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Where do you shop for work clothes?

I need to buy some business-casual clothes for my internship but I'm having such a hard time finding things that I like. I have a few pairs of pants and a couple dresses but I really need to find some tops. I love H&M so I usually go there but where else can I find some work clothes that aren't too frumpy? (That's DH's favorite word when I take him shopping with me- he tells me everything I pick up is "frumpy". I need a new shopping buddy.)

And another random question...do you think it's appropriate to wear a knee-length dress/skirt without pantyhose? I really hate them but I honestly have no idea what the norm is- please don't laugh at me =) 

Re: Where do you shop for work clothes?

  • I cringe at pantyhose- just make sure your legs are not dried out- bare legs are the norm!

    Gosh, I don't think any of my clothes are frumpy! I shop at Banana Republic, mostly (including the outlet) but often find good things at J Crew and Limited as well. You could try Ann Taylor Loft but I am between sizes there and as tiny as you are, you are probably not going to be able to get into their clothes. BR makes a 00 that you can try. J Crew may be out for you- even their 0s hang on me and I am like 200x your size! 

    Happy shopping! 

  • I agree with Punky, I don't think anyone wears hose anymore! I also love Banana Republic and Ann Taylor Loft. Sometimes NY&Company has some good things too.
  • I love H&M too, especially for work clothes.  I would think that it would be hard to find something "frumpy" there, they are pretty trendy!  Ann Taylor Loft is also good, and I go to Macy's a bunch simply because they have a lot of stuff.

    I agree that skipping the hose is fine, unless you are uncomfortable with your skin.  I'm fine with mine but I get cold very easily (and my office is often chilly) so I frequently wear tights.   Actually, I'm always hunting for more tights with fun patterns & colors, they are kind of addictive.

  • Almost everything I own for work comes from NY&Co or The Limited. They have super cute stuff.

    As for the hose, I'd say they're optional. I don't wear them because I also hate them!

  • My go to places for work clothes (prior to maternity wear) were New York & Co, Ann Taylor Loft (& Outlet), and Gap.  I found that I sometimes liked the things at the Loft Outlet better than those in the regular store ... they often have very different selections.
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  • I used to buy all my work clothes at NY&Co.  They had suits, dresses and more casual pieces that I could mix and match.  I never felt frumpy.  Also, make sure that where your internship does not have a hose policy - where I work you are supposed to wear them but I get away with not wearing them right now b/c I am pregnant and they're uncomfortable, but most places have a dress code in place and it may say you need to wear them - you can always swap them out though for knee highs.  No one will guess you're wearing them and they're more comfy than hose.
  • I just switched jobs and have to do business casual.  Lately, I have found a lot of cute business casual things at the Lord and Taylor in Burlington.  The one in Natick has NOTHING...Burlington is a lot better.  I also like Banana but I have gotten kind of bored with their stuff.  AT is a good place too but I am tall and their stuff just does not fit me properly.
  • I have a TON of work clothes from New York & Company- they always have great sales, they have a wide selection of different styles of clothes, and everything always looks very neat and professional.  And you can find varying degrees of formality there- everything from formal suits to plain "almost tshirt" shirts.  Their sizing is pretty accurate too, I believe, and if one style of pants or skirt doesn't fit the way you want, just try another.  

    As far as pantyhose goes, no one except a formal office will expect you to wear hose.  If they described their dress code as business casual, or really anything other than formal business attire, you can skip it.  Like an earlier poster stated, just make sure you are comfortable with your skin.  I would wear hose in the winter months sometimes, just because my legs got so pale. 

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  • I shop all over the place.  Many of them are staples that PPs have already mentioned, like Ann Taylor (and AT Loft & AT Outlet) and occasionally BR (though I haven't liked their stuff much the last few years though).  Macy's often has great sales and petite stuff that I like, Nordstrom's for essentials that I can wear forever (and there's the new Nordstrom Rack in Shopper's World), Eddie Bauer, J.Crew.  TJMaxx, Marshall's, and Filene's Basement can also be great places for nice pieces at a discount.
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