Work Clothing Suggestions - Ladies

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by Xylochick216

I second the NY&Co. suggestion if you have one nearby. When I got my current job, I needed a lot of staples since my prior job was a jeans and t-shirts kind of place. I got a ton of pants, shirts, skirts, dresses, sweaters, etc. without breaking the bank and without looking like I'm wearing the same thing every day. The pants fit me well, which is unusual since I have a 36 inch inseam. Their long pants sometimes come longer than they're supposed to, which I love

As much as I hate shopping in JC Penney, they do have some decent pants, too. You can order from their catalogue, too. Those are the only 2 relatively inexpensive places I can think of off the top of my head. I enjoy Ann Taylor, but the prices are a little out of my league. I prefer NY&Co. where I get discounts all the time from their postcards and with the account I opened with them.

Don't know where the nearest one is, but I have friends in St. Louis, Springfield, Peoria, etc... I'll find one Thanks!

[tunatartare]

I checked the NY & Co. website, and they don't have any stores in Illinois.

[DigitalAngel126]

Originally Posted by KLPDaisy

I checked the NY & Co. website, and they don't have any stores in Illinois.

Wellllll, if you ever decide to make it this way, I know we have them in Indiana. I'm sure there's probably one somewhere in Indy somewhere, but I don't know where... But I do know there's one in Carmel, that's the one I go to when I'm in the area.

[bluefish81]

I know that you've said that NY & Co isn't in your area, but if you're able to find one, their prices are pretty affordable. I buy pants there because they have good deals like buy one, get one half off from time to time. I like to buy blouses at The Limited - and then sometimes I buy camis to put underneath them. I also like Ann Taylor Loft.
I'm now realizing how much I need to go shopping myself and buy some new work clothes.

[blueangel]

The big bust problem has an easy solution... buy silk and cotton tank tops to wear under your suit jacket. You don't need to wear a conventional button-down blouse.

I would suggest buying good quality "classics" in a natural fabric. Don't buy "trendy." Yes, these classics may be a bit pricey, but they don't look cheap and never go out of style. Better to save your pennies and own just a few suits to begin with to mix and match. You'll have them for years and years. More economical in the long run!

A good lightweight wool gaberdine is virtually seasonless. Believe it or not, Lands End has some beautiful suits.

Also check out Talbots. They have incredible sales where you can get beautifully made high end clothing at a fraction of the price.

Some good, basic pieces to begin with:

Black dress pants

Black skirted suit

(black goes with virtually anything, so you can add a colored blazer to the black pants or skirt for a different look)

white shell

Then add:

your choice of pink, red, camel, and creme blazers.

Keep building up your wardrobe with classics. Add camel wool pants, a nice linen (or linen blend) jacket. (Remember that linen wrinkles like crazy!)

You can get an expensive look by wearing a classic suit and adding an inexpensive cotton tank top. Buy lots of these for a variety of looks.

Look here:
http://www.landsend.com/cd/index/fp/...93521826137000

and, I would recommend this as your first suit:

http://www.landsend.com/cd/fp/prod/0...93521826137000

And guess what? Talbots is having their amazing twice a year sale RIGHT NOW!

http://www1.talbots.com/talbotsonline/index.asp

This is a beautiful summer jacket in linen.
ttp://www1.talbots.com/talbotsonline/product/itempage.aspx?item=P54687&PFID=529&BID=S2006180234 83939C539CE81AA46E5A953A3&h=M


Don't forget to accessorize too. Invest in a good silk scarf, a nice gold necklace, and pearls.

Again, do this gradually. Take your time and look for quality.

One trick is to go into a very expensive store like Barneys of NY or Neiman Marcus to educate yourself on quality. Look at the fabrics. Feel them. Look at the tag and learn about different fabrics. Study how the seams are sewn. Take a look at the buttons. Then you can go to a less expensive store and look for the same details.

Happy shopping!

[Drolefille]

I don't dress up to quite that level yet. But thanks! I do already wear tanks underneath my shirts but I hadn't thought of transitioning that to blazers.

[chitownxo]

Originally Posted by KLPDaisy

I checked the NY & Co. website, and they don't have any stores in Illinois.

Maybe the website isn't up to date, but there are several NY & Company stores in Illinois, including one in Champaign. I get a lot of my clothes here, and to echo what others have said, they do have nice, inexpensive clothes.

[Kimmie1913]

Originally Posted by KLPDaisy

I checked the NY & Co. website, and they don't have any stores in Illinois.

Their website is not working. It works if you do zip, but not state. There are NY&Co's in Champaign, Peoria and Alton, IL. I think they are a great budget conscious choice for work clothes. If you are going there, go to their website FIRST, join and get an instant 20% off coupon that works, even on sale and clerance merchandise. They will then send you coupons by email or mail. I shop there often but NEVER without a coupon! I would also suggest the sales sections of AT or AT Loft for deals. Like NY&Co all three stores put together color schemes and collections so it is easy to but pieces you can mix and match.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by Kimmie1913

Their website is not working. It works if you do zip, but not state. There are NY&Co's in Champaign, Peoria and Alton, IL.

I haven't been home in forever. Is the NY&Co at the new mall out on War Memorial (see - new mall, been forever)...??

[valkyrie]

LOL I'm going to have to agree with GP on the age/clothes issue here (although for the record, I am muchmuchmuch less conservative clothes-wise than she is). I'm in my thirties and wouldn't even consider shopping at Talbots. I don't wear blazers or anything that could be referred to as a "shell" -- that's something my mom would tell me to wear and I'd ignore it.

Of course I would wear a suit to a job interview. However, most jobs do not require or expect such formal clothing on a daily basis. I've been dressing in a manner that I'm sure many would consider very casual for years, and I've never had any problems with being taken seriously. Also, dressing casually does NOT mean I come to work every day dressed for the club. I might wear some khakis, a tank, and a cute hoodie, with sandals. I haven't worn hose in YEARS -- and I appeared in court almost every day for a year and a half. Nobody cares.