Sometimes I have to leave the house.
October 22, 2015 5:34 AM Subscribe
Ladyclothesfilter: My style has always been pretty eclectic, and now that I'm thirty I'd like to look a little more put together at work and in general when I leave the house. I used to love ModCloth, but lately when I look at their site I feel like I'm looking at something meant for my kid sister. Where do I shop now?
I also have a slightly nicer job now, and would like to focus on building a wardrobe of pieces that will last a while, rather than picking up crap from Target. However, my tech industry workplace is ubercasual, like jeans and a hoodie for the dudes casual, and so I need to look put together without also looking snooty or like I don't get the culture. It is a weird line to walk and I can't quite figure it out yet. (Tips appreciated.) Basically I just want to wear something that is polished and yet forgettable, so people focus on my work and not on what I'm wearing.
I tried Boden (kind of too old!) and Shabby Apple (mostly dresses). LL Bean and its ilk lasts a long time and is good quality, I know, but I find that their stuff is not cut stylishly and doesn't fit the way I want it to.
Let's say I am willing to spend $75-$150 per piece. Where can I buy long-lasting, classic-yet-stylish clothing for slightly-less-young ladies made with quality in mind?
I also have a slightly nicer job now, and would like to focus on building a wardrobe of pieces that will last a while, rather than picking up crap from Target. However, my tech industry workplace is ubercasual, like jeans and a hoodie for the dudes casual, and so I need to look put together without also looking snooty or like I don't get the culture. It is a weird line to walk and I can't quite figure it out yet. (Tips appreciated.) Basically I just want to wear something that is polished and yet forgettable, so people focus on my work and not on what I'm wearing.
I tried Boden (kind of too old!) and Shabby Apple (mostly dresses). LL Bean and its ilk lasts a long time and is good quality, I know, but I find that their stuff is not cut stylishly and doesn't fit the way I want it to.
Let's say I am willing to spend $75-$150 per piece. Where can I buy long-lasting, classic-yet-stylish clothing for slightly-less-young ladies made with quality in mind?
Nordstrom.
posted by Sublimity at 5:46 AM on October 22, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by Sublimity at 5:46 AM on October 22, 2015 [5 favorites]
Best answer: I am similar to you, style-wise, and at this point most of my wardrobe is from Loft, with occasional pieces from real Ann Taylor, the Limited, Boden (you do have to be picky with their stuff) and Anthro. Loft is not going to be quite up to your price range, but I feel like their clothes last forever - there is so much stuff in my closet that I've been wearing for ten years.
posted by goodbyewaffles at 5:53 AM on October 22, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by goodbyewaffles at 5:53 AM on October 22, 2015 [3 favorites]
I work in tech, and my go to are some really nice black jeans (or slacks if jeans are too casual for you) and button downs with cute flats.
It looks pretty together while also no seeming overdressed in jeans and t shirt land.
posted by KernalM at 5:53 AM on October 22, 2015
It looks pretty together while also no seeming overdressed in jeans and t shirt land.
posted by KernalM at 5:53 AM on October 22, 2015
I've had really good luck at the Garment District in Cambridge. Nordstrom is my jam and it sometimes shows up in the by-the-pound piles.
posted by Don Pepino at 5:53 AM on October 22, 2015
posted by Don Pepino at 5:53 AM on October 22, 2015
Best answer: Try the "L.L. Bean Signature" line. Everlane. Zara's less crappy quality stuff.
posted by kmennie at 5:58 AM on October 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by kmennie at 5:58 AM on October 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Second vote for Anthropologie. Not conservative, beautiful, contemporary and stylish. Check out their website.
posted by zagyzebra at 6:00 AM on October 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by zagyzebra at 6:00 AM on October 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
[please forgive a man talking, but i find this stuff interesting] i'd suggest moving more towards black - black pants/jeans, shirt - that you can still wear some of the more eclectic stuff over the top. that keeps some continuity in your style, and helps with the casual, while building a more chic base. if you see what i mean.
posted by andrewcooke at 6:16 AM on October 22, 2015
posted by andrewcooke at 6:16 AM on October 22, 2015
Best answer: Polished but forgettable sounds like J.Crew to me. A lot of tops and pants are in your budget even at their full price but lots of stuff goes on sale plus there is almost always a 25-40% coupon going if you buy online.
posted by car s at 6:19 AM on October 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by car s at 6:19 AM on October 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
The quality can be hit or miss (I don't buy t-shirts or thin knits there anymore) but Madewell fits the bill for me. My style could probably be described as elevated jeans and hoodie -- the kind of thing where I never feel overdressed, but people who care to notice such things see that my clothing fits well, has interesting or clever details, and is generally aesthetically pleasing. For t-shirts and their ilk I think Everlane is your best bet (they're also the source of my holy grail backpack).
posted by telegraph at 6:27 AM on October 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by telegraph at 6:27 AM on October 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
Nordstrom. Banana republic. Ann Taylor.
posted by Green Eyed Monster at 6:27 AM on October 22, 2015
posted by Green Eyed Monster at 6:27 AM on October 22, 2015
Best answer: Joe Fresh (especially for their silk shirts) and Uniqlo.
Agreed with mixing in JCrew, Anthro & Ann Taylor judiciously.
posted by veery at 6:35 AM on October 22, 2015 [5 favorites]
Agreed with mixing in JCrew, Anthro & Ann Taylor judiciously.
posted by veery at 6:35 AM on October 22, 2015 [5 favorites]
I've had really good luck with Uniqlo, which is apparently expanding its US operation and will soon have stores in lots of big cities. They're a Japanese company, and their niche is that, whereas other low-priced clothes companies spend their money on making sure that their designs are up-to-the-minute trendy, Uniqlo designs their clothes a year out and then spends their money on fabric and materials. So the clothes are not copies of the latest runway trends, which is really not something I care about, but the fabric is a little nicer. It's a little below your price point, and you might be looking for something a bit more upscale, but I've had good luck there with basics.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 6:41 AM on October 22, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 6:41 AM on October 22, 2015 [3 favorites]
I'd either do nice stuff with a dress-down piece (e.g., blazer in sweatshirt material, vest, comfy shoes) or more casual stuff (jeans / nice tshirt) with a dress-up piece (nice shoes, necklace). Then just pick a few color palettes and stick with them. (I'm basically olive green, navy, maroon, gray or black with some teal and purple thrown in for color.) This year there's also a metric ton of nice flannel out there, which seems to fit this.
Possibly check out Loft's comfy line. Not recalling the name of it.
posted by typecloud at 6:45 AM on October 22, 2015
Possibly check out Loft's comfy line. Not recalling the name of it.
posted by typecloud at 6:45 AM on October 22, 2015
Best answer: Everyone else is tackling the "where do you get basics", so I'm going to suggest an alternate approach.
I'm similarly eclectic, and what I've found is that accessories are your friends. You can take just a plain pair of jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt, and on their own they look like you made absolutely no effort to dress yourself; but simply throw a scarf on top of that and suddenly you have an outfit. It's like freakin' magic. And scarves in particular are hella cheap and come in all sorts of colors and styles and sizes, and you can get them anywhere. And the way you tie them can even be a statement in and of itself (although, for my part I tend to lean more to the super-fast "wrap it around your neck twice sort of").
You can get scarves at most of the places suggested above, but you can also get them even more places. I've gotten some at thrift shops, even.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:45 AM on October 22, 2015 [9 favorites]
I'm similarly eclectic, and what I've found is that accessories are your friends. You can take just a plain pair of jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt, and on their own they look like you made absolutely no effort to dress yourself; but simply throw a scarf on top of that and suddenly you have an outfit. It's like freakin' magic. And scarves in particular are hella cheap and come in all sorts of colors and styles and sizes, and you can get them anywhere. And the way you tie them can even be a statement in and of itself (although, for my part I tend to lean more to the super-fast "wrap it around your neck twice sort of").
You can get scarves at most of the places suggested above, but you can also get them even more places. I've gotten some at thrift shops, even.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:45 AM on October 22, 2015 [9 favorites]
I've had very good luck with buying stuff from L.L.Bean or Lands End, and then taking it to a really good tailor and having it fitted. That way I get the casual look and lower prices of Bean and LE, but a perfect fit. I'd rather have decent quality and a good fit, then high end and a less-than-good fit.
posted by OrangeDisk at 6:46 AM on October 22, 2015
posted by OrangeDisk at 6:46 AM on October 22, 2015
Hit "post" too soon -
My argument in favor of accessories is that this also helps with the clothing budget, because instead of buying 15 different shirts, it's cheaper to buy just three or four shirts and instead get 15 different scarves.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:47 AM on October 22, 2015
My argument in favor of accessories is that this also helps with the clothing budget, because instead of buying 15 different shirts, it's cheaper to buy just three or four shirts and instead get 15 different scarves.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:47 AM on October 22, 2015
The weird thing is that I've gotten a few really good button-front shirts from the Gap (mostly via eBay, though). Almost everything they make is terrible quality, but even as we speak I am wearing a very cute, office-appropriate dotted denim shirt on which I get lots of compliments. The fabric is robust and it's well-made. IME, Gap shirts look a little less dressy than JCrew, which might be a plus, depending on how much the dudes around you will freak out if you wear something that's not ultra casual.
Something I do, mostly because I'm a difficult fit: I keep an eye on the websites of all the major retailers because every once in a while they have something perfect. I got a shirt from Boden for the first time in probably six or seven years this fall, for instance. Ditto Talbots, ditto Eddie Bauer, etc. Mostly their stuff is wildly unsuitable and not cut for me, but every few years they have a really good shirt.
Oh and hey, why not check out Brooks Brothers? Again, you'll hardly ever find anything, but once in a while...their sale Black Fleece might be your speed, too.
To my mind, it's really difficult to find good women's knits. I usually buy men's stuff and the quality difference is wild. (Admittedly, my gender presentation is probably different from yours.) If you're a women's medium or larger, it might be worth while checking out the more gender-neutral sweaters from Ralph Lauren, J Crew and Lands' End - I think you'll be astonished by how much better they hold up and how many more of them are washable/dryable.
Also, if you're looking at gender-neutral/men's knits, you might want to keep an eye on the specialty men's boutiques for sales - I've gotten some fantastic stuff at the misleadingly named Unionmade sales*. You can also check out End Clothing and East Dane. Even if you're a women's small/xsmall, you can wear the smalls in Japanese knits.
And on that note, what about getting some marinieres? Brittany Boutique has a, like, 1997-ish website but they are absolutely reliable; I've ordered from them a couple of times in the past five years or so. Their stuff is all made in France, and you can get a really wide variety of weights, colors and fits in those breton-striped shirts. They're really versatile - the miniquiers ones are quite lightweight and work well under a jacket or cardigan. The only thing is that they do shrink a tiny bit, especially vertically.
*They do not sell things that are made by unionized workers, actually. It's a bullshit marketing thing. However as far as I can tell, what they sell is made in small batches by skilled workers making decent money. When you see the $350 sweaters, your heart will stop, but know that their sales can get, uh, totally Texas, as the Norwegians apparently say. I've gotten $300 sweaters for $40, etc.
posted by Frowner at 6:48 AM on October 22, 2015 [4 favorites]
Something I do, mostly because I'm a difficult fit: I keep an eye on the websites of all the major retailers because every once in a while they have something perfect. I got a shirt from Boden for the first time in probably six or seven years this fall, for instance. Ditto Talbots, ditto Eddie Bauer, etc. Mostly their stuff is wildly unsuitable and not cut for me, but every few years they have a really good shirt.
Oh and hey, why not check out Brooks Brothers? Again, you'll hardly ever find anything, but once in a while...their sale Black Fleece might be your speed, too.
To my mind, it's really difficult to find good women's knits. I usually buy men's stuff and the quality difference is wild. (Admittedly, my gender presentation is probably different from yours.) If you're a women's medium or larger, it might be worth while checking out the more gender-neutral sweaters from Ralph Lauren, J Crew and Lands' End - I think you'll be astonished by how much better they hold up and how many more of them are washable/dryable.
Also, if you're looking at gender-neutral/men's knits, you might want to keep an eye on the specialty men's boutiques for sales - I've gotten some fantastic stuff at the misleadingly named Unionmade sales*. You can also check out End Clothing and East Dane. Even if you're a women's small/xsmall, you can wear the smalls in Japanese knits.
And on that note, what about getting some marinieres? Brittany Boutique has a, like, 1997-ish website but they are absolutely reliable; I've ordered from them a couple of times in the past five years or so. Their stuff is all made in France, and you can get a really wide variety of weights, colors and fits in those breton-striped shirts. They're really versatile - the miniquiers ones are quite lightweight and work well under a jacket or cardigan. The only thing is that they do shrink a tiny bit, especially vertically.
*They do not sell things that are made by unionized workers, actually. It's a bullshit marketing thing. However as far as I can tell, what they sell is made in small batches by skilled workers making decent money. When you see the $350 sweaters, your heart will stop, but know that their sales can get, uh, totally Texas, as the Norwegians apparently say. I've gotten $300 sweaters for $40, etc.
posted by Frowner at 6:48 AM on October 22, 2015 [4 favorites]
I LOVE Cos, which is the higher-end version of H&M (same company). Things I've gotten there have been good quality and stylish, in a very modern, minimalistic kind of way. The same company also recently opened & Other Stories, which I also like. My standby online store is ASOS, which is like the Amazon of clothing. Massive selection, lots of different retailers and I can always find something I like. Their own-brand line, ASOS Collection has great stuff for surprisingly reasonable prices. Plus they do free shipping, which pretty much seals the deal for me.
posted by triggerfinger at 7:07 AM on October 22, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by triggerfinger at 7:07 AM on October 22, 2015 [6 favorites]
I'm not a huge fan of Loft / Ann Taylor -- not as well made for their price points. I've been shopping more at Talbots and Lands End now. There are definitely some "too old for me" pieces, but if you dig a little, you'll find some polished and well made pieces. Both also have great sales.
posted by ellerhodes at 7:08 AM on October 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by ellerhodes at 7:08 AM on October 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
Stitch fix. I found a stylist I love and am slowly replacing my entire wardrobe with things they send me. Since I use the same stylist, she sends me things that work well together, and I can ask for certain things ("Please send me more of those jeans; another dress like X; shirts that work for Y". It's great. I supposed you could get the same service with a personal shopper at nordstrom, with a wider variety of stuff.
posted by dpx.mfx at 7:19 AM on October 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by dpx.mfx at 7:19 AM on October 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: When I think "polished but forgettable", I think Eileen Fisher. It tops out above your budget, but the sales are good and in my experience, the cost per wear is quite low.
For tops, I recommend Elizabeth and Clarke.
Of Mercer is more conservative than you need, but their tops and cardigans up the level of polish on a t-shirt and pair of pants.
I also like Fair Indigo for easy-to-wear and care for dresses in simple cuts and colors that can straddle the casual but work appropriate line pretty well.
posted by crush-onastick at 7:21 AM on October 22, 2015 [3 favorites]
For tops, I recommend Elizabeth and Clarke.
Of Mercer is more conservative than you need, but their tops and cardigans up the level of polish on a t-shirt and pair of pants.
I also like Fair Indigo for easy-to-wear and care for dresses in simple cuts and colors that can straddle the casual but work appropriate line pretty well.
posted by crush-onastick at 7:21 AM on October 22, 2015 [3 favorites]
Trunk Club has a women's service now; the idea is similar to StitchFix, but there's more personalization, more of a focus on building a workable wardrobe, and better quality clothes at a higher price point. They're owned by Nordstrom, so it's more or less the mail-order version of a Nordstrom personal shopper. (I tried it and didn't get anything because of the price, but was pleased overall with the selection and how many of the pieces worked well together.)
I've been very happy with Loft lately; their clothes are good for the price, and they have ridiculous sales all the time (you should never have to pay full price there). I can also nth Gap, Uniqlo, J. Crew, Talbots, and Anthro. Madewell is usually too casual for me, and Lands' End frequently looks and fits like it's designed for someone ten years older than me.
Every now and then Lululemon puts out some "to and from" pieces that are appropriate for a casual workplace, and they're always super comfortable and last forever.
posted by Metroid Baby at 7:44 AM on October 22, 2015
I've been very happy with Loft lately; their clothes are good for the price, and they have ridiculous sales all the time (you should never have to pay full price there). I can also nth Gap, Uniqlo, J. Crew, Talbots, and Anthro. Madewell is usually too casual for me, and Lands' End frequently looks and fits like it's designed for someone ten years older than me.
Every now and then Lululemon puts out some "to and from" pieces that are appropriate for a casual workplace, and they're always super comfortable and last forever.
posted by Metroid Baby at 7:44 AM on October 22, 2015
I like LOFT for work basics that last a long time, but I've had better luck with The Limited for dress pants/work pants. They have petite, short, long, and regular lengths in most dress pants. I also like the fit of their jeans.
Similarly to LOFT, they often have sales online and in store for 40% off everything, which is when I plan to purchase multiple sizes/fits of things from online, and do free returns to the store for items that didn't fit.
posted by shortyJBot at 8:22 AM on October 22, 2015
Similarly to LOFT, they often have sales online and in store for 40% off everything, which is when I plan to purchase multiple sizes/fits of things from online, and do free returns to the store for items that didn't fit.
posted by shortyJBot at 8:22 AM on October 22, 2015
I adore Macy's, but I think it's in part because I'm plus sized and they have a decent range of "not shapeless potato sacks" for me to choose from.
I work in a similar environment, and my standard work outfit is jeans, tank of some sort, and a shrug. Every day. Every tank and shrug are interchangeable - they're all in shades of blue, green, black, white, and grey, so I don't have to think. I just open that side of my closet, pick a tank and shrug, and go.
Accessories, as mentioned above, help make things look finished. They also help to keep you from feeling like you're wearing the same thing every day.
Examples of tanks:
Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
Example 4
Shrug/layer examples:
Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
Example 4
Example 5
You get the idea.
posted by RogueTech at 8:33 AM on October 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
I work in a similar environment, and my standard work outfit is jeans, tank of some sort, and a shrug. Every day. Every tank and shrug are interchangeable - they're all in shades of blue, green, black, white, and grey, so I don't have to think. I just open that side of my closet, pick a tank and shrug, and go.
Accessories, as mentioned above, help make things look finished. They also help to keep you from feeling like you're wearing the same thing every day.
Examples of tanks:
Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
Example 4
Shrug/layer examples:
Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
Example 4
Example 5
You get the idea.
posted by RogueTech at 8:33 AM on October 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
Let's say I am willing to spend $75-$150 per piece. Where can I buy long-lasting, classic-yet-stylish clothing for slightly-less-young ladies made with quality in mind?
This used to be jcrew, but those days are long over. Here are a few places I case frequently that seem to be trying to fill that place, I haven't done a lot of buying from them, but keep an eye out for what they have:
Everlane
cos
Madewell (more casual)
Equipment (may be a little out of your set price range, but worth a look, Nordstrom carry them).
posted by nanook at 8:43 AM on October 22, 2015
This used to be jcrew, but those days are long over. Here are a few places I case frequently that seem to be trying to fill that place, I haven't done a lot of buying from them, but keep an eye out for what they have:
Everlane
cos
Madewell (more casual)
Equipment (may be a little out of your set price range, but worth a look, Nordstrom carry them).
posted by nanook at 8:43 AM on October 22, 2015
Madewell is great for quality jeans and boots. They're the same company as JCrew I think, but younger style and "hipper".
posted by monologish at 9:07 AM on October 22, 2015
posted by monologish at 9:07 AM on October 22, 2015
For basics: Everlane. For modern classic: Nordstrom personal stylist (it's free and they'll have lots of options for you in that price range), maybe J.Crew if you can tell quality from feel. For eclectic: a thousand times Anthropologie. They are just the best at consistently stocking interesting but wearable tops that you can pair with jeans, also amazing dresses. I'm also wearing an AllSaints top today to work (at uber casual tech company), if a dash of avant-garde is your thing.
I'd recommend investing slightly above your price point in great jeans, if you can. Lucky Brand is my favorite of the under-$100 options, I know others who rave about J.Crew or Banana Republic or Loft jeans (personally I find Loft jeans to stretch out a ton and the rest of their clothing to be poor quality, lots of polyester and my last sweater from them developed a huge hole). In the designer jeans crowd, AG and Paige can be found for under $150 on sale. After I started buying AG jeans on sale from Anthro, I became totally spoiled for soft yet structured denim.
Or if you want to emphasize forgettable more than eclectic, go towards J.Crew, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor. I find them more appropriate for business casual dressing than female-in-tech dressing demands, but I don't really consider myself a classic dresser so there's the bias.
posted by serelliya at 9:11 AM on October 22, 2015
I'd recommend investing slightly above your price point in great jeans, if you can. Lucky Brand is my favorite of the under-$100 options, I know others who rave about J.Crew or Banana Republic or Loft jeans (personally I find Loft jeans to stretch out a ton and the rest of their clothing to be poor quality, lots of polyester and my last sweater from them developed a huge hole). In the designer jeans crowd, AG and Paige can be found for under $150 on sale. After I started buying AG jeans on sale from Anthro, I became totally spoiled for soft yet structured denim.
Or if you want to emphasize forgettable more than eclectic, go towards J.Crew, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor. I find them more appropriate for business casual dressing than female-in-tech dressing demands, but I don't really consider myself a classic dresser so there's the bias.
posted by serelliya at 9:11 AM on October 22, 2015
I would skip Loft/Ann Taylor. I find their clothing poorly made and never true-to-size. Honestly, I'm getting the most bang for my buck by staking out Talbolt's, Dana Buchman and Eileen Fisher from either the thrift stores, Ebay or consignment shops. They are easy pieces that go from season to season with just a few accessories and are super comfortable to w
posted by nubianinthedesert at 9:44 AM on October 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by nubianinthedesert at 9:44 AM on October 22, 2015 [2 favorites]
I work in a similar environment and my work wardrobe these days consists almost entirely from Uniqlo, with some pieces from Talbots and Eddie Bauer. Uniqlo pieces are perfect for the polished but forgettable look, without looking too expensive, which is also the workplace look I aim for. I will add interesting scarves or necklaces to the mix. I used to get some stuff from LL Bean but these days their stuff looks super dowdy on me.
posted by needled at 10:02 AM on October 22, 2015
posted by needled at 10:02 AM on October 22, 2015
If you want to go the tank & shrug route, you cannot beat Ureshii (which I constantly recommend, but I have been that pleased with their quality, fit and customer service).
posted by crush-onastick at 10:10 AM on October 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by crush-onastick at 10:10 AM on October 22, 2015 [1 favorite]
I've been really impressed with the Gap recently. They seemed to have improved a lot since I last wrote them off about a year ago. Lots of nice classic stuff in a good range of colors and most of it is easy to care for.
posted by Jess the Mess at 10:39 AM on October 22, 2015
posted by Jess the Mess at 10:39 AM on October 22, 2015
Zara!!! Zara Zara Zara. I also work in the tech industry and a good deal of my work clothing right now is Zara pieces snagged on sale.
posted by raw sugar at 1:23 PM on October 22, 2015
posted by raw sugar at 1:23 PM on October 22, 2015
My goto item is a gray blazer - I have three. Every season Banana Republic has this short sleeved t-shirt with a satin neck in various colors and patterns. I usually buy a few. They also have dressy tops - patterns that aren't cotton and are short-sleeved so you can layer them.
Generally I wear dark denim bootleg jeans, ankle boots, some BR top that's a step above t-shirt, and a gray blazer. If it's colder, I'll wear a cardigan or a sweater under a blazer.
The gray waist-length blazer is key. It's not suit-length, so not intimidating, but it does have a collar and buttons which puts you one step ahead of the nerds*. If you have a non-t-shirt shirt underneath it's also easy to take it off and still look pulled-together.
*I speak as a nerd.
posted by bendy at 8:32 PM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Generally I wear dark denim bootleg jeans, ankle boots, some BR top that's a step above t-shirt, and a gray blazer. If it's colder, I'll wear a cardigan or a sweater under a blazer.
The gray waist-length blazer is key. It's not suit-length, so not intimidating, but it does have a collar and buttons which puts you one step ahead of the nerds*. If you have a non-t-shirt shirt underneath it's also easy to take it off and still look pulled-together.
*I speak as a nerd.
posted by bendy at 8:32 PM on October 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
I've been having good luck with Nordstrom, LOFT, Gap & Athleta (no, really) for this look recently. I've been making forays in to Zara too, and it seems promising. I would not recommend Banana Republic.. I favored them for a while now, but have gone off them after most of the things I bought there in 2014 completely fell apart immediately. Their styles seem to be getting increasingly boring (in a bad way) and the fabrics worse and worse. Athleta on the other hand, actually makes pretty good sweaters and dresses, and they have some (casual) work appropriate pants too, in spite of all the leggings in the store windows. I would love to own more Eileen Fisher stuff, but it's too expensive for me.
posted by annie o at 9:26 PM on October 25, 2015
posted by annie o at 9:26 PM on October 25, 2015
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posted by goggie at 5:40 AM on October 22, 2015 [1 favorite]