Only Clothes that fit and make me feel beautiful...

peleroja

I HATE BUYING WORK CLOTHES. I'm on the cusp of being too small for women's sizes (depending on the store- American places like Express, Banana Republic, etc. are hopeless because even the 0s are so big, while European stuff like Zara tends to be a bit better) and buying work appropriate clothes are almost non-existent in juniors. I hate figuring out what to wear so much.

I have three pairs of trousers that fit (identical, in different colours) and I wear them with sweaters layered over tee shirts and under blazers so I look like an adult. But blazers in women's sizes are the worst for someone like me with a relatively small waist and narrow shoulders. I look like I'm playing dress up with my mom's stuff unless I layer the sweaters under and leave jackets unbuttoned. I need a tailor.

I'm not even that small! What do actually skinny women do? All the tiny Asian ladies in my office tower presumably buy clothes somewhere....

SuzyLy

My favorite for work is Jones of NY, Macy's for bras and Victoria Secrets for cotton undies.

SummerLovesPhil

I'm a college professor and am having the same issues. I can't wear jeans, tee shirts and workout gear to class!

You must not be tenured. I was lucky if half my professors put pants on before coming to class. But then, math people...

ggxx100

Ohh lord I could do so much damage in terms of shopping...

I'm not a brand chaser, but quality and fit are very important. Topshop, Asos, and Zara are all great in terms of affordability!

In terms of office wear, I can't shop at Ann Taylor or Banana Republic ...I'm very petite and their 0 is more of a 4, thanks to vanity sizing. I do most of my shopping for work pants and suits at online stores like Net-a-porter or Bluefly and get them tailored (again, being 5'1 and 95 lbs doesn't help-I get everything altered). Though the prices of designer labels can be ridiculous, there are usually waist sizes rather than numbers, and more customizable options. European/international stores have less vanity sizing, I've found.

My go-to work outfit is probably a Phillip Lim trouser, Zara blouse and some form of streamlined blazer. Paired with a pointed Jimmy Choo pump of course, because I won't skimp on shoes. Maybe on everything else, but not the shoes. :laugh:

calliekitten9

I shop almost exclusively at thrift stores. It's still not very easy, especially because all of my slacks have to be longs - but I have found some amazing professional clothes. I have a couple of short cut wool suits that are really wonderful for winter. I have to be really picky, but most of my most favorite pieces came from either Goodwill or Savers. I have a pair of Brooks Brothers cashmere slacks that I got for $3, and they've never been worn. Find the thrift or consignment stores in the upscale part of town, and you'll be shocked what you can find. :d

I also buy all my clothes at a thrift store....I shop at Value Village and Unique. I can't shop at retail stores anymore....typically I can find dresses for around $8, jeans for around $6, tops for around $6, blazers for around $7. Some of the brands that I have found: White House/Black Market, Ann Taylor, Jones New York, Kenneth Cole, Talbots, INC, Banana Republic...you do have to hunt because it is stuff that people have donated...but I'd rather spend a day at the thrift store than going store to store to store. I also do a monthly purge of my closet and give clothes to friends or donate them back.

jenniferkuper

I am also an Express and WHBM fan!

jayrudq

I am so particular and fit and quality are very important to me. I think the bigger I got, the more important they became...and now, well I am really struggling finding the new me in terms of clothes. I naturally gravitate to the styles and cuts I wore when I was bigger. And now that I don't need to wear them...I am a little lost! I still have 10 pounds and at least one more size to lose, so no hurry.

YOOX. Love it. Literally thousands of designer clothes. Actually, too many. Going through 100's of sweaters, or dresses takes a long time! But...it is worth it. Severely discounted, free shipping over $200 and a $6 return policy. I literally will charge $300 or $400 dollars worth of clothes, try them all on and then return what I don't want and it costs me $6. And the clothes are unique, great quality and cut. I get the most compliments on the things I have ordered from there. If you know your style, size and fit, it is a great store to shop from.

Otherwise, it is boutiques. I look for unique...not mass manufactured.

KANGOOJUMPS

like sexy lingerie

sugboog29

I too love clothes but have actually STOPPED buying. My closet is overflowing and there is nothing I need at this time. I can honestly say if it isn't on the clearance rack I don't buy it. Probably my most expensive item in my closet is a dress I bought for my nieces wedding, it cost me $29! My favorite places to shop are Dillards, New York and Company, and Kohl's. I do have to admit I am a shoe *kitten* as well! Luckily Dillards has GREAT clearance on shoes...got a pair of Gianni Bini ankle boots last year for $10.

There is a Calvin Klein dress I have my eye on for my grandson's high school graduation...but can't bring myself to pay $90 for it...yes I am cheap!! But I will keep my eye on it and it if EVER lands on that clearance rack...it's mine...!!

GingerLolita

Can I ask why you're restricting your fabric options so much? Is it an issue of wanting to avoid man-made fibers for natural options? Because non-organic cotton does more environmental damage than many man-made materials.

Rather than focusing on quantity, I've switched my emphasis to only quality clothes that I love and will want to wear often and for a long time. My budget prevents me from shopping for clothes too often because I know that, when I do, I'll want to spend a decent amount of money and not buy wear-once-and-it-falls-apart fast fashion.

I truthfully shop anywhere and don't really have a favorite store. I don't know how you feel about online shopping, but you can get some great deals on flash sale websites like Gilt Groupe, Ideeli, and Rue La La. If you're on a budget but trying to find quality pieces, sticking with off-price stores is a great idea.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Also, somebody already mentioned this, but I feel I must repeat that avoiding products made in China, unless it is for political reasons, which I could respect, is not a valid criteria, as many countries are much worse. If you're really passionate about labor and manufacturing issues, you should do a bit more research into each particular company and factory or avoid Asian-manufactured goods entirely. But beware that the labels don't tell you everything - they often only name one country, even if the garment was made in stages throughout three countries. So it's very difficult to know where your clothing came from, especially if you're curious about materials sourcing.

zichab

I'm a college professor and am having the same issues. I can't wear jeans, tee shirts and workout gear to class!

You must not be tenured. I was lucky if half my professors put pants on before coming to class. But then, math people...

Actually, I have been tenured for over 10 years and I am a sociologist, which is really confusing right? We have always been perceived as the jeans, message t-shirts and sandals faculty! LOL. The discipline has grown up a lot and I am also over 60 so I am conscious of being age appropriate. Jeans work for the men, and younger faculty, but they tend to undermine the authority of older women professors - go figure? I find if I look more professional, students take me more seriously and hopefully learn more-at least, that is my goal. Now about the math folks......................

GoRun2

Where do you shop for petite clothes? I'd love some tips for casual clothes.

Also sharing that the consignment stores have fabulous New Year's Eve Dresses that are almost new. I bought a fabulous dress last year that still had the tags on. Sad to say, that was 30 lbs ago so it won't fit this year. ERR, happy about 30 lbs smaller, sad about the dress