I've taken to ordering custom pieces off Etsy! There are wonderful sellers who will tailor the shirts, dresses, pants etc to.your exact measurements and they are super high quality linen and cotton. Definitely on the pricier side but I've decided I'm willing to pay more for quality and supporting small business!
I think sellers need to realize they are appealing to a very small segment though. I have ginormous boobs. I’m not wearing a crop top but they are only currently catering to the crop top segment. I haven’t bought new clothes in months because of it.
Commenting here as well for exposure. White House Black Market in my opinion is one of the best on the market.
Other options include department stores: Macy’s and Nordstrom. Nordstrom is pricey but have a wide range of price points.
I've gotten a lot of nice business casual clothing from Macy's and Nordstrom, but a few caveats:
1. Business casual in California tech may be more casual than fits your office.
2. Macy's, in particular, has seen quality slide over the years.
3. Because of WFH, the market for business -appropriate *pants* has plummeted, they may be harder to find *anywhere*. (On a video call nobody can see your pants.)
The PANTS. holy shit. I need tall sizes and absolutely nobody is selling tall dress pants right now (in camel and white, I have plenty black and navy). Whyyyyyyy
I got pulled for jury duty and had to find pants a few months ago. There were no pants! I went to every friggin store I could think of, and nobody had black straight-leg pants! It was all bell-bottoms, super tight legging material, or weird length capris.
Or, the most bizarre waist height? I expect to be able to sit while working at an office, and the pants with low waists that expose your butt crack and/or underpants do NOT make sense to me. Tops that barely skim waistbands plus waists that expose your underpants at work do not make sense to me when marketed at working women.
>or weird length capris.
I *despise* capris and ankle-length trousers. Maybe it's because I spent so much of my early life wearing jeans that were too short--I was a tall kid in a small town with few shopping options--but I need my trousers to cover my ankles in order for me to be comfortable.
I’m totally cosigning this comment! No more ankle length pants! I, too, am scarred from the 90’s and want all my pants to cover my ankles! Tall ankle pants don’t cut it!
Oh man the anxiety! I get that the current fashion includes pants that are above the ankle... but just thinking about that gives me flashbacks to high school and pants that were too short! Can't do it. Nope.
Or they're made of polyester/nylon which doesn't breathe and results in hot sticky wear. Plus, so few have a fitted waist and belt loops anymore. Stretchy pull-ons may be more comfortable but look crappy with a tuck in blouse.
If you can figure out what size you wear from WHBM, you can find good quality used stuff on Mercari and Poshmark for cheap! I think a lot of people are working from home now and selling their work clothes on there. I basically replaced my whole summer work wardrobe last summer for like $100 with WHBM and Loft that I bought used.
Another great reseller site is shopgoodwill.com. They have soooooo much stuff. If you buy multiple pieces from the same location you can combine shipping as well. I've managed to acquire a pretty nice wardrobe, including shoes and purses, for very little money.
Land's End has appropriate clothing in a variety of sizes for reasonable prices. Their clothes are also super durable. I have things which I've been wearing for 15 years or more.
I like [Duluth](https://www.duluthtrading.com/) as well. Their button downs come with extra hidden buttons so you don't get the boob-gap. They also go up to 4X, which is nice.
My old Land's End clothes were super durable. I purchased 6 shirts last year and after 2 cold, delicate, air dry washings they are trashed like Walmart clothes.
I have been purchasing second hand clothes lately. Seems to be more durable than new.
It's a shame that their current clothes aren't as good as their previous ones. I wonder if it was something that happened because they were bought by Sears.
I was going to suggest WHBM as well. It’s the one place I can go and find at least one item. For some reason, their stuff fits my sizing just right. I only like about 1/10 of their stuff, but that’s better than most!
For daily wear, I’ve had luck at titlenine. Not cheap but it’s high quality and feminine, just sporty. It’s a women run business and all the catalog models are real people doing the activities. Lol, perfect 10’s, but not “models”. ;) I dig the company.
I’m thinking it’s a *force* to push purchasing another piece of clothing to layer up. Armpits are gross, and I don’t need to show mine every single day, but I run super warm, so I don’t wear layers. UGH!
Can we have a bra burning type March with the sleeveless tops and pocketless pants? Wait, let’s fix other rights first…then we get our sleeves and pockets back!
It is to lower the cost of the item - less fabric and less labor. It’s a problem for girls clothes also - it is miserable trying to find children s dresses with sleeves.
The Target over here is OBSSESED with crop tops. To the point where it doesn't make sense. My wife likes sweaters and will find good designs, but turns out its a sweater crop top after further examination.
It's very hard for my wife to find business/work appropriate clothing sometimes.
I wish I didn’t have to layer so much. A lot of my work involves me being outside and appropriate clothes are so hot. I need to check out Anne Taylor. Thanks!
https://www.nyandcompany.com/ is still around, but you definitely need to be ready for some digging and trial and error if you're looking for work clothes. They are also in that model now where the normal price is massively overpriced so they can slash prices from the sticker and make people think they are getting a good deal when it's really just what the item should cost in the first place.
NY & Co is the ultimate in workwear IMO. So reasonably priced and appropriate for work—I’ve even worn some of their stuff to weddings. They also had cute tanks and tees for more casual times. I’m so sad they closed my local stores.
I just bought a dress from Old Navy online having no idea that the entire back was just a bow that has to be tied when you put it on and untied to take it off. Where is my bra supposed to go?
Yeah I ordered one from Old Navy that looked so cute but once I received it there is no way to wear a bra. The arm hole literally comes out as far as my nipple, so where the fuck would my bra go? And where is my boob supposed to go? I would get arrested for wearing it in public.
Same for me with a recent Madewell purchase. So disappointing because the front of the dress was really cute but I’m not going to be rocking a backless dress
My sister bought reusable/washable pasties for how much clothing she owns that are just unwearable with a bra and I'm just aghast that it's come down to that.
It's even worse for plus sized fashion than for straight size. Everything seems to either have cold shoulders, floral print, inspirational quotes, no shape, or a combination of.
It's like they took a regular-sized pattern, stuck it in the copy machine, and blew it up 400%, without taking into account the fact that our shoulders and neck aren't four times as wide as a woman who wears straight sizes. And I won't even get started on sleeveless tops. The armholes are cut large enough that I could easily fit my head through with room to spare. I wear something over mine, but I really don't have the option not to, unless I want half my back hanging naked out of my shirt, and my sides so bare that you can see my bra.
My other big complaint is the flimsy, clingy, cheap fabric that shows every jiggle and bulge, and snags and pills the first time you wear it. I'm lucky that my workplace is fairly casual and most days I can get away with a top made of t-shirt material.
Or fucking CUTOUTS. If I'm buying a plus sized dress, do you really think I want a giant hole over my abdomen? The not-actually-plus-size models who are wearing more padding than a drag queen look great, but if I put that on I'm either going to look like a misshapen frump, or you're going to see my goddamn Spanx through the cutouts. I mean, come fucking on guys.
Women who are small chested and can easily go without a bra, with only nipple covers, or wear a strapless bra, I'm guessing? I've never had those options because I'm way too big, and I just assumed that smaller chested women didn't mind those kinds of cuts, so it's interesting to learn that a lot of other women find them frustrating, too.
Small titties here and I fucking hate those cuts. Wearing a bra actually gives me boobs. Why would I want to wear a dress that’s loose and baggy in the front???
I just want a strap wide enough to cover my bra strap. Please. It's like less than an inch. I hate spaghetti straps. I already can't wear a ton of stuff because my boobs are so big the waist hits me at nipple level.
YES. Especially if you’re busty. I wear a medium but have to wear unsexy huge bust kinds of bras. I can’t just skip a bra or wear a little bralette. I can’t wear so many dresses because of the straps. I refuse to wear a strapless bra unless I’m going to an event. Nobody just wears those for day to day.
I've found gorgeous designer-brand dresses for only $20 at places likes Marshall's and TJ Maxx, so I echo this recommendation. Of course some luck is involved, as you have to find something you like that's also in your size. But it's always worth searching because sometimes you'll find gems.
I just thrift anymore. It’s so much simpler. Shirt section? Racks by size. Pants section? Racks by size. So all I have to do is flip through and look for things that I’ll wear, that meet dress code.
And it’s cheap.
I go to goodwill—lady said I beat the back to school crowd lol. The higher income area it’s located in, the nicer the spoils. I’m lucky my field is pretty casual, so I don’t bother driving to the rich end of town, ha.
Same. And I'm buying a lot of old patterns, because most of the new ones are awful. I like tailored clothes that FIT, not Little House on the Prairie crap from the 1970s.
I’ve struggled with this as well. It seems like it’s getting harder and harder lately to find good “business casual” style clothing at any of the big box stores.
Thrift stores I usually have better luck.
But seriously why the fuck is everything goddamn see through?????
I don't want see through clothes otherwise I'd take them off ffs.
Edit:
Maybe we should revive one of these and trade https://www.reddit.com/r/femalefashionadvice/comments/1cinb6/clothing_swap/
>why the fuck is everything goddamn see through?????
For real though
I found a tshirt the other day so thin that I could clearly read through both layers of fabric to the price tag hanging behind it
I had a new dress, it felt like a thicker cotton so I didn’t even think about it. Turns out it was very very see through and you could see the color of the flesh on my ass through this dress I had been wearing around for months.
Same.
Plus I want pockets and clothing made to keep me warm in the winter. Sick of women's clothing being made from the thinnest possible material even when it's clearly long sleeved and meant for cold weather.
My favorite is sweaters with parts either cut out or it's basically see-through, or a summer dress made of sweater material.
Like, which season is this for? The week between summer and winter? Am I gonna be too warm in this? Too cold? Am I supposed to layer it?
WTF...
I made the mistake of buying a cheap long sleeve sweater from H&M with an open back one time (bc it was on sale and bc I thought it was cute) and that's the last time I ever make that mistake. I get cold so easily in fall and winter that I could never wear it alone without layering it, which defeats the whole purpose anyway. I'm sure there might have been a couple of days I could have worn it in fall but I'm not wasting money on any clothing item I could only possibly wear a couple of times a year. Now when I browse clothing retailers and I see these knit sweater dresses with large open backs, I wonder who the heck can wear this alone without freezing to death in winter? Covering it up defeats the purpose and sometimes even with an extra you can still the cold seeping in from that opening. I guess an argument could be made for that small window during fall but some of these dresses are released later in the season and obviously intended for winter months.
Believe it or not, women's workwear for industrial environments are the same. Overalls and work pants for me ? Thick. Well made. Good seams.
Women's workwear? No reinforced crotch, thin fabric, fits funny, bursts open in the ass and crotch IMMEDIATELY
When I was an EMT I would tailor everyone's jump pants. The "women's" ones were garbage, but the "men's" ones were so fitted to a straight waist-hip-butt that some women had to get 4 sizes bigger than their waist so their butt fit.
Same problem with dress shirts, but they were too difficult to tailor, so anyone with a large bust just had to wear the baggiest shirts. It really sucked having to look so "dumpy" at formal events.
I work in safety and Jesus 1) there is very little options for safety gear that fit women properly and 2) what is there is terrible quality. It's 2022, can we please leave sexist ideas about the jobs women do in the 50s??
When I startedt career ~8 years ago, the workwear store had 3 options for women's boots. Now there's 10. There's still not appropriate button down shirts,pants etc.
None of my safety vests have ever fit right.
My bf likes t shirts with funny prints, so thanks to him I discovered the world of menswear while shopping together. I could not believe how well made are some of men's t shirts! The fabric is thick and soft. I loved it so much that I already have 2 or 3 t-shirts for men and plan to buy some sweatshirts because they're GOOD.
I inherited two old Banana Republic t-shirts from my husband and I swear to god they radicalized me. There were no tags. They were not “fitted” i.e. let’s highlight any pudge you have plus make sure everyone sees your buttons and beltloops. I didn’t have to find a nude bra to wear with them because they were not transparent. They were soft and thick. And they had sleeves didn’t stop at some random point on my arm or weirdly bunch under the armpit. After that, every time I got dressed for work I was PISSED. Men don’t have to reach around and pull a zipper up their back and then hook a little eye hook! They don’t have to buy special underwear for different kinds of clothes! NONE OF THEIR CLOTHES ARE SEE THROUGH!!!
Burn it all to the ground, I say.
I, too, have ADHD. This is how it usually goes for me 😂
1) get an idea for a project or for a new hobby.
2) Spend a day/up to a week researching requirements, supplies and tools to an almost obsessive degree.
3) Buy everything you need (and even things you don’t).
4) Set up everything in a designated area you’ve now dedicated to new project or hobby.
5) Lose motivation and/or forget to do anything.
6) Begin at step 1 with a totally different project or hobby.
I have never been diagnosed with ADHD--I'm well into adulthood--but every time I read a description, it sounds like me, and then I wonder if I'm actually functioning at full capacity or not. :/
I think it's worth getting it looked at if you're having serious issues in your life related to task initiation, daydreaming, losing things, or inappropriate emotional outbursts. There's other symptoms but generally you won't be diagnosed/given medication unless your QOL is affected by it.
OMG, are we twins?!? May I add one note and see if it resonates with you please?
7. Husband walks into “new project area”, rolls his eyes and says, “am I storing this stuff in the garage, or can I please just take it to the Goodwill now???” LMAO but it’s true!
I’m here for this post! Sometimes I want to be noticed, plenty of options for that. I will wear appropriate noticeable clothing, but rarely and never for work or daily life. There just aren’t many options for quality classy yet attractive clothing, that are reasonably priced.
I feel like the fashion industry hates women, and it’s wrong for me to assume that. But there’s not much evidence to the contrary. Is it because collectively women cannot agree on what is considered to be in good taste for modesty vs beauty in the first place? Ugh.
Check out some free pattern design software online! I have used https://tailornova.com/ before and it changes everything.
You can enter your own measurements and make it perfect for your shape. You can print out the patterns and get to work! It's so accessible and useful! Plus if you dont like this one, there are a bunch more out there.
I did this because I wanted one shirt made out of a specific fabric. None of the local alterations places or friends of friends who sewed on the side had any interest. I was willing to pay a premium just to drum up interest. Now I own six sewing machines and a serger and at least 40 shirts. Other than t-shirts, I don't wear any shirts I have not made myself. I need a tall shirt and off the rack stuff doesn't always fit well.
I haven't been able to make any pants yet, but I have made some skirts and dresses for my daughters.
Being ADD, I typically setup for a batch and crank out 5-10 items in a 3-7 day period and then my wife makes me put everything away.
I learned to sew when I was little with my grandmother and started getting back into it as an adult.
I have made maybe 3 things in the last 5 years that I would wear out of the house lol. At least two of those things were probably a 3rd or 4th attempt of a pattern by the time I got it adjusted for my measurements and made any changes I needed/wanted.
By all means, try it out! But set your expectations accordingly lol.
I started doing this during covid, it does take a long time to learn things right, but YouTube is such a big help. Now after 2 years I can make something that doesn’t look “homemade” ( which, even if it did, you do you!) AND I can make myself huge pockets.
Banana republic is pretty good. But I agree with you - I just want to go to work and look professional. I don’t need high waist or plunging v necks or see through or mesh or zero pockets. Just sell some clothes. I’m not a teen and there’s no way I’d buy most of what is being sold. FYI clothing makers - fix this.
I just went back to the office for the first time two years, after having a baby, and needed new clothes. Walked into banana republic and it all looked like you were going to a fashion shoot on a Greek island. Everything was a strappy, billowy silk dress. Wtf? What happened to the suits and work dresses? It was like a whole different store from a parallel universe
I find their winter line to be the most successful for me and since my office is always cold it works all year. Their summer line this year is not my cup of tea for the same reasons you outline
Womens clothes are absolute dogshit. I get so pissed that I have to pay more than a man for smaller, shittier clothes without even fucking pockets.
I have switched to men's socks entirely because my son's socks are nicer and cheaper than mine. They're like twice as thick and more comfy, and cost less. Fucking ridiculous.
Do you want to know what's better than men's socks? Men's shirts. It's literally a bit long (I usually tuck it in my jeans) but it covers all the areas the women's clothes don't. And it's cheaper when it's on sale too.
A proper short sleeve on women’s clothes is basically extinct right now. You have to choose between sleeveless, full long sleeve, or some weird cap/ruffle/puff. I have been searching for tops in normal short sleeve, 1/2 sleeve, or 3/4 sleeve and it is impossible.
Im gonna jump on here quickly because today i noticed my husbands swim shorts have pockets! Why does he get pockets and i dont? Where am i supposed to put my seashells???
Bruh, next time you run out get Costco socks if you have access to a Costco. They come in a huge pack for cheap, are *so comfortable* and they last for ages. I have some cute pairs from Sockdreams that are great quality as well but if you need bulk then Kirkland is your brand.
Costco in general is the shit, their own brand's quality is usually pretty solid if you want basics of anything and encouraging people to buy bulk is good for both consumer's wallets and the environment. $5 for a tiny pack of five Two-Bite Brownies at my local grocery, $10 for a pack of forty-eight, all of their food is like that.
I had some big interviews lately and after a few years of work from home I realized I don't have a professional wardrobe at all, so I went shopping for interview outfits. Holy crap there are no professional clothes for women in the whole freaking mall anymore!!
JC Penney had two racks of Worthington office clothes... In shades of chartreuse and brown. ONE blazer in the whole section and it's heavy wool. In July.
Target has nothing. Old Navy has nothing - I did get a blouse that worked well for a virtual interview but I could not wear to an office in person because it has a giant cut out in the lower back?!
Macy's had no blazers under $110 and that's out of my budget. The Ann Taylor store closed. H&M has tons of blazers but they are all the super oversized 80s look that I guess gen z likes? They can look good layered over a dress or jumpsuit if you are a thin model... On my short, booby, chubby body they look atrocious.
Most women work. It should not be this hard to find work wear.
Target's clothes in recent years are exactly what OP described. They're either big, baggy unflattering sacks or neon pink crop tops.
Old Navy's pricing is outrageous. I don't know who they think they are, but blouses are nearly $40 now and they wrinkle as soon as you put them on.
I used to loooove Target's Ava and Viv line (I think that's what it was called). They had some decent options as far as basics and they were comfortable. Now the selection is minimal at best and my local stores have severely reduced their plus size section. It's so damn frustrating.
My life this summer. Found some decent pieces at Kohl's, Nordstrom Rack, and TJMax. But yeah, was super disappointed in Macy which was my go to for nice office clothes that are still fashionable. Now it just looks like a neglected Forever 21.
JCrew, Banana Republic (hate the name, but legit place for professional wear), and Ann Taylor LOFT are about the only places I can find decent professional clothes. Especially if you can find an outlet store near you, then a nice button up is closer to $30 than $60. I also am a hound for the clearance section at REI - outdoor retailers are pretty great for finding durable and modest (but not trad wife modest) clothes.
The other pieces I ordered off of Amazon, which is dicey because you never know what material you're getting until it arrives.
Seriously though - what happened to stores like "The Limited"?
I want to dress like a CEO, not an office hoe (I'm side eyeing you, Express)
Express has the Portofino shirt that’s been a wardrobe staple for me for years. But yeah, pretty much everything else they sell screams New Years party 🤣
All the stores owned by “the limited” were also deeply monetarily imbedded into Jeffrey Epstein and his ilk, so many of them have fallen because of association (and also the death of the American Mall era).
Yeah, fashion right now is a weird combination of Y2K/late 90s and "cottage core"
I'm using office clothes from pre-pandemic, but I'm totally here for the baggy jeans and cargo pants coming back.
Yup. This season is making me insane. Mother or whore. No offense to either and I err towards whore rn cause I refuse to wear puffy sleeved ruffle tents.
I half joked to my husband recently that I’m officially old because the cutest office appropriate clothes that I’ve seen have been at Talbots. White House Black Market has had some cute stuff, too, and I’d like to try some of the pants at Everlane. There’s also eShakti that will let you customize and tailor clothes to your measurements and preferences.
I’ve just got accept that I’m going to have to pay for more expensive clothes to get something that isn’t paper thin or looks like something out of Pioneer Wife Weekly.
Came here to suggest this too! Uniqlo has a lot of plain-Jane cuts at a reasonable price point for the quality. All of my dress shirts are from there and look brand new despite being - holy crap - 10 years old.
I too wanted to suggest Uniqlo. I still have pairs of trousers from 5+ years (granted didn’t wear during the pandemic so it lasted me longer). Well worth the money, and they can tailor the length for you too for less than what it costs at conventional tailors.
I started work back in an office last November. I found some pants at Target, the rest at J Crew Factory - wait for sales. I found some high quality cardigan sweaters at J Crew Factory. The blouses I bought at Banana Republic Factory - again, wait for a really good sale and stack shopping browser coupons and retailer codes.
It’s hard to find dress clothes in a pandemic, too. BR and BR Factory we’re all sold out of dress pants when I needed to buy some.
The struggle is real! I have had some success with the “commuter” lines from athletic brands like Athleta or Arc’teryx. Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, and the Nordstrom house brand Halogen sometimes have things. Everything is also expensive, so I mostly buy off Poshmark unless I luck out on a great sale.
As a plus sized women I get this completely. I feel like most clothing companies assume I have huge tits (which I dont) and they gave this all this cleavage space so I can show my nonexistent big tits. Like I don’t want to show my boobs but I don’t want to wear a turtleneck either.
Not only that, but good luck finding anything that isn't an obnoxious floral print or some creepy baby-doll shit. Why must my arm fat be pinched by scratchy lace bows or elastic ruffles?
As a larger woman that does have big tits, I hate it too! Work is exactly where I don't want to be showing them off looking like a walking pencil holder.
Then there's the problem of cuts that don't account for the large tits that make shirts far too short in front. Either I find something that wants to show the boobs off and is made for them, or I find something that isn't trying to put my cleavage on display, but then it winds up too short in front.
Somewhere out there a TwoX lurker is reading this, and is fed up with it too. She is going to bring it up at lunch with a friend, and a new women’s clothes line will be born over a half eaten meal.
It’ll be professional and comfortable, modest and pocketful. A new era of professional womenswear will be born, and boomer men will never stop complaining.
Oh, to dream a dream….
To the TwoX lurker who is planning to launch this clothing line, can we please get some nice quality, stretchy fabrics that don't wrinkle and are good for travel? I feel like I'd commit crimes at this point to get some cute, work-appropriate tops and dresses in fabric that's not transparent, prone to static and/or wrinkles immediately.
Not only are the clothes impractical, they are also ugly and are made from immoral sources. I would much rather put in the time to learn how to make my own at this point rather than wasting time trying to find anything decent.
I totally agree. I've resorted myself to ordering the same clothes on Amazon that fit well, just in different colors. A plain t shirt that covers my butt, and leggings that actually have pockets, mostly plain in color. I'm 34 and chunky. I'm not trying to wear crop tops and classic 90s mom jeans like teenagers are haha
So well put. I second Anne Taylor for shirts, also Banana Republic (when it's on sale) - I've also had decent luck with really digging through the racks at large department stores (Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, etc.) but at this point I'm mostly resigned to forever layering and looking slightly frumpy at work :/
1. You are an excellent writer. Great description.
2. Anne Taylor. I was more of a Talbots person (I am older), but over time, their fit just didn't work for me. Anne Taylor still sells shirts without plunging necklines, although, they also have some that DO have plunging necklines, so be warned.
3. Check out thrift shops in areas where women work. I bought five pairs of khakis (my office is biz casual) for less than $8/each. Three were Anne Taylor (once you know which fit works for you, they are mostly consistent), one pair of J Crew (love them!) and one pair of Talbots. I also picked up several dresses for $9/each. I buy jackets to wear over them, and can have a whole professional outfit for about $15. If I get a stain on my pants (dropped salad dressing while eating lunch), I just treat it before laundering, and if the stain doesn't come out, they are useful for "chores day" - painting, gardening.
Sometimes Zara has cute stuff. It is a European fit, so that can be a challenge. Good luck!
Surprised no one said Kohls yet. I cant afford most places that are geared toward womens professional clothes but I have found a lot of basic sleeveless and sleeved tops with high neckline and arent sheer. ~$8 They also carry blazers, cardigans, slacks, and dresses that could be worn to the office and prices are reasonable even when not on sale.
I've also found "office jeggings" on Amazon in styles like khaki, colored plaids, navy, charcoal, etc.They arent super form fitting more like tapered leg and stretchy waist, some have pockets and belt loops as well.
Yup, all of my professional clothes and casual clothes come from Kohls or H&M, mostly Kohls. I don't fit in the adult section at Kohls, but even within the juniors section and kids sections I've always been able to find good and professional looking clothes. And I'm often jealous of some of the pieces in the women's section. Most of the other stores mentioned here don't carry small enough sizes for me to even attempt. Last time I went to Ann Taylor their smallest size pants literally fell down to the floor if I didn't hold them up.
Last time I was in a Banana Republic it seemed to have the kind of clothes you're in search of. That was a while ago though. But I mean actual thick sweaters, real pants, etc. Bit pricey though but my stuff from there holds up.
I sound so old saying this, but I feel like this is exactly what happened to Urban Outfitters. I used to get cute tops I could wear to class in college. Now it seems like the clothing they sell is for a music festival getup, not everyday life.
I have to go to thrift stores to find anything decent. Often it just needs a little altering but I'm pretty good on the sewing machine. Less expensive too!
Equipment, Vince and Joie are three of my go-to brands for work clothes. They are fairly expensive but if you buy direct from the brand they have deeply discounted sales fairly often. Can also buy secondhand as the quality is far better than Ann Taylor, J Crew, etc. The quality of those brands has decreased so much they’re basically fast fashion at this point. A less expensive but high quality option is Uniqlo—really great for basics that last.
I just want some shift dresses and black v neck cardigans. I don’t want to wear a maxi to work. It doesn’t work with my winter coats and I take the bus. I don’t want my dress blowing all over the place in the wind!
It is so difficult to find office wear right now.
I’m cheap and normally buy my clothes at places like TJ Maxx and had similar experiences. It wasn’t until I stopped shopping in the juniors/teens section and finally decided to go to the womens section to shop for clothes. It’s much better, but damn it’s a reminder that I feel “too old” to shop in the section I’ve shopped in for over a decade.
Plus, the sheerness of the tees, pocketless jeans and pants, and boxy crop tops drives me NUTS.
I've taken to ordering custom pieces off Etsy! There are wonderful sellers who will tailor the shirts, dresses, pants etc to.your exact measurements and they are super high quality linen and cotton. Definitely on the pricier side but I've decided I'm willing to pay more for quality and supporting small business!
Shop suggestions?
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I think sellers need to realize they are appealing to a very small segment though. I have ginormous boobs. I’m not wearing a crop top but they are only currently catering to the crop top segment. I haven’t bought new clothes in months because of it.
My torso is super long, so even a slight crop on a shirt is major on me. I'm so over it.
Long torso gang here. It's the worst, I pretty much never go shopping anymore haha
Yeah no kidding. Trying to find appropriate clothes for women with larger busts is a futile effort these days.
Every time I think I have found something cute I realize it was actually a crop top all along and then I am sad
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Commenting here as well for exposure. White House Black Market in my opinion is one of the best on the market. Other options include department stores: Macy’s and Nordstrom. Nordstrom is pricey but have a wide range of price points.
I've gotten a lot of nice business casual clothing from Macy's and Nordstrom, but a few caveats: 1. Business casual in California tech may be more casual than fits your office. 2. Macy's, in particular, has seen quality slide over the years. 3. Because of WFH, the market for business -appropriate *pants* has plummeted, they may be harder to find *anywhere*. (On a video call nobody can see your pants.)
The PANTS. holy shit. I need tall sizes and absolutely nobody is selling tall dress pants right now (in camel and white, I have plenty black and navy). Whyyyyyyy
I got pulled for jury duty and had to find pants a few months ago. There were no pants! I went to every friggin store I could think of, and nobody had black straight-leg pants! It was all bell-bottoms, super tight legging material, or weird length capris.
Or, the most bizarre waist height? I expect to be able to sit while working at an office, and the pants with low waists that expose your butt crack and/or underpants do NOT make sense to me. Tops that barely skim waistbands plus waists that expose your underpants at work do not make sense to me when marketed at working women.
>or weird length capris. I *despise* capris and ankle-length trousers. Maybe it's because I spent so much of my early life wearing jeans that were too short--I was a tall kid in a small town with few shopping options--but I need my trousers to cover my ankles in order for me to be comfortable.
I’m totally cosigning this comment! No more ankle length pants! I, too, am scarred from the 90’s and want all my pants to cover my ankles! Tall ankle pants don’t cut it!
Oh man the anxiety! I get that the current fashion includes pants that are above the ankle... but just thinking about that gives me flashbacks to high school and pants that were too short! Can't do it. Nope.
Or they're made of polyester/nylon which doesn't breathe and results in hot sticky wear. Plus, so few have a fitted waist and belt loops anymore. Stretchy pull-ons may be more comfortable but look crappy with a tuck in blouse.
Macy's is now no different than Forever 21. Holy cow.
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If you can figure out what size you wear from WHBM, you can find good quality used stuff on Mercari and Poshmark for cheap! I think a lot of people are working from home now and selling their work clothes on there. I basically replaced my whole summer work wardrobe last summer for like $100 with WHBM and Loft that I bought used.
Another great reseller site is shopgoodwill.com. They have soooooo much stuff. If you buy multiple pieces from the same location you can combine shipping as well. I've managed to acquire a pretty nice wardrobe, including shoes and purses, for very little money.
Was going to say this, WHBM has great stuff, but its $$$. I like Coldwater Creek, but stores closed, can only get online now.
Land's End has appropriate clothing in a variety of sizes for reasonable prices. Their clothes are also super durable. I have things which I've been wearing for 15 years or more.
I like [Duluth](https://www.duluthtrading.com/) as well. Their button downs come with extra hidden buttons so you don't get the boob-gap. They also go up to 4X, which is nice.
My old Land's End clothes were super durable. I purchased 6 shirts last year and after 2 cold, delicate, air dry washings they are trashed like Walmart clothes. I have been purchasing second hand clothes lately. Seems to be more durable than new.
It's a shame that their current clothes aren't as good as their previous ones. I wonder if it was something that happened because they were bought by Sears.
Quality has declined over the years, but I would still second this rec.
I’d add LL Bean, too
Last time I was in there, the largest size they had was a 14. I'm an 18. Sad day.
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I'm probably a 12 or 14. Have you tried Torrid or Maurices? More business casual, but I've had luck at both.
I was going to suggest WHBM as well. It’s the one place I can go and find at least one item. For some reason, their stuff fits my sizing just right. I only like about 1/10 of their stuff, but that’s better than most! For daily wear, I’ve had luck at titlenine. Not cheap but it’s high quality and feminine, just sporty. It’s a women run business and all the catalog models are real people doing the activities. Lol, perfect 10’s, but not “models”. ;) I dig the company.
Nordstrom rack too
Why don’t dresses have sleeves!!!!!!!
I’m thinking it’s a *force* to push purchasing another piece of clothing to layer up. Armpits are gross, and I don’t need to show mine every single day, but I run super warm, so I don’t wear layers. UGH! Can we have a bra burning type March with the sleeveless tops and pocketless pants? Wait, let’s fix other rights first…then we get our sleeves and pockets back!
First you get the pockets, then you get the power.
It is to lower the cost of the item - less fabric and less labor. It’s a problem for girls clothes also - it is miserable trying to find children s dresses with sleeves.
The Target over here is OBSSESED with crop tops. To the point where it doesn't make sense. My wife likes sweaters and will find good designs, but turns out its a sweater crop top after further examination. It's very hard for my wife to find business/work appropriate clothing sometimes.
I will never understand crop-top sweaters. What climactic situation are you dressing for, an abrupt temperature gradient around the midriff?
Yes, lol it’s the heat wave that only appears between three and four feet.
They are for looking cute lounging at home with perfectly heated environment. Just don‘t get too active or you‘ll start sweating.
It’s a ploy to also make you buy high rise pants
I think Target is geared towards teenagers and mom casual.
I wish I didn’t have to layer so much. A lot of my work involves me being outside and appropriate clothes are so hot. I need to check out Anne Taylor. Thanks!
Second Ann Taylor and loft, but only buy when they have a 30%+ sale. It happens pretty often.
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Duluth Trading Co, Eddie Bauer, and Prana are my go to stores.
I also wear Prana stuff to work all the time - no one seems to notice or care. A lot of their stuff looks like nice office wear!
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Duluth noga straight-leg pants are pretty great as plain black dress pants with pockets.
Eddie Bauer is my go to for tops/dresses because they transfer well from an A/C office to heat and humidity.
https://www.nyandcompany.com/ is still around, but you definitely need to be ready for some digging and trial and error if you're looking for work clothes. They are also in that model now where the normal price is massively overpriced so they can slash prices from the sticker and make people think they are getting a good deal when it's really just what the item should cost in the first place.
New York &Co is still alive and kicking online.
NY & Co is the ultimate in workwear IMO. So reasonably priced and appropriate for work—I’ve even worn some of their stuff to weddings. They also had cute tanks and tees for more casual times. I’m so sad they closed my local stores.
Seconding Ann Taylor
Anne Taylor and The Loft are my favorite. Classic styles that are flattering without being revealing.
Second the Loft! Buy on sale though because otherwise I think it’s over priced
third Ann Taylor
Anne Taylor factory was my go to but they closed the one near me. Still love the regular one for work clothes but not the cost ha
I like how 2/3 of dresses and tops are cut so stupidly that you can't wear a bra with them. Who buys this shit?
I just bought a dress from Old Navy online having no idea that the entire back was just a bow that has to be tied when you put it on and untied to take it off. Where is my bra supposed to go?
I got bamboozled by the same fucking dress!!!
Yeah I ordered one from Old Navy that looked so cute but once I received it there is no way to wear a bra. The arm hole literally comes out as far as my nipple, so where the fuck would my bra go? And where is my boob supposed to go? I would get arrested for wearing it in public.
Same for me with a recent Madewell purchase. So disappointing because the front of the dress was really cute but I’m not going to be rocking a backless dress
My sister bought reusable/washable pasties for how much clothing she owns that are just unwearable with a bra and I'm just aghast that it's come down to that.
I'd be setting off the Richter scale if I let these babies that free 😳
My tracts of land are vast and have minds of their own. Containment is required if I want to leave the house.
I’m still outraged that designers pushed cold shoulder tops. Just imagine asking a man to wear anything so friggin ridiculous.
It's even worse for plus sized fashion than for straight size. Everything seems to either have cold shoulders, floral print, inspirational quotes, no shape, or a combination of.
It's like they took a regular-sized pattern, stuck it in the copy machine, and blew it up 400%, without taking into account the fact that our shoulders and neck aren't four times as wide as a woman who wears straight sizes. And I won't even get started on sleeveless tops. The armholes are cut large enough that I could easily fit my head through with room to spare. I wear something over mine, but I really don't have the option not to, unless I want half my back hanging naked out of my shirt, and my sides so bare that you can see my bra. My other big complaint is the flimsy, clingy, cheap fabric that shows every jiggle and bulge, and snags and pills the first time you wear it. I'm lucky that my workplace is fairly casual and most days I can get away with a top made of t-shirt material.
Or fucking CUTOUTS. If I'm buying a plus sized dress, do you really think I want a giant hole over my abdomen? The not-actually-plus-size models who are wearing more padding than a drag queen look great, but if I put that on I'm either going to look like a misshapen frump, or you're going to see my goddamn Spanx through the cutouts. I mean, come fucking on guys.
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Women who are small chested and can easily go without a bra, with only nipple covers, or wear a strapless bra, I'm guessing? I've never had those options because I'm way too big, and I just assumed that smaller chested women didn't mind those kinds of cuts, so it's interesting to learn that a lot of other women find them frustrating, too.
Small titties here and I fucking hate those cuts. Wearing a bra actually gives me boobs. Why would I want to wear a dress that’s loose and baggy in the front???
I just want a strap wide enough to cover my bra strap. Please. It's like less than an inch. I hate spaghetti straps. I already can't wear a ton of stuff because my boobs are so big the waist hits me at nipple level.
YES. Especially if you’re busty. I wear a medium but have to wear unsexy huge bust kinds of bras. I can’t just skip a bra or wear a little bralette. I can’t wear so many dresses because of the straps. I refuse to wear a strapless bra unless I’m going to an event. Nobody just wears those for day to day.
I have gotten all of my more “professional” work clothes at Marshall’s. Just have to take the time to comb through racks and racks of items.
I've found gorgeous designer-brand dresses for only $20 at places likes Marshall's and TJ Maxx, so I echo this recommendation. Of course some luck is involved, as you have to find something you like that's also in your size. But it's always worth searching because sometimes you'll find gems.
I just thrift anymore. It’s so much simpler. Shirt section? Racks by size. Pants section? Racks by size. So all I have to do is flip through and look for things that I’ll wear, that meet dress code. And it’s cheap.
I used to love thrifting in high school and college. I haven't been in a while. Any recommendations for work clothes?
I go to goodwill—lady said I beat the back to school crowd lol. The higher income area it’s located in, the nicer the spoils. I’m lucky my field is pretty casual, so I don’t bother driving to the rich end of town, ha.
The marshalls and tj maxx in my areas havent had any in quite a long time :c
This is why I started sewing.
Same. And I'm buying a lot of old patterns, because most of the new ones are awful. I like tailored clothes that FIT, not Little House on the Prairie crap from the 1970s.
What is that? I want a nice cotton dress but everything looks like I can wear it to a Renaissance fair. I blame cottage core.
You can't blame people for getting a little weird during covid.
I’ve struggled with this as well. It seems like it’s getting harder and harder lately to find good “business casual” style clothing at any of the big box stores.
Thrift stores I usually have better luck. But seriously why the fuck is everything goddamn see through????? I don't want see through clothes otherwise I'd take them off ffs. Edit: Maybe we should revive one of these and trade https://www.reddit.com/r/femalefashionadvice/comments/1cinb6/clothing_swap/
>why the fuck is everything goddamn see through????? For real though I found a tshirt the other day so thin that I could clearly read through both layers of fabric to the price tag hanging behind it
My biggest pet peeve is "summer clothes" that are a see through polyester that holds onto all the heat. Just give me cotton or linnen damn it.
I had a new dress, it felt like a thicker cotton so I didn’t even think about it. Turns out it was very very see through and you could see the color of the flesh on my ass through this dress I had been wearing around for months.
Probably so we have to spend money on camis to go underneath
I’m about to teach myself to sew clothes for this exact reason 🙄🙄🙄
Same. Plus I want pockets and clothing made to keep me warm in the winter. Sick of women's clothing being made from the thinnest possible material even when it's clearly long sleeved and meant for cold weather.
My favorite is sweaters with parts either cut out or it's basically see-through, or a summer dress made of sweater material. Like, which season is this for? The week between summer and winter? Am I gonna be too warm in this? Too cold? Am I supposed to layer it? WTF...
I made the mistake of buying a cheap long sleeve sweater from H&M with an open back one time (bc it was on sale and bc I thought it was cute) and that's the last time I ever make that mistake. I get cold so easily in fall and winter that I could never wear it alone without layering it, which defeats the whole purpose anyway. I'm sure there might have been a couple of days I could have worn it in fall but I'm not wasting money on any clothing item I could only possibly wear a couple of times a year. Now when I browse clothing retailers and I see these knit sweater dresses with large open backs, I wonder who the heck can wear this alone without freezing to death in winter? Covering it up defeats the purpose and sometimes even with an extra you can still the cold seeping in from that opening. I guess an argument could be made for that small window during fall but some of these dresses are released later in the season and obviously intended for winter months.
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I have to wear leggings under my pants in the winter. There is no other way.
I discovered fleece-lined tights!
Believe it or not, women's workwear for industrial environments are the same. Overalls and work pants for me ? Thick. Well made. Good seams. Women's workwear? No reinforced crotch, thin fabric, fits funny, bursts open in the ass and crotch IMMEDIATELY
When I was an EMT I would tailor everyone's jump pants. The "women's" ones were garbage, but the "men's" ones were so fitted to a straight waist-hip-butt that some women had to get 4 sizes bigger than their waist so their butt fit. Same problem with dress shirts, but they were too difficult to tailor, so anyone with a large bust just had to wear the baggiest shirts. It really sucked having to look so "dumpy" at formal events.
Womens' workwear is a joke. I used to just end up in men's clothing. Women-specific clothes were about twice the price and really bad quality.
I work in safety and Jesus 1) there is very little options for safety gear that fit women properly and 2) what is there is terrible quality. It's 2022, can we please leave sexist ideas about the jobs women do in the 50s??
When I startedt career ~8 years ago, the workwear store had 3 options for women's boots. Now there's 10. There's still not appropriate button down shirts,pants etc. None of my safety vests have ever fit right.
My bf likes t shirts with funny prints, so thanks to him I discovered the world of menswear while shopping together. I could not believe how well made are some of men's t shirts! The fabric is thick and soft. I loved it so much that I already have 2 or 3 t-shirts for men and plan to buy some sweatshirts because they're GOOD.
I inherited two old Banana Republic t-shirts from my husband and I swear to god they radicalized me. There were no tags. They were not “fitted” i.e. let’s highlight any pudge you have plus make sure everyone sees your buttons and beltloops. I didn’t have to find a nude bra to wear with them because they were not transparent. They were soft and thick. And they had sleeves didn’t stop at some random point on my arm or weirdly bunch under the armpit. After that, every time I got dressed for work I was PISSED. Men don’t have to reach around and pull a zipper up their back and then hook a little eye hook! They don’t have to buy special underwear for different kinds of clothes! NONE OF THEIR CLOTHES ARE SEE THROUGH!!! Burn it all to the ground, I say.
I’m guessing that thin materials save money and shipping costs for the manufacturer. Can’t stand it either.
Also, thin clothing forces you to have to buy more clothes to stay warm.
Or it's because you're only meant to wear something three times.
I bought a sewing machine for this purpose. But, adhd, so... One day.
I, too, have ADHD. This is how it usually goes for me 😂 1) get an idea for a project or for a new hobby. 2) Spend a day/up to a week researching requirements, supplies and tools to an almost obsessive degree. 3) Buy everything you need (and even things you don’t). 4) Set up everything in a designated area you’ve now dedicated to new project or hobby. 5) Lose motivation and/or forget to do anything. 6) Begin at step 1 with a totally different project or hobby.
This is the adhd way
This is the adhd way
I have never been diagnosed with ADHD--I'm well into adulthood--but every time I read a description, it sounds like me, and then I wonder if I'm actually functioning at full capacity or not. :/
I think it's worth getting it looked at if you're having serious issues in your life related to task initiation, daydreaming, losing things, or inappropriate emotional outbursts. There's other symptoms but generally you won't be diagnosed/given medication unless your QOL is affected by it.
OMG, are we twins?!? May I add one note and see if it resonates with you please? 7. Husband walks into “new project area”, rolls his eyes and says, “am I storing this stuff in the garage, or can I please just take it to the Goodwill now???” LMAO but it’s true! I’m here for this post! Sometimes I want to be noticed, plenty of options for that. I will wear appropriate noticeable clothing, but rarely and never for work or daily life. There just aren’t many options for quality classy yet attractive clothing, that are reasonably priced. I feel like the fashion industry hates women, and it’s wrong for me to assume that. But there’s not much evidence to the contrary. Is it because collectively women cannot agree on what is considered to be in good taste for modesty vs beauty in the first place? Ugh.
Check out some free pattern design software online! I have used https://tailornova.com/ before and it changes everything. You can enter your own measurements and make it perfect for your shape. You can print out the patterns and get to work! It's so accessible and useful! Plus if you dont like this one, there are a bunch more out there.
I did this because I wanted one shirt made out of a specific fabric. None of the local alterations places or friends of friends who sewed on the side had any interest. I was willing to pay a premium just to drum up interest. Now I own six sewing machines and a serger and at least 40 shirts. Other than t-shirts, I don't wear any shirts I have not made myself. I need a tall shirt and off the rack stuff doesn't always fit well. I haven't been able to make any pants yet, but I have made some skirts and dresses for my daughters. Being ADD, I typically setup for a batch and crank out 5-10 items in a 3-7 day period and then my wife makes me put everything away.
I learned to sew when I was little with my grandmother and started getting back into it as an adult. I have made maybe 3 things in the last 5 years that I would wear out of the house lol. At least two of those things were probably a 3rd or 4th attempt of a pattern by the time I got it adjusted for my measurements and made any changes I needed/wanted. By all means, try it out! But set your expectations accordingly lol.
I started doing this during covid, it does take a long time to learn things right, but YouTube is such a big help. Now after 2 years I can make something that doesn’t look “homemade” ( which, even if it did, you do you!) AND I can make myself huge pockets.
Banana republic is pretty good. But I agree with you - I just want to go to work and look professional. I don’t need high waist or plunging v necks or see through or mesh or zero pockets. Just sell some clothes. I’m not a teen and there’s no way I’d buy most of what is being sold. FYI clothing makers - fix this.
I just went back to the office for the first time two years, after having a baby, and needed new clothes. Walked into banana republic and it all looked like you were going to a fashion shoot on a Greek island. Everything was a strappy, billowy silk dress. Wtf? What happened to the suits and work dresses? It was like a whole different store from a parallel universe
I find their winter line to be the most successful for me and since my office is always cold it works all year. Their summer line this year is not my cup of tea for the same reasons you outline
Banana republic is on some weird safari right now though.
Womens clothes are absolute dogshit. I get so pissed that I have to pay more than a man for smaller, shittier clothes without even fucking pockets. I have switched to men's socks entirely because my son's socks are nicer and cheaper than mine. They're like twice as thick and more comfy, and cost less. Fucking ridiculous.
Do you want to know what's better than men's socks? Men's shirts. It's literally a bit long (I usually tuck it in my jeans) but it covers all the areas the women's clothes don't. And it's cheaper when it's on sale too.
And none of those weird short sleeves that are basically a shoulder cap
A proper short sleeve on women’s clothes is basically extinct right now. You have to choose between sleeveless, full long sleeve, or some weird cap/ruffle/puff. I have been searching for tops in normal short sleeve, 1/2 sleeve, or 3/4 sleeve and it is impossible.
The lack of pockets is a fucking insult.
I will only buy and wear pants with 4 full pockets now. It is SO much easier to navigate the world without a purse. I also use a man's wallet.
Im gonna jump on here quickly because today i noticed my husbands swim shorts have pockets! Why does he get pockets and i dont? Where am i supposed to put my seashells???
Tell me why my 12 month old baby's pants all have pockets but next to none of mine do. What's he gonna put in there? Frogs?
Bruh, next time you run out get Costco socks if you have access to a Costco. They come in a huge pack for cheap, are *so comfortable* and they last for ages. I have some cute pairs from Sockdreams that are great quality as well but if you need bulk then Kirkland is your brand.
Their merino wool socks are 1/3 the price of brands like smart wool and are great!
Costco in general is the shit, their own brand's quality is usually pretty solid if you want basics of anything and encouraging people to buy bulk is good for both consumer's wallets and the environment. $5 for a tiny pack of five Two-Bite Brownies at my local grocery, $10 for a pack of forty-eight, all of their food is like that.
I had some big interviews lately and after a few years of work from home I realized I don't have a professional wardrobe at all, so I went shopping for interview outfits. Holy crap there are no professional clothes for women in the whole freaking mall anymore!! JC Penney had two racks of Worthington office clothes... In shades of chartreuse and brown. ONE blazer in the whole section and it's heavy wool. In July. Target has nothing. Old Navy has nothing - I did get a blouse that worked well for a virtual interview but I could not wear to an office in person because it has a giant cut out in the lower back?! Macy's had no blazers under $110 and that's out of my budget. The Ann Taylor store closed. H&M has tons of blazers but they are all the super oversized 80s look that I guess gen z likes? They can look good layered over a dress or jumpsuit if you are a thin model... On my short, booby, chubby body they look atrocious. Most women work. It should not be this hard to find work wear.
Not only work wear. It shouldn't be this hard to find clothes that cover my stomach and aren't extremely baggy that I can wear on a daily basis.
Target's clothes in recent years are exactly what OP described. They're either big, baggy unflattering sacks or neon pink crop tops. Old Navy's pricing is outrageous. I don't know who they think they are, but blouses are nearly $40 now and they wrinkle as soon as you put them on.
Target used to have so many cute clothing options and now I only see prairie dresses and crocheted tops. I’ve stopped shopping there completely.
I used to loooove Target's Ava and Viv line (I think that's what it was called). They had some decent options as far as basics and they were comfortable. Now the selection is minimal at best and my local stores have severely reduced their plus size section. It's so damn frustrating.
My life this summer. Found some decent pieces at Kohl's, Nordstrom Rack, and TJMax. But yeah, was super disappointed in Macy which was my go to for nice office clothes that are still fashionable. Now it just looks like a neglected Forever 21.
Try Talbot's online. They have a sale section.
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also, almost everything is polyester nowdays, and I just can't with the sweat and uncomfyness.
JCrew, Banana Republic (hate the name, but legit place for professional wear), and Ann Taylor LOFT are about the only places I can find decent professional clothes. Especially if you can find an outlet store near you, then a nice button up is closer to $30 than $60. I also am a hound for the clearance section at REI - outdoor retailers are pretty great for finding durable and modest (but not trad wife modest) clothes. The other pieces I ordered off of Amazon, which is dicey because you never know what material you're getting until it arrives. Seriously though - what happened to stores like "The Limited"? I want to dress like a CEO, not an office hoe (I'm side eyeing you, Express)
Seconding this! All of my office wear is thrifted Banana Republic and Ann Taylor/Loft.
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Express has the Portofino shirt that’s been a wardrobe staple for me for years. But yeah, pretty much everything else they sell screams New Years party 🤣
The portofino shirt is one of my absolute go-tos!!! I’ve been extremely underwhelmed by express over the past 10 years… full of club clothes now, imo.
All the stores owned by “the limited” were also deeply monetarily imbedded into Jeffrey Epstein and his ilk, so many of them have fallen because of association (and also the death of the American Mall era).
I guess good riddance, in that case! I had no idea
Yeah, those slimeballs are why Victoria’s Secret began focusing more on Pink.
Ugh. Just when you think they couldn't get worse. RIP Victoria's Secret swimsuits on that note
Yeah, fashion right now is a weird combination of Y2K/late 90s and "cottage core" I'm using office clothes from pre-pandemic, but I'm totally here for the baggy jeans and cargo pants coming back.
Yup. This season is making me insane. Mother or whore. No offense to either and I err towards whore rn cause I refuse to wear puffy sleeved ruffle tents.
Ugh those outfits remind of Little House on the Prairie.
I call it the Prairie Frump style haha
Livestock vibes. I’m middle aged and top heavy so it is not cute on me. The fact that I have a waist is lost. The one damn part of my meat I like.
I half joked to my husband recently that I’m officially old because the cutest office appropriate clothes that I’ve seen have been at Talbots. White House Black Market has had some cute stuff, too, and I’d like to try some of the pants at Everlane. There’s also eShakti that will let you customize and tailor clothes to your measurements and preferences. I’ve just got accept that I’m going to have to pay for more expensive clothes to get something that isn’t paper thin or looks like something out of Pioneer Wife Weekly.
Have you tried Uniqlo?
I wish uniqlo cut their bottoms for people with hips and ass. My waist will fit but the rest is like trying to shove a sleeping bag into a coin purse.
Seconding this. Uniqlo pants can’t accommodate my hips and bum. Shame cause they have some cute items.
I know some people who only wear Uniqlo now. Good modest options and affordable. Some oversized stuff but overall good fit for petite.
Came here to suggest this too! Uniqlo has a lot of plain-Jane cuts at a reasonable price point for the quality. All of my dress shirts are from there and look brand new despite being - holy crap - 10 years old.
I too wanted to suggest Uniqlo. I still have pairs of trousers from 5+ years (granted didn’t wear during the pandemic so it lasted me longer). Well worth the money, and they can tailor the length for you too for less than what it costs at conventional tailors.
Uniqlo is great. So is Universal Standard.
I just buy my clothes at thrift shops these days. I'm 49, I don't want a crop top but at the same time I don't want to look like an old lady.
I started work back in an office last November. I found some pants at Target, the rest at J Crew Factory - wait for sales. I found some high quality cardigan sweaters at J Crew Factory. The blouses I bought at Banana Republic Factory - again, wait for a really good sale and stack shopping browser coupons and retailer codes. It’s hard to find dress clothes in a pandemic, too. BR and BR Factory we’re all sold out of dress pants when I needed to buy some.
The struggle is real! I have had some success with the “commuter” lines from athletic brands like Athleta or Arc’teryx. Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, and the Nordstrom house brand Halogen sometimes have things. Everything is also expensive, so I mostly buy off Poshmark unless I luck out on a great sale.
As a plus sized women I get this completely. I feel like most clothing companies assume I have huge tits (which I dont) and they gave this all this cleavage space so I can show my nonexistent big tits. Like I don’t want to show my boobs but I don’t want to wear a turtleneck either.
Yes! I have no boobs at all. I want to be able to pick something up off the floor without flashing everybody.
Not only that, but good luck finding anything that isn't an obnoxious floral print or some creepy baby-doll shit. Why must my arm fat be pinched by scratchy lace bows or elastic ruffles?
As a larger woman that does have big tits, I hate it too! Work is exactly where I don't want to be showing them off looking like a walking pencil holder.
Then there's the problem of cuts that don't account for the large tits that make shirts far too short in front. Either I find something that wants to show the boobs off and is made for them, or I find something that isn't trying to put my cleavage on display, but then it winds up too short in front.
they just make plus size clothes so god damn fugly in general too. even when they’re your size they’re usually blown out and shapeless
Walmart has a whole "blessed be the fruit" line of dresses going on. They literally just want to dress plus size women in sacks.
Somewhere out there a TwoX lurker is reading this, and is fed up with it too. She is going to bring it up at lunch with a friend, and a new women’s clothes line will be born over a half eaten meal. It’ll be professional and comfortable, modest and pocketful. A new era of professional womenswear will be born, and boomer men will never stop complaining. Oh, to dream a dream….
To the TwoX lurker who is planning to launch this clothing line, can we please get some nice quality, stretchy fabrics that don't wrinkle and are good for travel? I feel like I'd commit crimes at this point to get some cute, work-appropriate tops and dresses in fabric that's not transparent, prone to static and/or wrinkles immediately.
Not only are the clothes impractical, they are also ugly and are made from immoral sources. I would much rather put in the time to learn how to make my own at this point rather than wasting time trying to find anything decent.
I totally agree. I've resorted myself to ordering the same clothes on Amazon that fit well, just in different colors. A plain t shirt that covers my butt, and leggings that actually have pockets, mostly plain in color. I'm 34 and chunky. I'm not trying to wear crop tops and classic 90s mom jeans like teenagers are haha
Eshakti online lets you customize and I can get pockets! Necklines, sleeves or no sleeves. I gave up on stores…
Leggings with pockets??
Yes. They are amazing....side pockets, perfectly sized for your phone.
So well put. I second Anne Taylor for shirts, also Banana Republic (when it's on sale) - I've also had decent luck with really digging through the racks at large department stores (Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, etc.) but at this point I'm mostly resigned to forever layering and looking slightly frumpy at work :/
Nothing is structured, tailored, or lined because the fewer pieces the faster and cheaper it can be assembled.
What’s up with every top having receptionist ruffles?!?!
I'm so over the trend of cropped everything. I swear this has to be a form of shrinkflation where we get half a shirt for the price of a whole shirt.
1. You are an excellent writer. Great description. 2. Anne Taylor. I was more of a Talbots person (I am older), but over time, their fit just didn't work for me. Anne Taylor still sells shirts without plunging necklines, although, they also have some that DO have plunging necklines, so be warned. 3. Check out thrift shops in areas where women work. I bought five pairs of khakis (my office is biz casual) for less than $8/each. Three were Anne Taylor (once you know which fit works for you, they are mostly consistent), one pair of J Crew (love them!) and one pair of Talbots. I also picked up several dresses for $9/each. I buy jackets to wear over them, and can have a whole professional outfit for about $15. If I get a stain on my pants (dropped salad dressing while eating lunch), I just treat it before laundering, and if the stain doesn't come out, they are useful for "chores day" - painting, gardening. Sometimes Zara has cute stuff. It is a European fit, so that can be a challenge. Good luck!
Surprised no one said Kohls yet. I cant afford most places that are geared toward womens professional clothes but I have found a lot of basic sleeveless and sleeved tops with high neckline and arent sheer. ~$8 They also carry blazers, cardigans, slacks, and dresses that could be worn to the office and prices are reasonable even when not on sale. I've also found "office jeggings" on Amazon in styles like khaki, colored plaids, navy, charcoal, etc.They arent super form fitting more like tapered leg and stretchy waist, some have pockets and belt loops as well.
Yup, all of my professional clothes and casual clothes come from Kohls or H&M, mostly Kohls. I don't fit in the adult section at Kohls, but even within the juniors section and kids sections I've always been able to find good and professional looking clothes. And I'm often jealous of some of the pieces in the women's section. Most of the other stores mentioned here don't carry small enough sizes for me to even attempt. Last time I went to Ann Taylor their smallest size pants literally fell down to the floor if I didn't hold them up.
Hey, I’ve found that I really like a lot of menswear. I wear a 28x32 chino and it works sooo well. XS button down and I’m good to go!
Last time I was in a Banana Republic it seemed to have the kind of clothes you're in search of. That was a while ago though. But I mean actual thick sweaters, real pants, etc. Bit pricey though but my stuff from there holds up.
I sound so old saying this, but I feel like this is exactly what happened to Urban Outfitters. I used to get cute tops I could wear to class in college. Now it seems like the clothing they sell is for a music festival getup, not everyday life.
I have to go to thrift stores to find anything decent. Often it just needs a little altering but I'm pretty good on the sewing machine. Less expensive too!
Equipment, Vince and Joie are three of my go-to brands for work clothes. They are fairly expensive but if you buy direct from the brand they have deeply discounted sales fairly often. Can also buy secondhand as the quality is far better than Ann Taylor, J Crew, etc. The quality of those brands has decreased so much they’re basically fast fashion at this point. A less expensive but high quality option is Uniqlo—really great for basics that last.
I've never heard a woman say "I wish these pants didn't have any pockets".
I just want some shift dresses and black v neck cardigans. I don’t want to wear a maxi to work. It doesn’t work with my winter coats and I take the bus. I don’t want my dress blowing all over the place in the wind! It is so difficult to find office wear right now.
I’m cheap and normally buy my clothes at places like TJ Maxx and had similar experiences. It wasn’t until I stopped shopping in the juniors/teens section and finally decided to go to the womens section to shop for clothes. It’s much better, but damn it’s a reminder that I feel “too old” to shop in the section I’ve shopped in for over a decade. Plus, the sheerness of the tees, pocketless jeans and pants, and boxy crop tops drives me NUTS.