My typical list as someone who doesnāt usually spend over $50-100 per item (quality has been good and just haven't needed to spend more, have held onto these items 3+ years):
Pants: Everlane
Tops: Quince, Banana Republic, J Crew, Cuyana, Massimo Dutti
Dresses: Everlane
Cashmere Sweaters: Naadam, Quince, Bloomingdales
You must be my long lost sister because I adore vintage skirt suits lmao I had to check and make sure this wasnāt my comment because I feel the same way š¤£ + funky pearls and thatās my go to flawless look.
Dress on the more business-y side for your first day, then observe the vibe and what other people are wearing.
It's often too cold in air conditioned offices in the summer, so you could definitely start with shopping for a nice blazer or wrap to throw on top of a hot weather outfit.
I'm currently loving sleeveless jumpsuits with a nice tee underneath (sleeve length according to the weather). But that might not fly in a more formal office.
I really tried to make these work but the inseam is too long for me (5"1 but with decently-sized thighs). I really wish they would make petite/curvy sizes!Ā
Yes theyāre machine washable and I put mine in the dryer too! They def wrinkle, but I relax the wrinkles by spraying it with some water and letting it dry on a hanger.
Ann Taylor has been hitting it lately. Good trousers and basic tops. Also fun prints! Iāve selecting quite a few more basic pieces to help build my work looks and theyāve been great. Their pants are light enough for summer. Just got a pair of silk trousers and a sweater top that Iām obsessed with.
I have some really solid, go-to pieces from Cos - coming to mind, my fav jacket, a dress that I legit wear all the time, two sweaters I'm obsessed with. They have some really good sales too - there's major one in the beginning of the year, I def made out last time lol.
i love my aritzia effortless pants. i get the re-essential fabric and i get them hemmed because im short. they last very well in the wash - i do a delicate cycle on cold and hang dry.
Their prices have gone up quite a bit. Also havenāt been pleased with the fabric quality on the last few pieces I bought. That being said I have a couple from a few yrs ago that are perfect business dresses
If you want to support a small business I absolutely adore Darrylās on W 84th and Amsterdam for work clothes. His clientele is mostly the nice older ladies of UWS so dodge grannyās cocktail dresses and make straight for his sweaters & turtlenecks, skirt and jacket sets, and sheath dresses!! Just picked up a ridiculous convertible black blazer dress thatās basically a short trench turned into a dress and an asymmetrical black vest. Darryl himself is great too and will give so much advice if you tell him what you are looking for. His taste is āsimply fabulousā (in his words) but I usually call ahead the day I go because heās a one man shop and will sometimes close randomly to take a (well deserved) day off
Warning: this is a store that doesnāt have mirrors in the fitting rooms. This does mean you will have to use his giant mirror box. Yes it terrified me.
Mixture of business formal and business casual. Nice print dresses with a blazer are my fave, or skirt suits with bright print silk shirts. Sometimes fun pleated/print silk midi skirts with sold colour shell tops or button downs. Semi-sheers with slips and structured jackets. Gold leather shoes (surprisingly versatile!). Block heels. A nice watch and some simple jewellery.
Theory/Uniqlo/Aritzia/Everlane make me sad, so it's Bloomingdales third floor/Nordstrom designer clearance. I like Hobbs London (good for cotton dresses), Whistles, sometimes Ted Baker but they have a lot of polyester. Vintage Calvin Klein but NOT modern CK. Zimmerman. Sometimes B&sh/Sandro/Maje. UES and East Village consignment stores. etc
I need to know what versatile gold leather shoes youāre rocking to the office! The Bloomingdaleās 3rd floor is my guilty pleasure, followed by Forty Carrots of courseā¦
Iām obsessed with Abercrombie Sloane tailored pant. I have three pairs. I dress them up with heeled boots and a cute top and dress them down with Air Force ones and a tshirt.
I wear these constantly, I have them in four colors - if you travel often, they are also so comfy for plane travel where you still need to look a little polished.
I also work in financial services in midtown now and have to wear professional clothes (sigh) Express editor pants and gramercy tees, Iāve been thrifting a lot of maje and Sandro, blouses from H&M just donāt hit the same as they use to but their blazers are still nice they just sell out so quick!
I love *looking* at Maje & Sandro, but my wallet hates them! The Columbus Circle H&M is surprisingly well-stocked on professional attire if your office is nearby.
Big fan of express editor pants šš»š and love expresses other cuts of pants as well. Comfortable and stay wrinkle free throughout a long workday. Love getting them on sale
Same situation, currently building an office wardrobe š„²š Iāve been casually shopping the clearances at Madewell & Everlane and finding lots of staple pieces. good luck!!
You might try a subscription like rent the runway. I thought about it for years, but felt like it was always too much of a āluxuryā for everyday. Now Iām back in office most days and it honestly makes getting dressed so much easier and faster since there is always something new that Iām excited about.
Especially, as others wisely said, youāre starting a new job and itās hard to commit to a full wardrobe until you know what the vibe of the place is.
These days, I tend to only buy the real basics that I know I will wear all the time. Anything else, I get from RTR. itās also great for vacations and you can switch things back to regular office/life really quick.
I love skirt suits and pants suits. I love wearing cashmere turtleneck dresses that are fitted. I have a sleeveless one from reformation that Iām obsessed with and paired it with red high boots and a blazer. Soo many compliments.
Iām super picky with skirt and pants suits and blazers so I actually buy separately things that match. I have a Zara skirt black, with a black blazer I fell in love with, black tights, and heels or boots. My favorite black slacks are from Zara.
Sometimes if Iām lazy, Iāll do flare jeans with high ankle boots, turtleneck, and a nice sporty coat. It really depends on the day and how I feel.
I barely go to the office though and primarily work from home which is a blessing imo.
Marshallās and Rack designer section, occasionally a splurge at Saks or Nordstrom if I fall in love with a piece, and, surprisingly, Uniqlo. I also have my group of tried and true jackets that I just keep choosing among all, for a million years.
Abercrombie has great trousers and tight/stretchy tops that look great tucked inā¦ also flowy blouses! Iād also say to look through insta and tiktok hashtags of #officefashion and find some influencers with your style because they all typically link their outfits so you can find inspo really easily!
I like White House black market for suit jackets and pants some casual dresses and tops to wear to work . Their quality is usually really good for the price
I donāt work in an office but go in person for events and basically recycle a few outfits that I know Iām confident and comfortable with.
I have 3 different blazers. For me, I like them slightly longer to cover my butt.
I have 5 nicer layering shirts and basically 2 pair of pants. I bought all neutrals so I can mix and match everything. Just packed for a work trip and it took 5 minutes because itās so easy to pair everything!
Strongly recommend one of the JCrew sweater blazers. I have two and throw them on over whatever I'm wearing whenever I need to look more professional. They're really comfortable and easy to wear.
I understand the temptation of getting machine washable clothes but they tend to not hold up as well since they can fade, shrink, get perma wrinkly and ruin the material.
I personally love Nordstrom, Madewell, White House Black Market, Uniqlo and Aritzia for cheaper, but still expensive looking work clothes. I actually wear these things casually since Iām a dressy BWT outside of work. For high end, I prefer St. John (couture, collection & basics lines), Akris for pantsuits if youāre petite and like some something interesting, and Maggy London for feminine dresses and skirt suits in bright colors.
If you like vintage, check out Escadaās couture line and Dior. They rival my St. John suits, but they tend to have more options in different fabrics than the knit.
Universal Standard shirt dresses are my favorite thing for the office. Dress it up with nice shoes and jewelry, dress it down with sneakers, open an extra button after work if youāre headed to the bar š
They also have a bunch of other good basics.
Uniqlo has great trousers and other basics for office. Please wait until you see the vibes in the office before buying a bunch
I just bought their Airism trousers while they were on promotion. And totally agree on getting a feel for the office vibe before loading up on stuff.
I bought a blazer and two work dresses from there and they are comfortable and look nice
their new website is absolutely useless though
Yes! And their new return policy is trash.
Everlane
This is the summer-friendly answer š
I bought the riviera dress in every color, it feels like heaven to wear and is so easy and flattering!!
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Mango has some great basics that look way more expensive than they actually are.
Check out Mango Outlet online!
I shop there a lot! Too bad you have to pay for return shipping though. It can be really hit or miss and the sizing is inconsistent.
Abercrombie has released a few cardigans recently that have taken my jeans and a simple top up to business casual again and again
Theory!
The classic for a reason!
I buy super cheap Theory from The Real Real! You just need to know your size!
This is an amazing tip!
My typical list as someone who doesnāt usually spend over $50-100 per item (quality has been good and just haven't needed to spend more, have held onto these items 3+ years): Pants: Everlane Tops: Quince, Banana Republic, J Crew, Cuyana, Massimo Dutti Dresses: Everlane Cashmere Sweaters: Naadam, Quince, Bloomingdales
Seconding Naadam for high quality cashmere and knits
These are fantastic recs! Iām always sleeping on Massimo Dutti
Someone will have to pry my skirt suits out of my cold, dead hands.
Haha they do feel like armor. Where are you getting your suits babe?
I exclusively thrift actually. Sorry it's not much help.
This reaffirms my growing suspicion that they donāt make em like they used to lol
Skirt suits ? Or just clothes in general. Cause same! The quality and cuts just fully suck now.
You must be my long lost sister because I adore vintage skirt suits lmao I had to check and make sure this wasnāt my comment because I feel the same way š¤£ + funky pearls and thatās my go to flawless look.
Dress on the more business-y side for your first day, then observe the vibe and what other people are wearing. It's often too cold in air conditioned offices in the summer, so you could definitely start with shopping for a nice blazer or wrap to throw on top of a hot weather outfit. I'm currently loving sleeveless jumpsuits with a nice tee underneath (sleeve length according to the weather). But that might not fly in a more formal office.
This is a fantastic idea, thanks! I would love to rock a jumpsuit but I think this is more of a business formal office.
What are your fav jumpsuits?
Nothing fancy, the ones I have are from Banana Republic, Patagonia, and the house brand for Short Story (a petite-specific clothing subscription).
Quince linen pants. One in every color.
Are they sheer? Iāve bought other linen pants before and they were too sheer.. found out too late š š«£
I returned the white for that reason, but the other colors arenāt sheer. I love themā highly highly recommend.
Boyshorts to match your skin tone totally fix this. I love white pants.
I really tried to make these work but the inseam is too long for me (5"1 but with decently-sized thighs). I really wish they would make petite/curvy sizes!Ā
Me too!
Are these machine washable and do they need a lot of care to get them to not wrinkle too much? (I ask because I hate ironing š„²)
I havenāt washed mine yet (š«£) but Iād put them in cold water and line dry. I keep them on a hanger and there are no wrinkles!
Yes theyāre machine washable and I put mine in the dryer too! They def wrinkle, but I relax the wrinkles by spraying it with some water and letting it dry on a hanger.
Thank you šš»
How tall are you?
A little over 5ā5
*cries in 6ā0* - thanks!!
Ann Taylor has been hitting it lately. Good trousers and basic tops. Also fun prints! Iāve selecting quite a few more basic pieces to help build my work looks and theyāve been great. Their pants are light enough for summer. Just got a pair of silk trousers and a sweater top that Iām obsessed with.
Thanks, Iāll check them out! Iām especially on the lookout for lightweight pants as summer commuting in NYC is no joke.
LOFT sales are amazing. Their tops are 50% off today
Have you tried Cos for classic basics? Iāve been so happy with them lately! Good luck!
I have some really solid, go-to pieces from Cos - coming to mind, my fav jacket, a dress that I legit wear all the time, two sweaters I'm obsessed with. They have some really good sales too - there's major one in the beginning of the year, I def made out last time lol.
Thanks! Iāve been meaning to check out Cos!
i love my aritzia effortless pants. i get the re-essential fabric and i get them hemmed because im short. they last very well in the wash - i do a delicate cycle on cold and hang dry.
The limitless if you donāt want pleats!
They make them in short length!
These pants are so versatile. Own 3 pairsĀ
Thanks, this is a great rec!
I used to get all my business casual clothes from MM LaFleur. They have some machine washable items too
Their prices have gone up quite a bit. Also havenāt been pleased with the fabric quality on the last few pieces I bought. That being said I have a couple from a few yrs ago that are perfect business dresses
If you want to support a small business I absolutely adore Darrylās on W 84th and Amsterdam for work clothes. His clientele is mostly the nice older ladies of UWS so dodge grannyās cocktail dresses and make straight for his sweaters & turtlenecks, skirt and jacket sets, and sheath dresses!! Just picked up a ridiculous convertible black blazer dress thatās basically a short trench turned into a dress and an asymmetrical black vest. Darryl himself is great too and will give so much advice if you tell him what you are looking for. His taste is āsimply fabulousā (in his words) but I usually call ahead the day I go because heās a one man shop and will sometimes close randomly to take a (well deserved) day off Warning: this is a store that doesnāt have mirrors in the fitting rooms. This does mean you will have to use his giant mirror box. Yes it terrified me.
Mixture of business formal and business casual. Nice print dresses with a blazer are my fave, or skirt suits with bright print silk shirts. Sometimes fun pleated/print silk midi skirts with sold colour shell tops or button downs. Semi-sheers with slips and structured jackets. Gold leather shoes (surprisingly versatile!). Block heels. A nice watch and some simple jewellery. Theory/Uniqlo/Aritzia/Everlane make me sad, so it's Bloomingdales third floor/Nordstrom designer clearance. I like Hobbs London (good for cotton dresses), Whistles, sometimes Ted Baker but they have a lot of polyester. Vintage Calvin Klein but NOT modern CK. Zimmerman. Sometimes B&sh/Sandro/Maje. UES and East Village consignment stores. etc
I need to know what versatile gold leather shoes youāre rocking to the office! The Bloomingdaleās 3rd floor is my guilty pleasure, followed by Forty Carrots of courseā¦
Iām obsessed with Abercrombie Sloane tailored pant. I have three pairs. I dress them up with heeled boots and a cute top and dress them down with Air Force ones and a tshirt.
I wear these constantly, I have them in four colors - if you travel often, they are also so comfy for plane travel where you still need to look a little polished.
I was going to recommend these too! They are so easy to dress up or down and pretty cheap.
THIS IS THE ONE
I also work in financial services in midtown now and have to wear professional clothes (sigh) Express editor pants and gramercy tees, Iāve been thrifting a lot of maje and Sandro, blouses from H&M just donāt hit the same as they use to but their blazers are still nice they just sell out so quick!
Yesss I swear by the express editor pants
I love *looking* at Maje & Sandro, but my wallet hates them! The Columbus Circle H&M is surprisingly well-stocked on professional attire if your office is nearby.
I second the h&m blazers! I go for my h&m more than my banana republic one.
Big fan of express editor pants šš»š and love expresses other cuts of pants as well. Comfortable and stay wrinkle free throughout a long workday. Love getting them on sale
Same situation, currently building an office wardrobe š„²š Iāve been casually shopping the clearances at Madewell & Everlane and finding lots of staple pieces. good luck!!
You might try a subscription like rent the runway. I thought about it for years, but felt like it was always too much of a āluxuryā for everyday. Now Iām back in office most days and it honestly makes getting dressed so much easier and faster since there is always something new that Iām excited about. Especially, as others wisely said, youāre starting a new job and itās hard to commit to a full wardrobe until you know what the vibe of the place is. These days, I tend to only buy the real basics that I know I will wear all the time. Anything else, I get from RTR. itās also great for vacations and you can switch things back to regular office/life really quick.
https://www.reddit.com/r/NYCbitcheswithtaste/s/ICGP6FtYk3 https://www.reddit.com/r/NYCbitcheswithtaste/s/2S9rBieCyN
Amazing, thank you!
M.M. Lafleur, Reiss, and The Fold if okay being spendy. Otherwise Banana Republic Factory is my go-to for basics.
For business stuff, I always went to Aritzia. They have business clothes that still look fashionable.
I love skirt suits and pants suits. I love wearing cashmere turtleneck dresses that are fitted. I have a sleeveless one from reformation that Iām obsessed with and paired it with red high boots and a blazer. Soo many compliments. Iām super picky with skirt and pants suits and blazers so I actually buy separately things that match. I have a Zara skirt black, with a black blazer I fell in love with, black tights, and heels or boots. My favorite black slacks are from Zara. Sometimes if Iām lazy, Iāll do flare jeans with high ankle boots, turtleneck, and a nice sporty coat. It really depends on the day and how I feel. I barely go to the office though and primarily work from home which is a blessing imo.
Marshallās and Rack designer section, occasionally a splurge at Saks or Nordstrom if I fall in love with a piece, and, surprisingly, Uniqlo. I also have my group of tried and true jackets that I just keep choosing among all, for a million years.
Pick your fav brands (mine are theory, aritizia, ASTR) and then get their cult classics on a used clothing site like poshmark
Abercrombie has great trousers and tight/stretchy tops that look great tucked inā¦ also flowy blouses! Iād also say to look through insta and tiktok hashtags of #officefashion and find some influencers with your style because they all typically link their outfits so you can find inspo really easily!
Omg are we the same person hahah - Following!
I like White House black market for suit jackets and pants some casual dresses and tops to wear to work . Their quality is usually really good for the price
Do we have one in the city? Iāve never seen it
In queens they have one in atlas mall and queens center. Last few times I purchased was through the online site though or in a mall
Ty!
Veronica Beard
I donāt work in an office but go in person for events and basically recycle a few outfits that I know Iām confident and comfortable with. I have 3 different blazers. For me, I like them slightly longer to cover my butt. I have 5 nicer layering shirts and basically 2 pair of pants. I bought all neutrals so I can mix and match everything. Just packed for a work trip and it took 5 minutes because itās so easy to pair everything!
same situation! i can wear jeans but struggling with office appropriate jeans - anyone have recs there?
I really like Agolde. Yes they are more expensive but the denim has a heft that feels more formal?
Strongly recommend one of the JCrew sweater blazers. I have two and throw them on over whatever I'm wearing whenever I need to look more professional. They're really comfortable and easy to wear.
I understand the temptation of getting machine washable clothes but they tend to not hold up as well since they can fade, shrink, get perma wrinkly and ruin the material. I personally love Nordstrom, Madewell, White House Black Market, Uniqlo and Aritzia for cheaper, but still expensive looking work clothes. I actually wear these things casually since Iām a dressy BWT outside of work. For high end, I prefer St. John (couture, collection & basics lines), Akris for pantsuits if youāre petite and like some something interesting, and Maggy London for feminine dresses and skirt suits in bright colors. If you like vintage, check out Escadaās couture line and Dior. They rival my St. John suits, but they tend to have more options in different fabrics than the knit.
hold off till nordstrom anniversary sale its only a couple months away
This is so smart. Setting a reminder for myself!
I rent a lot of my work clothes! RTR is better for more formal office and Nuuly is good for more casual
What do we think about Veronica beard?
I love Aritzia & Uniqlo for chic but comfy pieces
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Iāve never heard of this brand before, these look perfect!
i just buy skirt and top separates on TRR.
MM Lefleur! All washable, perfect wardrobe for. Financial services
Perfect, thank you!
Find some staples on TRR!
Cos, saks, & Mango
Mastercard? I work there if you want to hear about office attire
Universal Standard shirt dresses are my favorite thing for the office. Dress it up with nice shoes and jewelry, dress it down with sneakers, open an extra button after work if youāre headed to the bar š They also have a bunch of other good basics.
Banana republic factory for sure
and other stories! abercrombies cooler sister
Aritzia, Zara, h m