Help dress a sporty 20-something with abs. no idea what to wear...

October 13, 2008 8:25 PM

I'm a gal who dresses extremely casually for work (jeans, battered t-shirts) but would like to increase my fashion sense a tad without a) breaking the bank b) forgoing comfort and c) not fitting in with the super casual work environment... Think Sporty Spice + hiking gear, but for work, with other humans...(and I'm in my mid 20's, if that helps)

I have absolutely no fashion sense, but I realize that I'm dressing the same way I did in junior high (some of the shirts are even the same, eek!) -- and people are starting to notice. Not necessarily in a bad way, but I'd rather have them notice other stuff that my ratty t-shirts...

But I wear the ratty t-shirts because they're just so comfortable. Like silk against my skin. I love wearing super-comfy stuff, but I honestly have no idea where I should even start with acquiring new things that I'll actually wear and will look half-decent (I could potentially be an entire episode of What Not To Wear, and I know they'd get rid of literally everything I own.)

I'd like to get some basics that I can mix and match and maybe (!) make me look sort of trendy. I don't have gobs of $, but I would like to look my age and be sporty-chic. ....thank you very much fashion gurus.

posted by melodykramer to clothing, beauty, & fashion (23 comments total)

I should add that my current wardrobe consists of 4 pairs of Old Navy painter's pants and about 10 t-shirts, which I rotate...(and 1 dress for fancy things, and a business suit.) And that's it.
posted by melodykramer at 8:31 PM on October 13

I'm around the same age and work in a casual environment. I wear mostly solid cottony shirts and jeans, and still manage to look nice for work with very little effort and money.
It's easy to find really soft t-shirts now that are not ratty. You can get plain solid-shirts at American Apparel, Target, etc. A plain tee with some kind of layered sweater or cotton jacket with nicer jeans can work really well for a casual workplace.
Shoes also make a big difference. Wear some colorful flats with jeans and a plain t-shirt and you automatically look a little nicer. If you're dressed plainly, with jeans or slacks, and plain tees, you can add a flashier belt or jewelry to make it a little more outfitty (I know that's not a word). You can be comfortable and look polished pretty easily, and your idea of getting basics to mix and match is really smart. I find a lot of good stuff at Target.
posted by fructose at 8:37 PM on October 13

Reading your addendum, I would suggest making sure you get pants that are more fitted than painters pants. They don't have to be tight, but a slightly stiffer material in a mid-rise (not up to your navel, and not low-rise) with a slight flare is usually flattering on a lot of people.
posted by fructose at 8:38 PM on October 13

Places like REI usually have casual clothes for women, like Patagonia skirts and Columbia stuff. That would probably cover the comfy/sporty/halfway decent area, but it certainly wouldn't be sort of trendy. (You can also rock the ubiquitous Dansko clogs.)

What might be better is to think about making an initial outlay for some hard-wearing, well-made basics.

Think about what you'd need to build a basics wardrobe--some good-quality, well-fitting stuff:

2-3 pairs of nice slacks (JCrew or the Gap or Banana Republic for these)
2-3 skirts of varying lengths (skirts and pants in fairly neutral colors)
2-3 pairs casual pants (khaki-style, jeans)
a couple nice oxford shirts, long-sleeved and short-sleeved knit shirts that can work as blouses or underlayers (American Apparel)
some thinner, dressier sweaters (think Merino wool)--you could go for brighter colors in the blouses and sweaters
a decent blazer or jacket
a denim or casual jacket
a cocktail dress
shoes: a fancy pair, a nice work pair (mary jane-style clogs), some flats

And then you can pick up some smaller, trendier accessories (at H&M and the like) every season--nice lightweight scarves, belts, pins and costume jewelry--as well as a few tops and sweaters and stuff that are seasonal as well--Forever 21, H&M, Target.
posted by liketitanic at 8:47 PM on October 13 [1 favorite]

I find myself recommending American Apparel a lot on MeFi, but I do think their shirts would be perfect for you. They are super-soft, fit nicely, and come in a bunch of different colors. Their store can be a little like walking into a hipster's bag of skittles, but their basics are awesome.
posted by radioamy at 9:03 PM on October 13

I am a mid-20s girl who hates the "business casual" look, but realizes I can't really get away with what I wear on weekends.

I'd recommend getting some really funky boots. Get a good pair that you just love. Or a couple.

Boots go with pants, but they look best with skirts, in my opinion. And I think skirts allow you a lot more creativity, flair, and comfort than typical stuffy office clothes do.
posted by Flying Squirrel at 9:03 PM on October 13

These are all great ideas so far. I will have to check out AA (I'm not really a skirty-gal, in part because sometimes my job requires me to sit in front of gobs of people, and I'm the type of person who would accidentally Sharon Stone them, but boots I could definitely wrap my brain around...)
posted by melodykramer at 10:15 PM on October 13

I also dress casually for work, but you should definitely drop the painter pants and go with regular jeans or khakis. You've gotten some good suggestions on what to get and where. I would add that Sierra Trading Post is very hit or miss, as they deal in closeouts, but you can sometimes find really good quality things at good prices if you shop carefully.
posted by gudrun at 12:12 AM on October 14 [1 favorite]

Not a girl, but made a similar fashion transition a few years ago. I found that wearing new jeans and slightly fashionable t-shirts (rather than 5-year old Hanes black ones), along with a new pair of shoes, made a big difference. I went to the Levis store, got several pairs of my favorite jeans, and then got some mildly trendy-cut black t-shirts (for men: Hugo Boss, Calvin Klein), and a new pair of sneakers.

It was a minor upgrade, overall, but it changed my look from rumpled techie to Dieter from Saturday Night Live in short order.
posted by zippy at 12:47 AM on October 14 [1 favorite]

If you want super soft you might want to look at bamboo t-shirts.
posted by tallus at 2:22 AM on October 14

You can look totally smart without flouting the dress code in...

A sweater in a high-end material like Cashmere or Angora.

A decent quality t-shirt in a block color. (Skinnyfit or babydoll unless you're a body type that doesn't suit this.)

Smart bootcut jeans in black or indigo.

Cute boots. (There was a recent thread by a woman looking for cute-but-comfy boots without a heel. You should dig that up.)

A bag the same color as the boots.
posted by the_latin_mouse at 4:41 AM on October 14

Khaki pants are your friends. A pair of khaki pants and some nice basic cardigan sweaters with tank tops and some shirts can get you through a lot -- wear the pants with different sweater-and-tank-top combos or the pants with shirts, and you look pulled-together. And bonus -- you can wear those same sweater-and-tank-tops or shirts with jeans on the weekends. (Most of my work wardrobe actually IS my weekend wardrobe, only with khaki pants instead of jeans.)

You mentioned Old Navy -- they have a "work clothes" section, and right now they have a "dress up your jeans" section. A couple shirts from either of those sections and khaki pants would do you great.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:03 AM on October 14

Avoid khaki, they are out (as a classic, they'll likely come back, but for now wearing them would doom you to old lady dull preppydom). Dockers makes some very nice black dress pants that wash well and look pretty sharp. They are also comfy. I would buy just about anything knit and avoid collared shirts. Most knits wash similar to tees (except on cold) and require no ironing. I reccomend the Gap, the designer they have now is great. They carry the basics.

As for trendy, do it with your accessories, it's cheaper and easier to accomplish this way. Get some big sunglasses or some classic black raybans. A belt to wear over your shirts. Some cute flat shoes with some jewelry or with a lightweight scarf would look pretty hip.
posted by pokeedog at 6:09 AM on October 14

What is your job? I assume it's very casual based on your wardrobe, but it does make a difference.

I had to make wardrobe decisions the other way in my late 20s (1990s) when I went from working in a law office to working as a technical writer for a software company. There weren't a lot of women in my office and I had to both be "one of the guys" with the programmers/engineers and able to talk to "the suits" in management. I wore nice jeans or casual slacks/khakis with nice single-color t-shirts or short-sleeve button-up shirts with vests. Cardigans would have been a good choice too, but I'm not a sweater girl. For shoes, I wore nice flats, and was I ever glad to stop wearing pumps. I let my earrings be my statement pieces; I have short hair and I was known for wearing danglies.

I bought Land's End jeans and slacks because I'm a hopeless preppy, but it's also not that expensive. Eddie Bauer and L.L. Bean are the same way. They're comfortable for me.

Whatever you choose, upgrade slowly, rotating in a few pieces. Shirts first, since they're being noticed. Then trousers. It's easier on you and the budget and less noticeable; your colleagues will notice you and not your change of clothes.

Remember that you're not just dressing for your current job, but with an eye toward the next job you may want. Are there women in the next level of your company, in a job that you might want later? Look at what they wear and think how you can adapt it to be comfortable enough to wear.

(And save the ratty shirts for the weekend. They deserve love too.)

Some of this may not apply, but I hope it helps.
posted by immlass at 7:05 AM on October 14 [1 favorite]

The_latin_mouse has some good things to say. Basically, what you want to do is take what you're comfortable in (pants and soft t-shirts) and find the non-junior-high-school version. Generally that means wearing t-shirts that are cut for women (that is, not boxy) or cut differently than a basic t-shirt in a nicer fabric (either a higher quality cotton, or a merino wool or jersey blend). Sweaters are a good transition piece: like this or this or this. A little dressier, because they have more structure and weight, but still casual and comfortable.

Pants, you'll want to do the same thing. Make sure they fit better-get them hemmed and try to make sure they're not baggy in the butt. They don't have to be tight (and shouldn't be), but a little more structure and better fit makes even jeans and khakis seem more professional.

Try throwing a casual skirt or two into the mix as well.

(Your description fits Nau.com to a T, but they are expensive. Really high quality and I think worth it, but spendy)
posted by crush-onastick at 7:44 AM on October 14

American apparel shirts are so freaking comfortable, worth the somewhat ridiculous price you will pay. Also would like to suggest threadless.com, as their cotton is super nice, although they are somewhat design-y and might not be suitable for your style.

Painter's paints are the most casual style of pants possible, any other type of jeans will look dressier. Boots are awesome too.. and pick up some nice dressyish flats before they go out of style, because that stuff is so comfortable it hurts.
posted by shownomercy at 7:55 AM on October 14

I would suggest being open to more expensive stores. I was looking for some t-shirts recently and found some wonderfully soft well-made ones at Martin & Osa (which doesn't have a ton of locations but this is just an example). Their clothes at the front are out of my budget but they have a great sale section and the t-shirt were selling 2/$20, much cheaper than the sale shirts at The Gap and much nicer material/cut.
posted by Bunglegirl at 8:05 AM on October 14

My style is very similar to yours. A few specific pieces that help me immensely:

-Solid tees in various colors, necklines, and sleeve lengths (I like 3/4 sleeves the best). I usually get these at Target, Gap, or Old Navy.
-A knee-length A-line skirt in a go-with-everything color and fabric. I especially like heavier (not clingy) knits. I've had quite a few of these over the years, and have had luck with Gap, J. Crew, and American Apparel.
-A couple of black cardigans in different styles, e.g. tie-front, wrap, asymmetrical zip.
-Cute casual flats that are comfortable enough to wear every day. I've been seeing a lot of stuff I like at 6pm.com.
-Scarves! You can get them anywhere, and they help a ton when the only clean shirt and pants you have are black.

Having a go-to palette helps me a lot, too. Black and gray are my preferred neutrals, and I almost never wear browns or khaki tones. I don't often wear light colors, either, because I'm messy.

Other places you might look into, most of which I have recommended in previous threads:

-Title Nine has tons of stuff that is designed to transition easily from work to sporty/casual.
-Lululemon, though a bit expensive (and a little culty), has well-made and stylish clothes - they don't have an online store, but you can find plenty of their stuff on Ebay.
-Talbots might look a little stuffy at first, but they are great for basic pieces that look businessy but are secretly comfortable enough for weekends.
-I discovered Garnet Hill via a previous AskMe, and while I haven't bought anything there yet, I love a lot of what I've seen. A lot of casual, comfy, sophisticated basics.
posted by Metroid Baby at 8:31 AM on October 14

Here is the thread on flat boots mentioned earlier.

I tend to dress similarly to what you describe, and for me a big requirement is that the clothes be easy to take care of. Certainly no dry cleaning, hopefully safe in the dryer, and preferably no ironing. Two things have helped me dress up my wardrobe a bit:

First was discovering that many dress pants are actually easier to care for than more casual non-jean pants. Khakis usually need ironing, but my black dress pants from the Limited and Express don't. (Don't get pants with pleats or creases, just simple ones. You can tell which ones won't need ironing because they're not as stiff.) I just wear them with the solid-color, fitted t-shirts everyone has been mentioning.

Second was deciding to just leave my ironing board set up in an out-of-the-way spot in my home. I still hide it away when company comes over, but on any given weekday I'm a lot more likely to iron something if the ironing board and iron are already out. It's surprisingly quick and not nearly as annoying as I had thought, now that I don't have to wrestle all the equipment out of the hall closet. And, plain solid T's look remarkably better when ironed, even if you didn't think they looked wrinkly to begin with. It's amazing.
posted by vytae at 9:16 AM on October 14

Seconding the shoes. Well fitting jeans (preferably slacks, but you can get away with jeans more and more these days) and a sleek shirt can go nearly anywhere if you've got the right shoes.

I have two pairs of casual Clarks that are cute and colorful, some black fuck me pumps that look great with my skinny jeans, and assorted flat sneakers, plus the flip flops, and a few pairs of strappy heels. I'm planning to spring for some Born or some Clarks walking shoes in red or brown.

If you can hold off another month and a half or so to do the buying on this wardrobe restyle, you can get the bulk of it in the days right after Thanksgiving for super extra cheap. (Unless you're not in America, then you'll need to figure out when you're huge pre-holiday sales are.) We're talking Banana Republic Pants for $20 a pair instead of $100.

Just be sure to try things on before then. That way you can make notes on the cuts and sizes that treat you best in each store and then just swoop through the crowds to purchase the things that work well on your body, without having to deal with the dressing room madness. (Martin fit from Banana Republic is a staple in my wardrobe, but I have no reason to pay $98 for a pair. But since I know that, I also don't have to wait in line with all the other people who need to try their pants on. I just grab them and run for the register.)

Also, as dorky as this is, I'd recommend having a signature. For me it's colorful handknit socks. For some it's a neck scarf and for others its just a ring that they know they're wearing and nobody will ever notice. But don't be the woman wearing the sequin covered Keds and hats that match.
posted by bilabial at 9:24 AM on October 14

Oh my gosh, this info is literally so helpful. I'm the type that needs to be told "That matches that" and I've never accessorized, ever. Thanks for the website suggestions...

I work in public radio, so literally the only people who see me on a daily basis are my coworkers....so I'm not too concerned about mismatching here or there...but yes! A place to start! Whoo hoo! Thanks!!!
posted by melodykramer at 9:37 AM on October 14

Sites that might appeal to your aesthetic are Athelta and Title 9. They do have workout clothes, but they also have very interesting casual clothes for people who don't want to fuss with their appearance much. They're not cheap, but you could pick up one or two distinctive pieces there. would totally fit in with NPR vibe.
posted by micawber at 10:16 AM on October 14

Seconding Athleta - it's currently my favorite catalog, and is what I'd hand to someone who said "I'd like to look sporty-chic".
posted by catlet at 11:34 AM on October 14 [1 favorite]