Help dress me for work

[britta]

So, I have to double check, but I'm fairly certain my new job's dress code is "business casual" with our white lab coats. Guise. I've worn scrubs my entire career. Ok, this is kind of not fully true. I forayed into management for about 2 years where the dress code was "business casual", but I was pregnant for the first year of it, so all those clothes are long gone. When I returned from maternity leave I told my boss I wasn't spending money on new clothes when I was going to be losing weight still (I was barely 10 wks PP), so I wore scrubs and continued to do so until I quit. No one ever said anything. Anyway...dirt road and all...I hate shopping because I feel like my body is awful to dress (large for my size bust, no ass, short-barely 5'2"). I also have zero sense of style. I go in to stores and think everything is fug. LOL. I'm very jeans and t-shirt and Team Scrubs 4 Lyfe.

So where do you shop if you dress up or whatever for work? What kind of shoes do you wear? FWIW, I'll be doing A LOT of walking and standing, so comfort > cute.

[erien22846]

Warning: I have no fashion sense. As I mentioned in a previous thread, I snagged several pairs of work pants for $5/piece at a consignment sale. There was probably a reason no one else bought them, haha.

I have the best luck at The Loft. It's a one stop shop for me, which is important for obvious reasons. They have a variety of pant styles for all body shapes. When you find something you like, buy one (or two!) in all the colors:) I like their tops because they have the basics that can be mixed and matched. They also have really cute dresses. One stop shop, I tell ya!

No advice on shoes.

[adouces06]

I work at a bank, so it's always business casual for me. I am a big fan of pencil pants (loved The Limited Exact Stretch but they closed and Express pants). I only have 5 pairs or so, and just rotate throughout the week. I love chiffon, billowy tops, and I have the best luck finding good ones at Target, Marshalls/TJ Maxx, Express, Gap, or The Loft. I LOOOOVVVEEE Express Portofino shirts. They are classic but comfortable. For shoes, I swear by Steve Madden flats. I work a desk job though, so they probably wouldn't be supportive enough if you are on your feet all day.

[erien22846]

britta, I'm 5'-7" with long limbs so finding long enough long sleeves is a challenge. I've found I can't cut costs there. I have good luck at Banana Republic and Express.

[smallpotato]

I do the vast majority of my shopping at Kohl's. I typically wear dress pants (I love ponte and skinny pants) and a sweater during the winter. I have a few pairs of work pants from Macy's as well. I am a bargain shopper at heart, so if it's on sale and looks good, I'll buy it. I really like the Old Navy Pixie pants; I am also short (5'3"), and the ankle length pants are almost perfect for me. When the weather warms up, I'm in dresses or skirts with a cardigan over it.

As far as shoes, I buy a decent pair of black ballet flats with memory foam on the inside. I have a pair of knee high boots I wear sometimes. I like Naturalizer or Aerosoles for shoes; they are cute and supportive.

[becole]

britta The Limited is going out of business but I always used to buy their dress pants and they always have cheap sweaters. Post partum, I got two pairs of dress pants from Kohls- Apt 9 and Vera Wang- they have a stretchy waist band. I was hoping it would allow them to work still as I lose weight but alas... they also have some tops that are silky/ chiffon so good for work but you could wear them on the weekend with jeans too. I pretty much try to buy tops that I can wear on a cute date night and also to work. I also have luck at Nordstrom rack for tops.

[saraml13]

I'm not exactly super fashionable, but all my offices have been business casual.

I like Loft for a lot of things. I'll splurge on a few items from J Crew. I actually find a fair amount of tops at Target.

I've tried to simplify my wardrobe a lot since having kids. My standard outfit is slacks, a short sleeve or sleeveless shell, and a cardigan sweater. I try to stick to neutrals and jewel tones to make it easy to mix and match. Occasionally I'll wear a dress. I used to have outfits where a skirt only really went well with one particular top, but I've phased out those types of outfits.

[becole]

I get most of my work shoes from dsw and just try them on until a pair feels comfy. If they're not comfy, I won't wear them. I have black flats with scalloped edges, wedge boots I can wear with leggings and a dress. I have also bought shoes online from kohls but they definitely don't last without scuffing.

[britta]

smallpotato I really like the look of skinny pants and such, but I find being short that even the "short" versions are too long and bunch at the ankles. Maybe that's ok? Idk. I'm wearing skinny jeans right now and only wear them with boots because I feel like they're too long to wear with flats.

[britta]

becole I love DSW. I have a coupon for there right now.

It seems like I see LOFT is mentioned a lot. My sister shops there (also has to dress professionally for work), as does my cousin who is not even 5' tall. Maybe that's a good place to start? If I go into the city, I have all the options that are being mentioned here. What about H&M? Every time I'm in there it seems I'm seeing cute things...

[saraml13]

Feb 16, 2017 15:43:03 GMT -5 britta said:

becole I love DSW. I have a coupon for there right now.

It seems like I see LOFT is mentioned a lot. My sister shops there (also has to dress professionally for work), as does my cousin who is not even 5' tall. Maybe that's a good place to start? If I go into the city, I have all the options that are being mentioned here. What about H&M? Every time I'm in there it seems I'm seeing cute things...

Loft has a pretty big petites section, so I think that's a good starting point. I've never shopped at H&M, but one of the more fashionable people on another board had recently recommended them for professional attire.

[macaronmama]

Feb 16, 2017 15:32:12 GMT -5 becole said:

I get most of my work shoes from dsw and just try them on until a pair feels comfy. If they're not comfy, I won't wear them. I have black flats with scalloped edges, wedge boots I can wear with leggings and a dress. I have also bought shoes online from kohls but they definitely don't last without scuffing.

<--- This. I look for Hush Puppies going on sale at DSW because I need a little bit of a heel (like 2", can't do flats) and these are so comfy and perfect day in and out.

[britta]

macaronmama re: Stitch Fix in the other thread...I randomly got a coupon in the mail for $20 off your first "fix", which is what sort of got me into thinking of it. I've been searching things on Pinterest and feel very overwhelmed and....old. LOL.

[smallpotato]

Feb 16, 2017 15:40:27 GMT -5 britta said:

smallpotato I really like the look of skinny pants and such, but I find being short that even the "short" versions are too long and bunch at the ankles. Maybe that's ok? Idk. I'm wearing skinny jeans right now and only wear them with boots because I feel like they're too long to wear with flats.

I'm not the most fashion forward, but I think it's okay. I wear my skinny pants and jeans with boots or flats, and I definitely have some that are a little long. You could always cuff the pants if you're wearing flats with them.

[becole]

I don't like loft - the fit or the style. I like h&m for casual clothes or basics but I don't find much for work there. I haven't been happy with express or ny&co for at least a decade.

[macaronmama]

britta It doesn't hurt to try it out if you got a "free" box. Again, they ask you a lot of questions, so it can be overwhelming. They ask what sizes you currently wear (you can update with each box), what you like to show off about your body, how you like your clothes to fit, give you some examples of styles with the option of loving/hating, etc.

And you aren't old, lol. I'm turning 31 in two weeks. Pinterest is just a way of refining a way of showing them what you like outside the styles they have on the website.

[macaronmama]

becole, I agree about H&M - a lot of their stuff is kinda flimsy for day in and day out work wear. I did find a nice dress jacket from them once that I love, but their pants and other items aren't great for my body type. I use to do NY&Co and just can't anymore with their quality, though sometimes the Eva Mendes collection has a nice dress - that was what my purple one I was thinking of wearing to the gala was.

[ksyknelvr73]

I really like Express - they have great dress pants and nice blouses. Good quality stuff and comfortable.

One of my favorite stores in the whole world though is Maurices and I have quite a bit of work stuff from there. One of my favorites for work is the "perfect blouse". Most of their dress pants come in short, regular, long, etc.

Sometimes I do NY&Co but it's pretty hit or miss. I generally can find good pants there but I need long ones, so I'm not sure how their short ones work.

[britta]

Feb 16, 2017 16:10:03 GMT -5 @holachica said:

Call Nordstrom. Set up an appointment with a personal shopper. It's FREE. Literally no fee, no obligation to buy clothes.

I would love too... but the nearest one is on the east side. Maybe I need to go home for a weekend....

[jcrewgirl]

My office is business casual/business - depending on my schedule (in or out of court and which court it is) I may need to wear a suit or I can do the silk/chiffon tops and pants/skirts/dresses, etc.
I'm 5'6" and can still squeeze myself into my size 4s but size 6s fit too. I don't shop the petite sections, but the stores I'm going to list also have great Petite sections.

Yes, to the Loft (in my opinion) on certain things. I haven't tried their pants yet (I also have a small booty)- my problem seems to be finding pants that don't stretch out throughout the day and start to sag in the butt. Their stuff is always on sale and I can usually snag a great blouse in their SALE section. Loft is great for shirts and dresses. For example - these caught my eye a few weeks ago:

This blouse looks fantastic for many reasons - you can wear it out with ankle length pants, heels and a blazer or wear it tucked in to a pencil skirt or even pair with jeans on the weekend. I love it.



Another winner:


Basically, IMO, you should go with classic pieces that can be mixed and matched at least three ways to get optimum use.

And every closet needs a classic black sheath dress:

Lovely dress with great details:


I LOVE the pants from J.Crew - my favorite ones: the Maddie Pant - they make in cottton and bi-stretch wool for all seasons. These are THE best - size down. My size 4s from before pregnancy fit - I could have gone with a size 2 before pregnancy. These do stretch out a little. They come in basically every color and are on sale now!





Okay, next store - Banana Republic - I love this store for dresses and blouses and again, they always seem to have a great petite section. Current favorites:

Bi-stretch dress (comes in royal blue and black right now)


Also loving this tweed dress:


Hope this was somewhat helpful!

[vavavictoria]

I also wanted to say that the majority of the dresses at loft are flattering. I wear dresses to work a lot and my loft dresses are by far the most forgiving towards my postpartum fluffiness.

[macaronmama]

Wanna applaud jcrewgirl, love those pieces!

Also, if you are wearing a lab coat, if you want to wear longer sleeves, sit to 3/4 or elbow length so you're not pushing them up constantly while you work. We have that issue here with our lab coats (we wear them when we are working with crumbly/mold documents).

[iwantbacon]

I'm business casual, though not stylish because my body has been in pregnant flux for too damn long. Anyway, I wear basically the same thing everyday--black skirt, shell, and cardigan or blazer. Most of my current stuff is from JC Penneys because cheap but fair quality (Worthington & Liz Claiborne). Man that makes me sound old. H&M has great professional basics for good price. Just don't be discouraged if you find you need a larger size than usual.

Old navy's short skinny pants are a good length (I'm 5'4), though they are not so good for my large bum. Maybe they will work well for you.

Just kept it simple to start--basic black pants, black or neutral skirt, black/neutral dress, a few tops that go with the pants/skirts.

I also recommend the site Corporette for work fashion. Some of the stuff is way out of my price range and some more business than I need (site was started by an attorney), but great ideas and links to sales.

[britta]

jcrewgirl YES. I have that bum problem as well, which is why I rarely have ventured into petite sections. I've found that, for some reason, designers seem to think that if you're short you're also wide. I am not. Whenever I've had to buy dress pants I've stuck to "regular" lengths and just worn heels because ther fit me slightly better through the bum/hips. But I feel like heels are going to be impractical/uncomfortable in this job.

As a dirt road, now I'm going to creepily ask what brands of jeans you buy, because I also have this problem in jeans. I don't come across a lot of people who have my bum problem.

[britta]

Feb 17, 2017 9:19:59 GMT -5 macaronmama said:

Wanna applaud jcrewgirl, love those pieces!

Also, if you are wearing a lab coat, if you want to wear longer sleeves, sit to 3/4 or elbow length so you're not pushing them up constantly while you work. We have that issue here with our lab coats (we wear them when we are working with crumbly/mold documents).

I've thought of this already in terms of getting to hot. If I'm charting in our "office" I can take my coat off. But if I'm in a patient care area it has to be on.

[britta]

Thanks everyone. I love all the suggestions and tips. My sister offered to shop with me next weekend (I love her style and she'll be honest), so I have some places to start and things to think about. I def want to stick to a couple versatile pieces for, especially for right now because I'm really hoping to get back down to my pre-pregnancy size.

[becole]

britta what is a clinical care nurse? Why a lab coat?

[jcrewgirl]

Feb 17, 2017 10:33:26 GMT -5 britta said:

jcrewgirl YES. I have that bum problem as well, which is why I rarely have ventured into petite sections. I've found that, for some reason, designers seem to think that if you're short you're also wide. I am not. Whenever I've had to buy dress pants I've stuck to "regular" lengths and just worn heels because ther fit me slightly better through the bum/hips. But I feel like heels are going to be impractical/uncomfortable in this job.

As a dirt road, now I'm going to creepily ask what brands of jeans you buy, because I also have this problem in jeans. I don't come across a lot of people who have my bum problem.

I have yet to find a great pair of jeans I like

I have two pair from Loft but when I bend down, they go too low and then you have crack problems. I did buy one pair from Banana while on maternity leave and they are boyfriend style so the baggy bum is expected. I'm going to give J.Crew a try after I lose the last 5 lbs and a few inches in the waist. If you find something, let me know!

[erien22846]

How come men can so easily buy pants and shirts based on their measurements, but women struggle to find ONE pair of pants or jeans that fit?

[britta]

Feb 17, 2017 10:37:04 GMT -5 becole said:

britta what is a clinical care nurse? Why a lab coat?

So we have 10+ heart/lung surgeons in the group. The surgeons are broken down into "teams" who each have a Clinical Nurse or Nurse Practitioner assigned to their patients every day. I'm on the "Blue Team", so I have all the heart/lung transplants, VADs, and regular cardiothoracic patients of 3 of the docs.

Each day I'll be responsible for rounding on/assessing the patients on my team, writing a progess note, addressing patient/floor nurse needs and writing orders/discharge instructions. Later, when the surgeons get out of OR, I'll round with them on their patients again, tell them what I've done, and address any further concerns. There's more to it, but that's the gist.

The coat is to identify who I am and what service line I work for and to differentiate between me and floor nurses.

ETA: holy typos Batman.