Suppose I never changed my clothes again

July 27, 2017 4:56 PM

A few years ago I bought this Athleta dress from a consignment shop for $11, and it's become one of the most versatile items of clothing I own. It doesn't wrinkle, it still looks (and smells!) good after I've worn it for a week straight in a pinch, and it's washable. I can wear it to work, I can stuff it in my bag when I'm traveling, and it's neutral enough that I can easily dress it up or down. Help me find more clothes like this!

Merino wool sometimes works this way, but it seems to depend on the style of knit/weave of the garment in question. "Sporty" athletic clothes sometimes do, too, but I hate looking like I'm at the gym when I'm not.

For the sake of this question let's assume price doesn't matter. Realistically, I'm probably not going to spend more than $100 or so on a single garment. (And even that feels crazy, but for good quality clothes that I can get lots of use out of, I can justify it.)

posted by tapir-whorf to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (17 answers total)

Look for clothing for travel and outdoor activities. Athleta, Prana, Toad & Co, Eddie Bauer, REI all carry items that should fit your criteria.
posted by florencetnoa at 5:09 PM on July 27, 2017 [4 favorites]

My friend pretty much never takes of her Prana Quinn dresses. They don't wrinkle, they don't smell, and they're way comfortable. Good for a hike or a flight or a cocktail.
posted by Grandysaur at 5:15 PM on July 27, 2017

See also: Title Nine. (Some of the offerings from these companies can be found at discount at Sierra Trading Post.)
posted by Iris Gambol at 5:29 PM on July 27, 2017 [5 favorites]

Most of the clothing at Betabrand.com will be what you want but more expensive. I signed up for their mailing list and buy an item whenever there is a deep discount.
posted by tofu_crouton at 5:35 PM on July 27, 2017 [1 favorite]

This dress is fulfilling that role for me, but may not work for you because it's less fitted. It's not as high quality construction and won't last as long, but it's cheap and doesn't wrinkle or smell.
posted by metasarah at 5:37 PM on July 27, 2017

Arcteryx's Contenta dress is my jam; my local store knows that every season when it's released in a different color, they need to hold back one of each for me.
posted by evoque at 5:37 PM on July 27, 2017 [2 favorites]

So I have the same thing -- Boden makes a very similar dress that I ended up buying in every color and I have been living in them in the summers, travel with them, can wear to work out on the town, or around my kids and they can vomit on me and its easy to wash! I bought them literally five years ago they last. They may be pricey but last. I wore them through my pregnancies too (first trimester).
posted by SanSebastien at 5:52 PM on July 27, 2017 [8 favorites]

Patagonia for sure has a similar dress. If you're near an REI they'll have this stuff from all the outdoor type retailers.
posted by k8t at 6:01 PM on July 27, 2017

Seconding the Boden Margot dress. I have its predecessor, the Casual Weekend dress, and it is my favorite dress in the world, hands down. And it has pockets.
posted by danielle the bee at 6:11 PM on July 27, 2017 [2 favorites]

I have a Royal Robbins "Essential Rollover Skirt" that packs well & never wrinkles. REI usually has a couple different colors/prints available in-store. I found it runs large, though, so I'd suggest ordering a size smaller than you'd normally get.
posted by belladonna at 6:36 PM on July 27, 2017

The Chico's Travelers line is all about this. So is pretty much everything sold by Travelsmith.
posted by phoenixy at 9:29 PM on July 27, 2017

I have an Ibex light summer weight merino dress that is like that. This one is not the same style as mine, but it's similar to the one you linked to.

I also have two Chlorophylle Nova dresses and they are fantastic for travel and look nice enough to wear to work. This particular print is on sale right now, with free shipping for orders over $100 CAD.

The Chlorophylle Betty Dress might work for you too.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 9:51 PM on July 27, 2017 [1 favorite]

Nau is a smaller active lifestyle brand that has dresses like this. I have the M2 Hooddress from a prior season, bought massively on sale; it's extremely versatile and has more or less held up, quality-wise.
posted by batter_my_heart at 12:27 AM on July 28, 2017

I just bought two versions of this dress from Toad & Co. I bought one first at a local store and then about four days later I purchased a second one online. So far, I love it. It have one discreet but large pocket and I'd forgotten how much I love, love, love having pockets in a dress. I have been wearing them both A LOT.
posted by pie_seven at 5:00 AM on July 28, 2017 [2 favorites]

And the Betabrand 30 Day Dress is actually on sale right now! I have one and love it, so I just got one in a different color.
posted by tofu_crouton at 7:57 AM on July 28, 2017 [3 favorites]

search on ebay - I just did "athletha nectar dress small" - lots come up.
posted by luciecee at 8:25 AM on July 28, 2017

I bought this Aster Tie the Knot dress last year from Eddie Bauer based on a mefi rec. Love it! Always gets compliments, never wrinkles, extremely flattering. Minus 20 points for no pockets, though.
posted by freezer cake at 9:47 AM on July 28, 2017 [1 favorite]