IB women - Where do you get your clothes?
Could the ladies here advise on their fav places to shop? Where do you get suits/blazers that are not ridiculously crazy in price? What brands are acceptable to wear at work? I don't wear my LV bag because it is obviously too much. I feel I need an upgrade so wanted to hear thoughts. Also I am curvy so you know places that have different sizes that would be great. thanks
The Classics:
Not super great for banking, bc they aren't formal enough, but if you’re in a more relaxed office it works, and sometimes it has more formal items: - Asos - Aritzia - Revolve - Everlane - Modern Citizen - Zara (this one is stretching it) - Kit and Ace
Bags for the office: - Kate Spade - Longchamp - Everlan (more casual)
Shoes for the office: - Sam Edelman (Hazel pumps are the most comfortable heels for work, and lior loafers are great too) - Don’t really have any commentary on this because I exclusively wear SE - Stuart Weitzman (little too expensive for entry level position?)
In general, just be careful with the brands you wear. I've always felt there is more leeway for women in the office, just because guys can't judge our clothing the way they judge each other's suits and stuff. If I were to wear Stuart Weitzman loafers into the office versus the Sam Edelman ones I would be really surprised if any guy noticed. But, I would always suggest avoiding flashy brands with well known logos (Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, etc.) regardless of what it is (clothing, bag, shoes,etc.).
My tip is to wear a suit the first day on the desk with a top that's appropriate to wear by itself so you can feel out the status quo! Every bank will be different but you can always stay safe with suiting dresses and any longer skirt with a cute blouse. If you need to shop, wait till the first weekend to go so you can buy appropriate stuff. If there aren't any women, if guys are just wearing more causal dress pants/khakis/Lululemon pants, with a button down, I would think that you can just wear anything business casual.
I would recommend having: 4 pants, 3 skirts, 14 tops, 3-5 dresses. This way, you can cycle through wearing each skirt/pant approx. once a week and have enough tops to not dry clean/do laundry for 2 weeks. And you can supplement with dresses.