Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with clothes

Help me get a navy blazer

ersatz — Thu, 16 May 2013 08:47:39 -0800

I had my heart set on this blazer, but it turned out to look different when I saw it in person. Any recommendations for places to get a similar-style blazer in the same price range? I'm a man in London.

Who decides that everyone will be wearing the same color for 3 months?

herbplarfegan — Thu, 09 May 2013 10:22:16 -0800

Everyone is wearing mint green as of spring. EVERYONE. How does this happen? Is there a fashion counsel in a dark room, like at the beginning of Zoolander, where they confer? Do they review which colors are in surplus and push those, like the specials on a restaurant menu?

This is the first time that I have ever noticed a color overtly and aggressively saturating every corner of the sartorial landscape. My guess would be that it's actually happened every season of my life and this just happens to be the most eye-catching color-- lots of contrast and such.

What in general (in the sense that this has indeed always happened) and specifically (in the sense that mint green was chosen to cover every human frame for Spring 2013) is going on here?

if it matters: I live in Seattle, I'm not remotely 'inside baseball' about fashion, & I'm a 35 year old male.

Weird Jacket that slid ur phone into your hand.

rmathew1 — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 22:57:42 -0800

I read this a LONG time ago, a jacket where you could snap ur wrist (or some other hand geuster/movement) and it cause ur phone (stored in the sleeve) to drop right into ur hand. It was awesome if slightly risky and I'd like to take a look at it again. Anyone know of it? Or something similar?

Best shops near République in Paris?

Calicatt — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 08:11:26 -0800

Bonjour! I am heading to Paris tomorrow, and would like to spend a little of my time there shopping. I am not a fashonista but like to look really sharp for my job. Know of any secret gems? For once in my life, I actually have some money to spend and am going to a place which is known for being a good shopping location. I'd like to find shops with clothes that will look good and last, not necessarily brand names or "high end," but clothes of really good quality materials and well-made. I'm on the higher end of the size scale (12-14 US), but have a fairly standard shoe size. I tend to buy petite if I can.

Obviously, one of the pleasures is just wandering around and looking, but I don't want to miss a gem of a store just because I didn't like their window display at the time.

Merci!

Travel clothes for summer in Europe

OrangeDisk — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 10:54:52 -0800

I am a woman, live in the U.S., and I'm planning several trips to Europe over the next 3 years. They will be about 10 days to 2 weeks long, and will be in warmer months (spring, summer or fall). When I travel domestically, I always take just one bag (sometimes I take a second "personal item"). I need help thinking about what clothes I should take that will fit within these constraints. I am a plus-size woman, so that makes this more of a challenge. I want to find a small number of clothing items that will work for warm-weather touristing in Europe. I am happy to do my own laundry in the sink while I'm there. Most "travel clothes" won't work for me because they either don't come in plus sizes or they are made from non-breathable fabrics, which I know from hard experience will cause me serious chafing and overheating.

The trips I'm planning are for pleasure, not business, and although I'm traveling light, I won't be "back packing" -- I will be staying in small hotels, not hostels.

Can you help me think about what sorts of clothes I should be looking for? What sorts of fabrics will dry fast and also be breathable? I'd also like to not look completely like a tourist all the time, but comfort and packing light is more important to me than looking fab. Recommendations for specific items, brands or fabrics are welcome. I want to spend some time getting the right pieces -- I don't want to buy a ton of stuff all at once.

To give you an idea of me: My usual style is pretty minimal -- a below-the-knee black skirt or blue jeans, a decent shirt (often one of these), a scarf or a piece of statement jewelry. I'll be going minimal with the jewelry on these trips.

I've already got a bag I like, and I'm not yet ready to think about shoes. For now I'm just trying to focus on clothes.

Help me keep my pants from falling down at the office. Belt edition.

tulip-socks — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 15:32:24 -0800

I need to buy myself one black "professional belt," maybe a brown one too. Leather or pretend leather is fine, but I'd rather not get that "foil" stuff that flakes off or wrinkles after two uses. The quality of belts at Marshall's and Ross is disappointing (Rhinestones! Faux snake print! Not Professional!) For me, "professional" means plain. Boring. More boring probably than professional shoes means to the world. Poking fun at myself here. Obviously I'm bad at shopping. And I have more of a What Would a Nerd Wear or Outfit Posts sense of style than straight up matchy matchy pants and jacket wardrobe.

What are the buzzwords that suggest actual quality in a belt? What are the buzzwords that will alert me that I might be purchasing crap? What belt have you bought that has held up well? How dumb is a reversible belt? I know nothing. Maybe belts go on sale at some point in the year. If so, I could maybe wait until that time.

Because I don't have a car, this mythical belt needs to be available online and cost less than $50. So much the better if it's eligible for free super saver shipping an amazon. I am a temp, and my job stability plus some medical bills mean belts outside of my budget will make me cry.

I have some pants with belt loops. And I want to wear them. Which means I need a belt for the office. My current belts are two of those trendy skinny belts, which don't really work with regular sized loops (and actually, I can't figure out how to wear them at all. One is navy and the other is sort of a pale lavendery silver.) and I have a woven hemp belt that is more Summer on the Cape than I would wear to ANY job.

Recommendations for dressing out of a backpack?

the brave tetra-pak — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 12:06:18 -0800

For the next two months (possibly longer) I need to live/work out of one bag. I'll be traveling for most of that time, with places to stay (no need for a sleeping bag or the like). What I need to figure out is clothing. I'm bad at clothes. I know there are great wicking fabrics and lightweight travel garments out there, and that they're improving all the time. (I'm ready to do sink laundry every evening.) As of spring 2013, how can I best use my 26 liters of space to keep myself clad? Inspired by Andrew Hyde (the "fifteen things" guy) -- and looking ahead to a period in my life with stuff in storage, no fixed address, and a constant travel schedule -- I'm trying to see how simple but functional I can get. I've got a backpack, the Goruck GR1, which holds 26 liters. I've got a very small laptop+charger, an old Kindle, a little bag of toiletries and cables and stuff. The rest of the space can be clothes (given that I'll be wearing some of them on any given day). I'm hoping to get specific recommendations -- ideally things I can mail order since right now I live well outside a city. A few details:

1. This travel is going to cover the late spring and summer only -- some of it at higher latitudes, with chilly nights, but I don't need to have a four season wardrobe in this bag.
2. I'm not anticipating any formal situations, but there will be a few meetings where I'd like to look normal-ish, and not like I just summited K2 or raided a compound in my tactical vest. Unobtrusive, I guess. (Also, I have it on the authority of a dear friend that I can't use those zip-off short/pants ("the spork of garments") or our friendship will be imperiled.)
3. I'm a tall skinny guy, if that makes any difference.

The rough list I put together: t-shirts (2?), pants, shorts, socks, underwear, longsleeve shirt (button-down?), longsleeve layer (like a sweater or something), and maybe a jacket that compresses very small. Any particular recommendations for those? Anything I'm forgetting, or that you would recommend otherwise?

Thanks so much for your help.

What's the deal with levi's being so different?

gregjunior — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 14:16:06 -0800

I bought a pair of Levi 559 jeans at the Levi outlet store in Arizona about a year ago. I love them as they are stretchy which conforms better to me and ultra comfortable. However, in searching for similar materials at stores all over, I cannot find the same material and fit with the same 559's! My question is why this happens, why some jeans at say Macy's aren't the same size, fit and of a different material at say Penney's and how you deal with this as someone who hates to try on clothes? Thanks!

Recommendations for a truly invisible deodorant?

foxy_hedgehog — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 09:28:15 -0800

Woman here looking for a truly invisible deodorant that won't come off on my clothing. Most of the so-called "invisible" (or advertised as such) ones go on clear but leave white streaks all over my clothing when I take off tight dresses, shirts, etc, leaving me scrubbing out the stains and aggravated. Any ideas?

Sources for plus-sized hiking/travel/comfortable pants for cycling?

rhiannonstone — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 23:30:17 -0800

I live in jeans and on my bicycle. I don't mind biking in jeans for short distances, but I'm finding myself doing a lot more bike riding in situations where I need something more presentable and versatile than bike shorts, skorts, or yoga-type pants, but more comfortable than jeans. (And it's not my bottom that's the issue, so wearing padded liner shorts under my jeans is not the solution I'm looking for.) The obvious answer here is pants designed for traveling and hiking, but I'm having a hard time finding any in my size (2X). I found some cargo pants at Old Navy that looked promising, but even though they're in my size they don't fit because they're super low-rise. REI has exactly one pair of plus-sized adventure travel pants and I have them, but I'd like more options. Do you have a recommendation for comfortable hiking/travel pants in plus sizes?

Give me your online clothes shopping gems!

catatethebird — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 20:00:20 -0800

I wanna do some online clothes shopping - please recommend your favorite quirky, trendy, CHEAP places to buy women's clothes online. Please share your favorite places to shop for clothes online - budget is a main concern, so I'm looking for places that have great deals, but then, I will splurge for something truly awesome. I am female, late 20's, though I think I tend to dress young for my age. I like trendy, quirky, unique, and even downright weird sometimes. Love bright colors. I'd say I am more hipster than hippie. I don't really go for preppy or conservative, at times I even enjoy styles leaning toward what you might find at Hot Topic, though I prefer clothing that is more unique. I love vintage and thrift stores. The stores I gravitate to at the local malls are Charlotte Russe, H&M, Wet Seal, Viktor Viktoria, Urban Outfitters...but I have pretty broad tastes. I am curvy, but not plus size. Usually wear between an 8 and 14 (US) depending on brand.

What I'm really looking for by shopping online is great deals. I like lots of stuff on Mod Cloth, but find it rather pricey. So please, tell me your best online stores, or even Etsy or EBay sellers.

Thanks savvy-shopping MeFites!

Bonus: I am also a lover of shoes!

Hiking pants for very cold temps

mnemonic — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 18:53:57 -0800

What pants do people wear for very cold (0 °F / -18 °C, and colder) weather hiking? Just rain shell pants and wool long underwear? Surely there are insulated pants suitable for hiking? I tried some insulated snowboarding pants (North Face Freedom) but they were too baggy for walking. I would like to know what pants you recommend for hiking in very cold temperatures, insulated or not.

"Nice-looking elastic-waist women's dress pants" - oxymoron?

sunshine37 — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 09:32:18 -0800

I am looking for black, elastic-waist, inexpensive, "business casual" women's dress pants, available in the US and preferably online. I am looking for black, elastic-waist, inexpensive, "business casual" women's dress pants, available in the US and preferably online. Size 14/16 (with large waist) so both straight and plus size suggestions welcome. I like these and these, but would prefer some in the $50 or less (ideally around $25-$30, if that's even possible). Thanks for your help!

Putting together my interview outfit

peacheater — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 18:55:30 -0800

I think I have all the pieces for my interview outfit. Can you help me put them together appropriately? Me: Female, 5'7'' Size 8, curvy, transitioning from academia to industry
The job: Actuarial position at an insurance company

Suit: Tailored suit in charcoal grey, wool, pant suit (I also have the matching pencil skirt, but think I would prefer to wear the pants, and they appear to be perfectly acceptable).
Shirt: I have button downs in pale blue, white and pink. I am leaning towards the blue as this goes best with my complexion (which is warm). Actually none of these colors is ideal and I would prefer to wear a mustard silk button-down blouse or navy printed button-down silk blouse, which I also have, but I think these are more daring choices and am leaning towards being conservative for an interview.

Shoes: I am having some trouble deciding on these. I have the following shoes: these ankle boots and these black pumps. When wearing my suit pants, the boots despite their look on the Zappos site, show a fairly neat profile (i.e. only the front part of the foot is seen) but it is possible that a tiny bit of the zipper may be seen. Do you think this is unprofessional for an interview? These are very practical shoes that I wear regularly with the pants I'll be wearing for the interview.

My other option is the black pumps -- these are new shoes that I bought for this purpose, but my pants are probably a bit too short for them as currently tailored. (I have actually just given them to the tailor to take down half an inch so that they'd even work with the boots.) Also I am much more comfortable in the heel height of the boots as opposed to the pumps. They're quite comfortable, but that's "comfortable for heels" not comfortable in general.

Finally I could go with neither of these, return the black pumps and buy these pumps, which are a lower heel height.

Bag: The only appropriate tote I have right now has a broken zipper, so I am thinking of getting something like this briefbag. Would this be appropriate? Any other suggestions?

Thanks for the help!

What do anatomic pathologists wear to work in Omaha and Tampa?

nadise — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 00:17:11 -0800

I'm visiting pathology labs for work, and want to be respectful of the workplace attire. I've seen a couple of labs in California, where jeans are practically the dress code in every industry. Traveling to Omaha this week and Tampa next week. What to wear? Additional details, in case they matter: we're talking about anatomic pathologists who practice in clinical settings; typically hospitals. From experience, some wear lab coats and others don't -- I'm less interested in what they're wearing, and more interested in what I should be wearing.

I'm female, and not part of the healthcare industry. It will be cold in Omaha, and warm in Tampa.

Help me CMA.

Currer Belfry — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 09:11:22 -0800

Recovering Spanx addict and emerging caftan woman needs to look professional at work. Snowstorm inside. I've put on a bit of weight which is not likely to come off any time soon despite my best efforts. Oh well, I'm older than I used to be. Not looking for suggestions in that area.

So I'm slowly replacing my old wardrobe, much of which relied on cinched waists, Spanx, and tucked-in tops, with looser and more comfortable clothing - meaning no tight waistbands. Even if I lose the weight I'm fine with dressing comfortably for the rest of my natural days.

If I could wear knee-length sweaters and leggings for the rest of my life, I would. However, I still want to look professional and attractive at work.

I love J. Jill's spring collection of French terry pants as well as their thigh-skimming, lightly flared and feminine sweaters and tunics. I also picked up this dress which will be just ducky over leggings, or bare-legged in the summer.

Why do I love these things?

No fitted waistlines. The pants have a wide elastic band at the top.

No visibility for either my butt or my upper thighs.

The pants are loose-legged and are somewhat ironable (i.e. NOT PRIMARILY RAYON) but they are pants, not leggings. I doubt that I will have to iron much, if at all. This is very important because I hate wrinkled pants with the fire of a thousand suns but I hate ironing pants even more. I will never buy another pair of pants with a cute little crease in the front ever again.

The tunics and sweaters are cut really nicely so they flow instead of drooping.

I would love some suggestions for items from other stores that I might like. J. Jill is great but I'd like to mix things up a bit.

Bonus points for vivid colors in tops or dresses like purple or blue. I think I've hit my celadon and black quotas for the spring.

Empire-waist dresses that hit below the knee are also A-OK. No smalll fussy prints, though, if possible.

U.S. size 10-12, medium at J. Jill. For budget, think J. Jill and Talbot.

THANK YOU.

I need helping identifying the era of this photograph.

lbo — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:24:40 -0800

I was given some photographs of old relatives that were found in a box in my great-grandfather's house after he passed away. All but one photo is someone I can identify. I have no information on that one photo, which is of an old woman standing on a path in front of a farmhouse. I'd like to at least get an idea of the era so I can begin narrowing down the identify of the woman. Here is a scan of the photograph.

The copy I was given appears to be a printed version of a scan. I don't know anything about the physical condition of the original photograph.

Since it came from my maternal grandmother's parents, I can at least narrow down the potential lines of ancestry to two. The photograph was probably taken in either southern Virginia (specifically the Brunswick County/Lunenburg County area) or in Surry County, North Carolina.

My grandmother believes it was her great-grandmother. So her great-grandmothers' information:

1. Lived 1839 - 1931; She was born in Indiana but was living in North Carolina by 1880;
2. Lived 1854 - 1930; She spent her whole life in the area of Brunswick/Lunenburg/Nottoway counties in Virginia.
3. We're not totally positive here. The best candidate I have is a woman born in either 1863 or 1866. No idea when she may have died, but she lived in Lynchburg/Campbell County, Virginia.
4. We know nothing about the fourth, but she probably lived in the Surry County region.

Anything you may be able to offer her would be great based on the clothes or style of photograph. There isn't much else to go on from the photo, unfortunately.

I've got my grandmother's educated guess, the ancestry I know, and some guesses. Otherwise, I've got nothing.

What color clothing should I wear to downplay blotchiness from acne?

zeri — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:08:32 -0800

I have some redness and scarring on my face left over from old acne. I know there are colors which bring out other colors, and colors which do the opposite, but I have no clue how this works. For example, a friend told me I shouldn't wear yellowish-green clothes with my complexion. What color clothes should I (a) wear to minimize the appearance of redness, and (b) avoid? (I'm white, male, brown hair, blue-green eyes, if any of that info helps.)

Do not congratulate me. I'm just fat.

bluemoonegg — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 18:24:05 -0800

Where do I find clothes that fit and don't make me look pregnant? Maybe I'm the only woman shaped like this, but I hope not. I'm tall (6ft) but not exactly curvy. I am heavier than I should be and carry that weight mostly in the belly. It's a source of acute humiliation for me and makes me feel less feminine. I'm actively working on the weight problem.

It seems like clothes for tall women aren't cut for my shape and clothes for plus size women expect me to be busty and have hips. Anything empire-waisted makes me look 6 months pregnant. Why is everything empire-waisted??? Tunic-like or flowy styles means getting the same pregnancy question. I've squeezed myself into many kinds of body shapers/undergarments that try to pull in the fat bits and pad out the smaller bits just to get something to fit. Then I wear plus-size pieces and clearly don't fill them out properly. It's uncomfortable and looks terrible.

To add to the problem, I think my torso is a bit longer than most so things are that are meant to be at my waist end up sitting higher. In the meantime I'm tired of not having anything that fits. So tired. So tired of telling people I'm not pregnant (I'm 50!) and that's it's just "all me" and that I had my kids years ago.

So, custom-made clothes? Recommendations for shops? I want things with a waist, maybe a pretty dress. I really don't want dowdy but that's exactly how I feel every day.

Medieval Chinese Apparel - Keeping Food in your Sleeves

facetious — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 14:51:11 -0800

So I'm reading the 17th-Century Chinese novel "The Plum in the Golden Vase" - which, by the way, is incredibly good - and I'm having trouble picturing something. Throughout the book, the men keep hiding/storing/carrying things in their sleeves - and not little things, either - like, entire dishes of food and large quantities of silver money. How did this work? Shot in the dark question, thanks for any insight.

Safe storage of clothing in under-stair cupboard with fuse box

tel3path — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 05:48:35 -0800

I learned today that it's dangerous to store combustibles such as clothing near the fuse box or electrical intake. I keep my off-season wardrobe under the stairs, and the electrical intake/fuse box is also under the stairs. How far away do I need to keep this stuff? What is a safe distance? Is it feasible to use compact-o-stuff vacuum bags to reduce the crowding in the understair cupboard? I have been storing my out-of-season wardrobe under the stairs. We also have our electrical intake, meter, fuse box, etc. under the stairs. The boxes of clothes come up very close to the fuse box.

I learned today that storing clothes this near the electrical intake is a fire hazard. I need to store them further away, but how far is far enough? An inch? Six inches? A foot away?

Even if it's safe to store them fairly close, the electrical equipment takes up quite a lot of the space along one wall of the understair cupboard, so I'm still looking at getting rid of half my stuff. There is no other suitable storage space anywhere in the house.

I see that most MeFites have had bad experiences with vacuum compact-o-stuff bags. Is it really unfeasible to compact the space the clothing takes up by sealing them into those bags?

Yes but how do you WEAR the clothing?

like_a_friend — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 09:24:04 -0800

Help me to wear the things I own without looking like a Wilson Phillips video! I have finally begun restocking my wardrobe after a fairly substantial weight loss (~25lbs off a small, 5'2" frame), and I've noticed on the websites for many stores that the models are shown with shirts --both button-down and t-shirts-- tucked in. I have not tucked a shirt into anything since a job interview in 2004.

At first I assumed this was for the sake of showing the customer what the pants look like at the waist, and possibly to sell cute belts. But having seen it so often, I'm wondering if things actually are supposed to be worn that way these days!

Are my untucked ways dating me in the style world? Most of my friends are full-on LOVING their inner 90s children these days, so they're not accurate gauges. If I am supposed to tuck things in, how do I keep them from looking lumpy or too blousy (especially t-shirts)?

So, to tuck or not to tuck? Relevant details:
--Lady-person, early 30s.
--I'm mostly pairing plain vintage t-shirts or tailored button-downs with a series of skinny jeans/corduroys.
--I don't work in a professional environment, so this is about casual wear norms.
--I don't know what my torso "type" is, but I do have quite a bit of boobage going on, which I prefer to disguise rather than accentuate.
--My aesthetic tends toward something I think of as Elder Hipster (e.g., I own many Converse sneakers but zero ear gauges, and my glasses are non-ironic. For Parks and Rec fans: somewhere in between April Ludgate and Ann Perkins.)

ISO comfortable, non-bulky, water-resistant shoes

rhiannonstone — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 16:33:06 -0800

I'll be traveling to the northeast next week and I've realized that I don't own any shoes that are remotely suitable for trapising about on the cold, potentially snowy or slushy sidewalks of Boston. When I lived there I wore my Dr. Martens everywhere and they were great, but I've since learned that they don't play nicely with my issue-prone feet, and anyway I need something that will be comfortable to wear for long periods of time and not particularly bulky, which puts most snow or combat-type boots out. I know this is kind of a silly question, but I'm really stumped as to where to start looking. So, residents of similar climes, what do you wear on your feet that keeps them relatively warm and dry but still fairly comfortable? Suggestions for specific models and brands or general types welcome.

Interview Outfit Help

Anonymous — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 11:57:56 -0800

I have a job interview next Friday. Yay! But I have questions about what is a setting-appropriate choice. I am thrilled to have scheduled an interview for a creative position at a startup company. I am conflicted about what to wear. Two options I'm considering are:

A chic ponté knit dress in a solid color with a vintagey, complementary blazer and riding boots or cute shoes
Said vintagey blazer with a matching skirt (so, a suit) with a shell and cute shoes

Do either of these sound appropriate? Any other suggestions? I want to dress professionally and respect the formality of the occasion without seeming stuffy.

I've got to change my ways, dress for business every day

divined by radio — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 09:23:12 -0800

Cluelessly-dressed 30-year-old office-working lady here. I have come to the conclusion that it is in my best interest to start leaning much more toward the business side of business casual on a daily basis. Professional women/fashion mavens of Metafilter, could you lend me a hand with these business wear-related queries? To wit:
* What does your average working woman wear to help project an air of earnest, unshakable strength and confidence (à la Michelle Obama, if Michelle Obama was 5 feet tall and secretly terrified of everything)?
* Where does she shop to find these items, please say thrift stores?
* Any reliable brands that I might try to specifically seek out at thrift stores, especially brands well-known for making high-quality petite clothing?
* Are there any tried-and-true wardrobe selections that I can buy once and then make them look good paired with almost anything?
* What is a good basic set of professional gear (ex: 3 skirts, 3 pairs of slacks, 5 shirts, 1 pair of flats, 1 pair of *twitch* kitten heels, &c.)?

After experiencing unsettling epiphanies in these threads, as well as the sudden realization that I have spent nearly 15 years being perpetually underdressed, I figure it's time for a wardrobe sea change.

My parents did not work, so I never got the whole 'received wisdom about what adults wear to their adult jobs' thing. To give you an idea of where I'm coming from, at age 15, I was reprimanded by my first employer for wearing my super-sweet Hot Topic bondage pants to the office because I didn't quite grasp the first part of "business casual," and things have not gotten a whole lot better in the intervening years.

Current appearance: I am very petite, like easily-fits-into-childrens'-clothing petite. Fair-skinned, lots of freckles, typical black-framed glasses, pretty much covered in tattoos. Close-cropped dark hair sprinkled liberally with silver, zero cleavage, obsessed with being mega-sparkly-clean 24/7/365 and always smelling like I sleep underneath the counter at LUSH. I am not infrequently presumed to be and subsequently addressed as a man, but whatever; "feminine" (ugh) clothes are OK but not a must. If I had to describe my existing personal style, it would probably be something like "miniature goth librarian." In an ideal world, I could wear the same suit and tie to work every day and just be done with this nonsense already; sadly, this is not that world. I hate shopping for clothes more than I have ever hated anything in life. Every second inside of a clothing store is pure torture for me.

Yay!: Below-the-knee tapered skirts, sweater tights layered over colored regular tights, cardigans, button-up dress shirts, pinstripes, suits, peacoats, simple silver jewelry, cerulean blue or navy green with brown, maroon with dark grey, otherwise all black everything, Doc Martens.

Nay!: Long dresses/"flowy" skirts, anything with flowers on it, roughly 90% of prints, anything that could even vaguely be construed as "pink" or "pinkish" in hue, anything white/beige or pastel, pantyhose or "control top" anything, any type of vest, open-toe anything, any shoe with a heel taller than maybe 1/2", any outfit that involves a belt that serves no purpose except as a fashion accoutrement. Also, makeup -- nary a dab. Not happenin'.

Normally, how I dress wouldn't even register on my radar screen as long as I felt tidy and presentable, but I am lucky enough to be on a rather highly sought-after career track and have been at the same company for 11 years with minimal upward movement (but the world's best co-workers). Thankfully, I just got a promotion that could definitely turn into something more.
As such, I would like to sartorially beam out a message that my ideas should be heard, considered, and respected, damn it, even though I don't have a high school diploma and started out here as a data entry clerk.

Thoughts, tips, suggestions, words of advice or caution as I attempt to more pointedly approach the career ladder?

These previous questions are along the lines of what I'm looking for, with exceptions: one (but I like wearing grey!), two (there is no way I could ever afford to shop at Nordstrom), three (lists books instead of brands/stores), four (not my body type), five (ditto).
These previous questions were very helpful but less specific than what I am hoping to find out here: one, two, three.

Thank you so much for any suggestions or help you might be able to provide!