My problem is this: I have no idea where to get nice tops that aren’t t-shirts from Target or tank-tops that aren’t acceptable to wear sans jacket.
Where do YOU get your work tops, Internet? I don’t need button-ups (in fact, I’d prefer NO button-ups), but I need something with sleeves, that’s not $50 per shirt, and that’s made out of something NOT t-shirt material.
(Wait. I think I’m looking for BLOUSES. I am lady who wears blouses, Internet. When did this happen? Actually, it didn’t happen. I do not own any blouses. Yet. Please to find me some blouses.)
Onto the pants! I have a couple pairs of work pants I really like. Actually, I have one pair of work pants I really like. My mother-in-law bought them for me. They’re from Ann Taylor and she called them, “The best pair of pants EVER!” (She was right.)
Anyway, I need a new pair of pants. Should I just go to Ann Taylor? Probably.
Speaking of things that cover my lower half, I need dresses and skirts that big-butted ladies can wear. Now, before you say, “Oh Sarah! You don’t have a big butt!” let me just say YES I DO. It takes a certain style of skirt (a style I am not sure exists — does it exist, Internet?) that fits us apple-bottomed ladies. (“Boots with the fur!”)
So, Internet, please: Help me be stylish for work! Where can I get blouses and mom skirts?
(Oh, and I am set on shoes, don’t you worry about that!)
It’s been 5 years since I had to dress this way but I got my tops at Loft and my bottoms at Gap and you’ve seen my bottom…..Seems like the limited has super cute work stuff these days, too. I’d go there!
marshalls and loehmann’s!! the best for work tops, i find. and some are even stylish.
I don’t have to dress up for work but I love the blouses at LOFT! Or, at least, the one blouse I bought recently. The blouses are priced at $50-$60 BUT they have awesome sales all the time including 40 percent off the whole store, etc. I think Ann Taylor LOFT is cheaper than the regular Ann Taylor but I could be wrong.
I would go to Ann Taylor loft when they’re having a sale, for shirts and pants and such, although I do think Target makes a mean cheap black dress pant.
I also have a large kiester and I mostly buy skirts at Banana Republic and Old Navy. Nothing at the Gap ever fits me, ever. But the floofy skirts at Old Navy are your friend.
Have you ever been to that Down East Basics store? I went in there for the first time the other day and I was in love. It’s cheapish on sale and SUPAH cute.
I probably have more questions than is appropriate, but I will ask anyway in the name of HELPING! 😉
1. What style skirt do you currently own that DOES fit? Do you generally need to go with something more A-line or more pencil fitting?
2. When you say that you need blouses and don’t want a knit material, does this mean you need a top that’s, say, satin-y? Would an embellished tee (knit) work? (Like, something t-shirt material, but pairs easily with dressy pants and a suit jacket? i.e. http://www.loft.com/loft/product/product%3A264356/LOFT-sparkle/Gemstone-Roll-Edge-Necklace-Tee/264356?colorExplode=false&skuId=10272084&catid=catl000011&productPageType=fullPriceProducts&defaultColor=6406)
And in case you can’t get to those, here are some general guidelines: LOVE Loft for tops, definitely wait for a sale. They have them CONSTANTLY and items are frequently marked down, first to a sale price and then they usually run an extra % off sale. (If you don’t mind repetitive emails, get on their email list so you know exactly when.) Gap and Banana will have options, as well as Old Navy (although they usually only have a few styles that fit the “work clothes” need at any one time.)
My FAVORITE place in the entire world for pants is TJ Maxx, which will routinely have Tahari and Michael Kors options (great for keisters!) Even if those don’t work, I bet one of their brands will. (I think Marshalls has similar merchandise. Loehmann’s is hit or miss for me, sometimes it’s all Juicy sweatpants and stained DVF.)
Have you considered… dresses? I’m a sucker for dresses and wear them constantly! Banana Factory Store has big sales sometimes (50% off the store!) and they have great, easy, comfortable (yet refined) wrap dress options literally year round.
(I, um, have a lot to say about this?)
I’ll agree with the ladies input from above. I love Ann Taylor LOFT (especially if there’s a sale). The Limited is an excellent choice for work shirts, pants & jewlery and Marshall’s is the place to browse for work clothes on a budget!
Ok, a few suggestions — even though you know me and you KNOW I get most of my clothes at Target, which was not the answer you were looking for.
All of my nice, blousy type work shirts come from Banana Republic (OUTLET, yo!) They have coupons on facebook all the time, are overflowing with cute blousy things and honestly I want to buy everything in there all the time! Blousy shirts are hard for me though because apparently my boobs are not proportionally in line with the rest of my upper body. Awkward.
Anyway, also — New York & Company has a metric ton of reasonably priced work appropriate things and although I find some of it awful and rayon-y, some of it also ends up being totally fancy looking yet affordable. Never pay full price for something there though because they email coupons like EVERY FRACKING DAY. Which is annoying, except when you want to shop. And I love their pencil skirts! They are stretchy and fit well and look cute.
Obvs, LOFT, but everyone else has you covered. I find that LOFT is less affordable than BR Outlet though and I like the BR clothes better.
If you are feel SUPER DUPER fancy did you know you can meet with a stylist at J Crew for free and they basically style the shit out of you and then you get something like a 20% discount on everything you buy? I will do that one of these days when I’m not a size 14 and in that precarious position of having to say “Do you have this in another size?” And then they have to awkwardly be all ‘Uh, we don’t MAKE THAT in a bigger size.” Maybe when I’m safely a 12, you know. 😉
Ok…why do I always hijack your comments woman?
I feel you girl – I have to be in suits almost daily, and the blouse thing is puzzling, to say the least. I honestly creep on Rue La La and other similar websites on the regular to buy my work clothes. I have SO MUCH Calvin Klein stuff from those sales, it’s pretty disgusting.
So, yes, I second the New York & Co. suggestion for tops. All my favoritest work shirts come from there–even the ones with buttons.
I have yet to find pants/skirt that have an appropriate hip-to-waist ratio so I don’t get serious gaposis, but again, I had pretty good luck at Lerner. I mean New York & Co. (places I shop shouldn’t change their names. Ever!)
I very rarely have to wear real work clothes, but when I do I find myself highly perplexed at the Blouse Problem. It seems like most not-casual-but-not-slutty-but-not-overly-fancy shirts lack sleeves or have buttons. ANNOYING.
Like everyone else, I have had decent luck at LOFT. But please please please sign up for their email list. They send around 40% off coupons ALL THE TIME so there is no reason to buy anything full price. (But be wary – I buy things online for 40% off and then return the stuff that doesn’t work and they are SNOOTY about it. I acknowledge that perhaps only my LOFT people are snooty though. Maybe yours will be super nice.)
The Limited has good pants for those of us with a generous rear, but I find their skirts and dresses to be awful. Just from a butt/hips perspective. Banana has much better skirts for the rearly endowed. But my FAVORITE place for nice-fitting dresses and skirts is White House Black Market. They have great coupons, and if you are a (free) Black Book member, you can get the coupons even if you don’t HAVE the coupon. And they have a good mix of dressy/professional. They aren’t CHEAP, but they do have great sales and coupons.
Aw, sad- my comment from yesterday disappeared! Yikes! Let’s start over, I probably did it wrong.
Two questions: what type of skirts do you usually like, shape-wise? A-Line? Pencil? etc. And: would you be able to wear an embellished tee- something in a knit fabric but with ruffles/gathers/etc at the neck?
Tops: I’m going to tag on and say that LOFT is great (but ALWAYS wait for the sales). New York & Co is the same sale-wise, but more hit and miss with the styles. Stay away from anything too stiff and synthetic there, it won’t ever soften up. Gap and Banana will always have at least a few options, with some at Old Navy too (a bit more difficult to find something blouse-y there, but the price will def be better).
Bottoms: My FAVE place for bottoms is TJ Maxx. They have loads of Tahari and Michael Kors (both great for ample rears, although Tahari is style-dependent) and if those don’t work they have plenty of other choices. Marshall’s has a similar selection, but Loehmann’s is always hit or miss for me (sometimes it’s just a bunch of neon green sweatpants. DESIGNER though. So, you know.)
And I’m going to throw iN DRESSES. Which are my FAVORITE things to wear to work. The Banana Factory store has tons of sales and TONS of work appropriate styles that are easy and chic, etc.
For pants: Banana, Ann Taylor, & Limited. Let me be honest I NEVER pay full price for pants. I shop the sale racks!
For shirts: Ann Taylor, NYC & Co., Banana, & Limited, Old Navy
Skirts: Are you looking for a pencil skirt that is roomier in the hips? Don’t go to Forever 21 or any of those other tiny people stores. Banana & Gap always run bigger.
TJ Maxx, Ross, and Marshalls also have good dresses and tops if you feel like digging and have an hour to stand in line. Wait until after Christmas for sure.
Places I shop:
1. GAP
2. Target
3. Ann Taylor Loft
4. J. Crew
I don’t bother with places like TJ Maxx anymore. I want to know that things are going to fit.
This girl makes sewing patterns and claims to have a large bottom. Here’s the skirt she designed for large bottoms: http://sewaholic.net/sewing-pattern-store/1101-crescent-skirt/
I AM NOT SAYING SEW YOUR OWN. That is an asshole thing to say to a new mother with a full time job, just saying maybe that cinched waist with a full skirt is something you could look for? (Or bribe someone nice to make you).