Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.
Today we’re loving this dress from Lauren by Ralph Lauren. We like the deep V, the empire waist, and the swingy skirt that looks professional yet kicky at the same time. We’d wear it with a bold, colorful necklace, and a fitted sweater or cropped jacket — you want to keep the clean line on the top half of your body. It’s $124 at Nordstrom. Lauren by Ralph Lauren Faux Wrap Matte Jersey Dress
Editor’s Note — We’ve noticed that a lot of commenters have noted that they’d like to see Corporette feature more A-line shapes — our hesitation has always been that it’s very difficult to find that shape in professional-looking clothes; so many end up looking like ladies-who-lunch clothes (or worse, party clothes). Maybe we’re looking in the wrong places, though — if any of you pear-shaped ladies have brands or stores that you absolutely adore (for work clothes), please let us know.
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I have this dress in the multi-colored print. It fits well and pretty true to size. I’m tall (5’9″) and it hits my knee right around where it hits that model’s.
for a-lines in work clothes — talbots. I know the reputation may be that this is something your grandmother would wear but they often have very professional suits & great petites/plus size sections.
This looks like a great dress, thanks for adding in something better for pear shapes.
I haven’t really had any luck in the non-pencil area (hence requesting more looks), but if I do have to go with a pencil, Nanette Lepore, BCBG, and Ann Taylor tend to fit me the best. They seem to be a bit more generous in the hip area than some of the other brands more commonly featured.
A-line can be work appropriate, given the right color and fabric. I second the person who suggest Ann Taylor. Another request—could we make some attempt at suggestions for the plus size corporettes out there? Maybe even make it a reader’s question?
I still think this looks too evening for work. I think its the wide neckline.
Isn’t this a little low-cut for work?
I would definitely suggest Ann Taylor/Ann Taylor Loft. I used to be a sales associate at the Loft and we catered to a lot of pear shape body types.
I agree that this dress looks nice for evening, maybe a work cocktail party, but I wouldnt wear it to work on a regular day. I think Amy and Nic are right– too wide of a neckline and too low cut.
I agree with Amy and Nic–the neckline would be way too low on me. I don’t like cleavage at work, and I don’t think it’s a very professional look.
I agree with Amy and Nic (too evening, too low-cut) but it might work with a jacket.
I suspect the girls saying it’s too low-cut aren’t busty. Those of us who are get used to wearing a camisole under almost EVERYTHING, and this dress would be fine with one.
As for a lines, I’ve had good luck with Ann Taylor too, and sometimes the Loft.
Heather, two plus-size recommendations: igigi.com and eshakhti.com. Both have lots of clothing that aren’t appropriate for work, but with some more-interesting-than-Lane-Bryant professional choices mixed in too.
Frankly, it’s not just that we’d like to see A-line shapes; plus-size shapes are also welcome and encouraged. You have only once featured a plus-size dress. Newsflash: women who are partners and senior associates (and even regular associates) are not all regular women’s sizes.
I will outright disagree with you regarding the A-line comment. It is absolutely (in my opinion) necessary as a curvy size 8 to wear A-line or gored skirts, pencil skirts are far too sexy. Frankly, I do not want men who could be my father staring at my toosh. A quality structured garment made of woven fabrics that fits properly tends to be more appropriate than say, the jersey dress above.
Banana Republic usually has a few suits with a non-pencil skirt option. I have had especially good luck at their outlet stores. I also firmly believe that fun pieces from anthropologie can be easily toned down with a conservative jacket and hair style.
Just a note to the plus sized women, while Ann Taylor and Loft do not carry plus sizes per se, they go up to size 18 and the clothes seem to run very large. Compared to what I wear in other brands, I am usually a size or two smaller there than I am elsewhere.
This dress is too low cut for work. If worn by a busty woman, her breasts would show. Not something I like to see at work.
I’d recommend pieces from the lines of Nic&Zoe, Joseph Ribkoff, and Bently A. While they may be more colorful and non-suit for the traditional corporette, I find the colors, cuts for real women in misses sizes and curves, and ability to mix/match with solids from the closet make them very functional. Again – may be more of a pattern stretch for court and meetings, but great for everyday professional looks. Here in Texas, we do wear color! Finally, I find them at boutiques rather than the traditional department stores, which are rather all the same imho. Gotta love the sales at Talbot’s for basics and layering items (as well as a source of mostly all solid pieces).
um, not to be rude, but couldnt you start a blog for plus sized professional women’s clothing, if you believe there is such a demand? I thought the point was for the editors to show us (the readers) thier choices for clothing for professional women? I’m sorry, but I have zero interest in seeing plus size clothing in the TPS section. If something comes in regular and plus size, wonderful! but, if not, I think this blog should continue catering to the 00-16 population.
Talbot’s Woman is good for plus sizes, of course, and Salon Z @ Saks, Nordstrom, Lord & Taylor…
Don’t forget to check Lands End from time to time. They have some top quality wool suits and cotton shirts and shells.
A-line may look ladies-who-lunch, but on my extra round butt, pencil looks way too vavavoom! A decent compromise if I can find it is a skirt that falls straight down visually from the widest part of my hips –it will have to be wider than a straight pencil, but not necessarily a big A.
One of the changes we’re hoping to make eventually is to have a separate page to feature plus-sized clothing (with its own RSS feed and/or newsletter) and a maternity section, also, featuring maternity clothes. But we still have to figure out some technical issues with making it happen… let alone finding the time to find the clothes to feature.
And, agreed, today’s dress would be too low cut on a busty woman — but if you’re pear-shaped, I think by definition you’re *not* busty (because if you were then you’d be an hourglass, not a pear). Just our $.02.
Though it’s worth noting that A line sillouhettes also look good on busty women, because it provides some balance and gives the illusion of a more hourglass sillouhette.
Donna Ricco dresses often have more structured a-line skirts, which look professional but give you some movement in the hips. See, e.g., http://www.donnaricco.com/productdisplay.aspx?p=551.
Agree with Anon 2:12–I’m tired of people complaining that Corporette features clothes that fit “regular” sizes. If you want a blog for plus-sized clothes, start your own. Frankly, in my office, there really aren’t any plus-sized female associates or partners–SF is a very health-conscious area.
But fwiw, I love A-lines and have never thought they always make me look like a lady who lunches.
A-lines are also more practical for women who walk to work and who don’t like to feel hobbled under any circumstances. Do any of you ever think of sewing your own clothes, by the way? Skirts and dresses are easy.
Yeah, Jay, people are hot in SF. Too bad about all the douchebags.
It’s not about having a blog for plus-sized clothes, it’s about the fact that Corporette is a “fashion and lifestyle blog for overachieving chicks.” That includes plus-sized women.
Agreed with many – only okay for work IF you wear a camisole. Which I think looks kinda dumpy under a wrap dress.
I hope Corporette doesn’t cave to the plus-sized whining going on here. Anyone looking at an outfit posted here probably takes into consideration how it would look given her own body type. I’m short and have big hips. Not everything’s going to work for me, and someone’s considerations about weight shouldn’t be that different.
1) if it’s too low-cut on you (which, it appears to be for most) – use a cami. pretty much any color but brown, dark blue or yellow (does anyone else share my bumblebee aversion? yellow with gray only, please) would be cute.
2) in re the plus size debate. As a “normal” size, part of the reason I like this blog is not because I treat it as an online catalog – but because sometimes a picture sticks with me as I shop (or shop in my own closet). Anyone can enjoy the inspiration. I suspect part of the problem is that even for a featured item that comes in sizes 0-16 or 20, the size 0 is the size that’s used for taking the picture of the item. C can’t help that.
3) C – I don’t think most people using “busty” uses it in the sense of disproportionately large bust to hip ratio – more that a generous helping of cleavage, anywhere from a B to an FF, no matter what your pants size, can be tricky in a dress or neckline like this.
Well, I’m an hourglass, not a pear, and as a matter of fact, I can’t wear pencil skirts, either — at least not any that I’ve tried on. So thank you for the recommendation.
The anti-plus-size comments here are pretty disheartening. Professional women come in all sizes, and to hear that non-plus-sized people aren’t interested in seeing plus-size clothing, presumably because they can’t wear it, when they expect plus-sized readers of Corporette to be thrilled to see example after example of items of clothing *they* can’t wear, seems pretty hypocritical to me.
Try Calvin Klein, Lauren by Ralph Lauren and Tahari for professional dresses, some straight and some A-line. I find them at Macy’s, Nordstrom and when all the stars are aligned, Nordstrom Rack.
And speaking of which, this dress is way too low-cut, and I’m tired of camisoles.
I’m a size 4/6 and see no problem with a plus size column or at least some plus size options featured once in a while. Jeez people, the average woman in this country is size 12! As long as the site continues to feature clothes for non-plus size as well, I don’t see any problem with including some clothes for the plus size population as well.
There is nothing wrong with a pencil skirt if you have a big butt!
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