STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

What didn't fit about the stuff you tried on? Like, is your chest too big or your hips too small, etc? Is it something that could be remedied by a tailor?

Collette wrote:

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Ok so I just went to BR, J Crew and Express and bought absolutely nothing. I literally tried on everything at J Crew and nothing fit quite right. So it looks like I've landed a job and need a work wardrobe ASAP. Business Casual, DH said I can spend $5000 on the new wardrobe, including new shoes that I need. So please help me not have any more breakdowns in J Crew dressing rooms and pick me out a work wardrobe. The look I'm going for is business chic. Pieces I can mix and match and lots of classic dresses. Open to clothing of all price points. Would like a few classic costlier pieces to mix with more evenly priced pieces. Help and Thanks to all who post!!

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Ok - this is an overwhelming assignment, so I would start slowly and build your wardrobe over several months.  Try starting with a couple pencil skirts and a couple nice pairs of go-to slacks (black or charcoal.)  There are GREAT deals to be found everywhere, so I would scour the high-end stores/websites looking for better merchandise, on sale.  A DVF wrap dress, in a solid color like black, could be a really nice option too.  Look for cashmere on sale (at Bluefly for example) for nice layering pieces.

Pick individual pieces that you love and watch what other women in your office are wearing, to help to define what you want to buy.

That being said, it never hurts to dress a little better than you need to - impresses people and you'll come across more professional.

Great shopping!

 

I also think you should build your work wardrobe slowly. 
Do you have anything right now that is usable for an office - plain skirts, blouses, sweaters, dresses?  See what you can pull from your closet and then figure out what you need to make it through the first week or two.  Since you didn't have luck at the chain stores maybe you should go to a department store so you can try out different brands. 

When do you start the job?  Do you have time to get anything altered?  I get a lot of my work skirts and dresses altered so they fit better.

Business casual seems like it can vary a lot from company to company and even from department to department. 

To get you through the beginning I'd get
-1 or 2 basic dresses that you can dress up or down





-cardigans in different colors
-2 pencil/suit skirts and/or dress pants
-a blazer
-4-5 tops that you can wear alone or under blazer/cardigan

-- Edited by cc at 20:56, 2008-09-16

I don't mean to be rude but you just described a HEAVENLY situation to me - total hourglass body and $5000 to shop for just about the most popular style of clothing - business casual.

Maybe you are putting too much pressure on yourself to find perfect pieces and be so utterly chic at your first try. As others suggested, you definitely have to build slowly.

I'd start with some basics - a suit or two, black, grey skirts, some basic V necks, then get some fun accessories. Don't try to buy everything at once, I think once you get a base, you'll be able to shop at your leisure and find pieces you fall in love with.

Agree with building it slowly.  Second Theory recommendation.

I'd first go through your current wardrobe and see what you can wear to work.  You might only need a suit and a pair of slacks or something.  I absolutely DESPISE business casual- I'm not sure if that is any part of your dilemna- so I'd probably pick basics I could wear in other ways, mixed with funkier things.  Is your office very conservative?  Don't waste money buying things you think you'll need if you don't like them and already have counterparts in your closet that will work.

I think Bluefly is also a good place to look.  I think you might be better off finding work pieces slowly in boutiques or places outside of the standard shops.  I know I've seen the designer I work for on people with more conservative jobs, and I'm always intrigued with the different styling interpretation, as it is not a conservative label.  I'm obsessed with everything on this website and have found things I think could work for for work :)

http://www.lagarconne.com/store/index.htm

Well, seeing as how it is opening this weekend, I would highly recommend checking out Zara for some stuff. I have gotten some really great work pieces from their Zara Basic line. I also agree with the other ladies about Theory. They really do have the best pants and if you can afford them you may as well scoop up a pair or two (or three). Lastly, speaking from personal experience, I too, would take some time to build your wardrobe and see how the climate is in your new office. The last place that I worked was supposedly business casual, but I got there and there were people in jeans. Same thing with my current job.

Collette wrote:

Ok so I'm built like a total hourglass and I have a short torso and long legs. J crew stuff just doesn't seem to fit my body. Like their tops are all way too long on me so they look funny with skirts/pants unless I tuck them in. And since all tops are not meant to be tucked it just doesn't work. I think it was just so overwhelming trying on so much stuff and the women helping me just wasn't getting the idea of my style. So I guess I'm just looking for any cute work stuff that I can head out and try on just to start building around. Am I making any sense?

 

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ahhh. I know how you feel! I'm 100% hourglass and it is so hard to shop! Nothing is made to fit us - It's hard to find things that don't make you look 20lbs heavier because whatever fits your boobs and hips doesn't fit your waist!

I second the NY&Co suggestion - it's definitely not the highest quality, but it's good for beginning and I had a lot of luck with things fitting well from there.

If I were you I'd get a couple nice wrap dresses - they fit hourglasses well, fit the dress code, and you don't have to worry about how short your torso is or how long your legs are (except for the hem, of course, but I mean that it's a lot less work than finding great pants that fit).

You can get a tailor to shorten tops if that's really the only thing you don't like about them - or you can get the tailor to change the shape of a shirt tail to look more like one that shouldn't be tucked in (does that make sense?)

You might also try Bravissimo.com - they're from the UK, so it's more expensive shipping, but it's made for hourglass shapes (be sure to consult their size chart, because they have a unique sizing convention). I'll admit that it's not the most fashion-forward brand, but you could get some good basics there like dresses and oxford tops.

I also agree with building your wardrobe slowly.

Also, I would hold off on buying a suit until you're sure you absolutely need it. In my experience, I've rarely needed a suit in my "business casual" jobs and it's a waste of time and money to search for something you might only need every now and then. Granted, you'll probably want to get a suit eventually because it's always good to have one in a pinch, but I wouldn't stress about it right now. I'd concentrate on getting a few basics or augmenting the basics that you currently have with a few interesting pieces.

I'm a bit surprised that JCrew didn't work out better. It might be the case of having a bad salesperson and it could be worthwhile to go back and get some things altered. But then again, you could just go to a department store and try on a bunch of different brands. A good salesperson at Saks or Nordstrom would definitely be able to point you in the right direction.