Businesswoman by day, weight lifter by night

sofchak

Hi there!

Wondering if any female weight lifters have a ‘go to’ clothing brand for form fitting business attire.

Almost every blazer or shirt I try on these days is either too small in the arms or too big in the waist. My fashionista friend says it’s the curse of the “inverted triangle frame.” *shrug*

All I know is no professional attire (WHBM, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, etc) seems to fit me right anymore and I don’t plan to stop lifting anytime soon... so looking for solutions. Anyone out there know a tried and true brand in the US for this body type?

livingleanlivingclean

Buy and alter - I don't wear suits, but I know my husband has never worn one without needing it altered and I don't see why women's items should be any different.

rose2_0

Hm...My arms and shoulders grew this past year but Ann Taylor runs so big I can usually still wear a small. Have you tried upping your size?

My problem is my bottom but I guess we are opposite shapes.

jennacole12

Same issue here, I’ve had to have all my WHBM suits altered.

mom23mangos

My shirts and blazers are tight in the arms and my pants are tight in the thighs. I wear as much sleeveless as possible with a cardigan. Stretchy pants and dresses. I wear a lot more dresses and skirts nowadays. I've never felt comfortable in them, but they just fit so much better now and look more professional.

sofchak

Thanks for the feedback. Was hoping to avoid altering as these business suits already cost so much money before tacking on another $20-40 to make adjustments via a good tailor. Seems like it’s the most optimal approach though...

sofchak

rose2_0 wrote: »

Hm...My arms and shoulders grew this past year but Ann Taylor runs so big I can usually still wear a small. Have you tried upping your size?.

AT is almost comical at this point for me. I’ll spare you the details...safe to say I’ve tried all the creative angles with sizing since AT was my fave store for a long time. But thanks for the thought.

amyinthetardis1231

NY & Co makes button up shirts with a lot of stretch in them. Have you tried those?

COGypsy

amyinthetardis1231 wrote: »

NY & Co makes button up shirts with a lot of stretch in them. Have you tried those?

Watch out for those shirts--I think the Madison shirt was the one I had a few of. The ones I've gotten all have to be starched and pressed every time you wear them in order to look decent. They were cute and fit really well, but the cleaning bill just wasn't worth it.

hesn92

I have a co-worker who has pretty muscular arms and legs and she wears a lot of dresses, even in the winter she will wear dresses with leggings or tights and boots