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
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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.).
that’s amazing. thank you so much. can I pm you?
Ofc!
Sometimes H&M also does nice office clothing but I suggest physically going in to the store rather than shopping online to see the fit because the fits can be a bit weird.
There are so many new and fashion clothes here. I am happy to buy them. But I found this and was surprised with the details of wor with them. It is rather convenient for me and I tried to order.
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I'm in a business casual office and am also pretty curvy. I don't wear suits on the regular but I got mine a size up and get them altered. Blazers are expensive to alter because of the way women's sleeves are made but so worth the price.
Tops: J. Crew and Banana Republic are my favorite. I will also buy staples from Nordstrom. In general, I prioritize convenience so I'll buy any cute top that I can throw in the wash so I don't have to go to the dry cleaners. I avoid fast fashion because they don't really last past one season.
Pants/skirts: I love my Lululemon pants so much. I get most of my skirts from Banana. I'll also buy cheaper pants on sale from Saks off Fifth or Nordstrom and get them tailored. Most higher-end stores will hem for free (Nordstrom, Lulu, and J. Crew do)
Shoes: Cole Haan loafers are my go-to but I will wear anything! My office is pretty casual so I'll wear leather sandals and such as well. My favorite pair of heels are these block heels from Old Navy so don't discount cheaper shoes!
Bags: I know analysts that wear their LV bags to the office or carry around expensive wallets to lunch. But any bag will do the trick - I use a Michael Kors one just because I don't want a nice one to get damaged with the rain. But I do use my neverfull pochette as my wallet.
What style lululemon pants?
I work in an office where a lot of the guys wear Lululemon pants so even though they have the seam in the back, I wear the essential HR pants at least once a week. I'm also eyeing these ones!
I like the on the fly pant as well and in black, they're pretty dressy if you can hide the drawstring, like with a sweater. I have them in navy and think that color is too casual.
Taking a different approach - make sure you think of your purchases in terms of $ per wear rathern than $ total. Spending more on stuff that is good quality and you feel comfortable in and will actually wear regularly is definitely worth it (remember most dry clean clothing can be washed cold on delicate or in a bag and dried flat or at least spot cleaned). Remember you'll be wearing your business clothes 5 days a week for the forseeable future. You'll be able to dress down staples easily if you move to a more casual office.
I am a fan of M.M. La Fleur, Of Mercer and Ann Taylor (they're good about multiple size ranges) as well. Ann Taylor has these ponte pants that literally feel like leggings and I wear a ton. I'm apparently the target body type for Theory but I hate how their stuff looks and think it's overpriced.
My bag is Dagne Dover because I go straight from the gym to work and need something I can stuff full and not worry about getting scuffed. I have Sam Edelman pumps that I love but have found myself buying more low (2") block heel boots to wear because I can walk much more in them and I don't want to be the only person wearing pumps at work lol
What do you typically wear on your commute to the office? Especially in the colder seasons? I don't like to wear good shoes when I'm walking outside because they get messed up easily. Also, how do you deal with dress pants that are too long without heels (they're perfect in the office when I switch to heels but would drag on the ground when I wear flats/sneakers/low boots on the commute). Any tips or recs would be appreciated!
Heavy coat, sweater and dress pants or dress with fleece tights. Shoes are sneakers if gym, block heel or flat boots if not, rain/snowboots as needed. Always keep 1-2 pairs of shoes at work
All my dress pants are ankle length and stretchy, but you could try just cuffing several times?
do u have to wear dresses/skirts with tights in the winter? seems kinda uncomfortable idk
Thank you SO much for this info. I'll be a BB Summer Analyst come June, and though I don't think my internship will be in person, one of the things that I was dreading was having to figure out what to wear. I don't have a very nice wardrobe like other girls at my school and will probably have to invest in dressing the part. I only really know male Analysts, and the women I've interacted with are almost all MDs, so their style is likely too mature for me. I don't really know who to go to to ask questions.
Are their certain things I should make sure I have? What do most women wear on a daily basis in the summer? I have one suit but feel sort of stupid in it. Would wear a dress every single day if I could, but am not sure what the status quo even is and have no idea where to shop.
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.
Are white blazers unprofessional? What is the consensus with wearing mismatching textures/fabric but the same color for slacks and blazer?
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