What shirts should I wear to work??
July 9, 2018 2:19 PM Subscribe
I hate shopping for clothes, I've been wearing the same three shirts to work for like seven years now, and I hated everything I saw at the mall this weekend. Please help me find something respectable(ish) and durable to wear to work in the summer!
Me: Female, mid-30s, mildly overweight, pear shaped, high waisted, no cleavage. Apparently I have the upper arms of a yeti (a yeti with flabby triceps) because shirts that fit in the body often are too tight in the upper arm.
My requirements: It's hot outside, but my office is air conditioned to ~3 Kelvin. Thus, I need short sleeved shirts that I can wear alone outside, and with a cardigan inside. As best I can tell, this rules out all the poofy / ruffly sleeves that are plaguing my mall right now. It needs to be vaguely respectable by university standards (doesn't have to be law-office appropriate but also not a graphic tee) so that it can be worn to a surprise important meeting*, but durable enough that if I have to clean up a surprise flood or change a pump, that's ok too. I prefer short sleeved to sleeveless because of the aforementioned yeti tricep flab. I don't mind line-drying, so it doesn't have to be dryer-safe, but I have highly limited bandwidth for ironing.
On the bottom, I typically wear plain black or dark grey pants, or dark blue jeans.
What the F should I wear?
* I am low enough on the totem pole that "keep a nice shirt stashed away to change into" doesn't work, as sometimes the big boss bursts into my office and wants me NOW. I'm not going to be coal mining, my clothes typically don't get filthy at work, but they need to hold up to a lot of washes.
Me: Female, mid-30s, mildly overweight, pear shaped, high waisted, no cleavage. Apparently I have the upper arms of a yeti (a yeti with flabby triceps) because shirts that fit in the body often are too tight in the upper arm.
My requirements: It's hot outside, but my office is air conditioned to ~3 Kelvin. Thus, I need short sleeved shirts that I can wear alone outside, and with a cardigan inside. As best I can tell, this rules out all the poofy / ruffly sleeves that are plaguing my mall right now. It needs to be vaguely respectable by university standards (doesn't have to be law-office appropriate but also not a graphic tee) so that it can be worn to a surprise important meeting*, but durable enough that if I have to clean up a surprise flood or change a pump, that's ok too. I prefer short sleeved to sleeveless because of the aforementioned yeti tricep flab. I don't mind line-drying, so it doesn't have to be dryer-safe, but I have highly limited bandwidth for ironing.
On the bottom, I typically wear plain black or dark grey pants, or dark blue jeans.
What the F should I wear?
* I am low enough on the totem pole that "keep a nice shirt stashed away to change into" doesn't work, as sometimes the big boss bursts into my office and wants me NOW. I'm not going to be coal mining, my clothes typically don't get filthy at work, but they need to hold up to a lot of washes.
JCrew factory has studio t-shirt that washes and dries well. Sometimes they have cardigans in matching or coordinating shades. They are somewhat on the less dressy side so may need to wear jewelry/necklace or earrings depending on your office vibe.
posted by typecloud at 4:00 PM on July 9, 2018
posted by typecloud at 4:00 PM on July 9, 2018
I usually find all my shirts at Goodwill, so I don't have a store suggestion for you. BUT, for your shape, I'd recommend looking at empire-waisted shirts. They'll de-emphasize your waist, and give a bit more illusion of cleavage. Just watch for shirts that are cut too low (or add a camisole underneath to fill the gap!). You can get them with all lengths of sleeve from cap-sleeve to 3/4 length to suit your needs.
As for durability, one of the reasons I like buying at thrift stores is that I can see how a piece is going to wear. If it's made it to the thrift store and still looks great, it will probably last for a while. And I know it's not likely to shrink any more.
posted by hydra77 at 4:01 PM on July 9, 2018
As for durability, one of the reasons I like buying at thrift stores is that I can see how a piece is going to wear. If it's made it to the thrift store and still looks great, it will probably last for a while. And I know it's not likely to shrink any more.
posted by hydra77 at 4:01 PM on July 9, 2018
How about something like these elbow-sleeve t-shirts?
I hate the too-short sleeves that have been around for the last decade or more. They look fine on women with slender perfectly-toned arms but like crap on the rest of us.
posted by mareli at 4:08 PM on July 9, 2018 [2 favorites]
I hate the too-short sleeves that have been around for the last decade or more. They look fine on women with slender perfectly-toned arms but like crap on the rest of us.
posted by mareli at 4:08 PM on July 9, 2018 [2 favorites]
my favorite work shirts are these "mixed media" ones from Ann Taylor. THey're t-shirt fabric in the back and woven in the front (silk-look polyester- washable!) so look a little dressier.
posted by genmonster at 5:32 PM on July 9, 2018
posted by genmonster at 5:32 PM on July 9, 2018
Since you hate shopping for clothes, you should maybe look into one of those subscription box services like StitchFix, where a stylist will pick out clothes for you after you fill out a profile. You keep what you like and return what you don't. Check out the website for the details of how it works; there are plenty of competitors, too, and they work a little differently. But these services will outsource the shopping part for you, and over time you can built out your wardrobe from the three shirts.
posted by Leontine at 7:06 PM on July 9, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Leontine at 7:06 PM on July 9, 2018 [1 favorite]
These tops came recommended to me. I’m newly apple/pear shaped postpartum and these sorts of tops work well for me. They skim the bust but flare out a little at the waist to be flattering but not giant. I think something this shape would work well under a mid-length cardigan too.
posted by notheotherone at 12:10 AM on July 10, 2018
posted by notheotherone at 12:10 AM on July 10, 2018
I also like "mixed media" style shirts; I've ordered a few from Land's End, which is my go-to company for nicer-than-a-t-shirt tops that will hold up for a long time.
posted by neushoorn at 6:25 AM on July 11, 2018
posted by neushoorn at 6:25 AM on July 11, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
If you are on their mailing list, they have big sales up to 40-50% off, which is when I but things.
I like their "vintage" line of t-shirts because they are almost always 100% cotton which is important to me.
Striped bar back tee
split neck tee
floral stripe vintage soft tee
I cold wash and line dry - they hold up well.
posted by Squeak Attack at 2:49 PM on July 9, 2018 [2 favorites]