Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.
Reiss is another retailer that is fairly new to the States that has some great work pieces (despite their apparent affinity this season for the double-breasted blazer — do those look good on any woman?). For today’s TPS, we’re liking this wrap dress, available in “shell pink” (pictured) and black. We like the pleat details in the front, and we like the fact that the styling seems reminiscent of knitwear rather than a silky acetate, which is what the dress is. We’d probably wear it with layers — perhaps a gray long-sleeved crewneck beneath and gray tights until the weather is warmer, and then perhaps a simple white slip beneath it for the summer. It’s $255 at Reiss.co.uk. Reiss Sky Dress
If you’ve recently seen a great work piece you’d like to recommend to the readers, please e-mail editor@corporette.com with “TPS” in the subject line. Unless you ask otherwise, we’ll refer to you by your first initial.
{ 61 comments… read them below or add one }
It looks like a short-sleeved bathrobe (to be fair, if it didn’t have the wide lapel, it probably wouldn’t).
That was my first thought, too.
Agree
I loved this until I started seeing a karate uniform. Now I can’t un-see it.
Actually my first thought was a Jedi-style robe. But that just may be the sci fi geek in me coming out.
Yup, bathrobe.
very elegant
i NEED this. it’s lovely.
I can see the bathrobe analogy, but I like it. I wish the neckline were higher, though. I’m tired of wearing camis underneath everything. The pink would wash me out, but I could see others looking very good in this.
It looks like the shirt version of Meryl Streep’s Oscar dress which I was not a fan of.
That’s exactly what I thought! But I liked her dress.
I thought that too!
I still think the suggestion to wear long-sleeved shirts (crewneck OR turtleneck) under a dress is always a mistake and in poor taste. It’s not layering, it’s just weird!
I agree; I can’t imagine layering anything other than a camisole under this dress.
I will second that!! …more often than not long sleeves under short sleeves looks wrong. Suit shirts under a sweater VEST sure, long sleeves under a slouchy almost-Kimono style sweater (a la Banana Republic), great! But long under short is tough to do well, takes *just the right* combination, and usually looks off to me.
I think it is really difficult to pull of a long-sleeved-shirt-and-tights under an otherwise warm-weather dress without looking like a 4-year old girl (who really, really wanted to wear her favorite pink dress and mom finally said fine, but we had to wear pants/tights and a sweater underneath it…silly looking, but a good compromise!)
I disagree, I’ve seen it done well many times in a professional environment. It takes some advanced styling skills and a good eye, however. Each component has to be fashionable and fit well on its own and the fabrics must be complementary. I definitely wouldn’t throw just any long sleeve shirt and tights underneath this, but the concept definitely is not “always a mistake and in poor taste.”
I agree. I do this all the time, and I think it looks great. You just have to have a good feel for what works together in terms of tone & texture.
I really disagree. Done the right way, it can be lovely and sophisticated.
I’d love to see some links to photos where this layering is stylish, sophisticated, and office appropriate. I feel like I’ve seen a lot of examples of how NOT to do it but no good examples of how to do it correctly.
I think the best examples of good layering are runway pictures, but of course many of these looks won’t translate directly to office wear. However, it’s a good way to see how different colors, styles, and textures work together and you can apply those principles to normal work attire. Here are a few:
http://www.runwaydaily.com/runwaydaily/2008/02/new-york-fas-10.html
http://fashionstyleadvice.com/how-to-layer-clothing-and-look-fashionable/
http://www.refinery29.com/fashion-week-trend-turtlenecks.php
Lucky magazine’s website also has a great section of styling advice and how-to videos, I know they cover layering issues frequently.
Dunno about poor taste, but layering anything of any substance under this would definitely look odd, IMO. I’d certainly need two different sizes, the larger one to fit the crewneck under it, the smaller for a slip/cami. As for a shirt, just no, this lightweight dress over it would look like a topographical map somewhere hilly.
Also, I’d have to see the fabric in person, certainly a few years ago acetate could be pretty nasty. Have they improved the manufacturing process much lately?
Like the cut, though.
I disagree. I’d wear this with a colorful turtleneck, and gray tights.
yikes
I think the best examples of good layering are runway pictures, but of course many of these looks won’t translate directly to office wear. It’s a good way to see how different colors, styles, and textures work together though, and you can apply those principles to normal work attire. Here are a few:
http://www.runwaydaily.com/runwaydaily/2008/02/new-york-fas-10.html
http://fashionstyleadvice.com/how-to-layer-clothing-and-look-fashionable/
http://www.refinery29.com/fashion-week-trend-turtlenecks.php
Lucky magazine’s website also has a great section of styling advice and how-to videos, I know they cover layering issues frequently.
Another store here in London that I love yet cannot afford!
Another shop here in Dublin that I cannot afford yet bought the most expensive item in my life in! I actually looked at the dress (not this one), loved it, walked out of the shop, couldn’t stop thinking about it, walked back in to try it on just so that I would have seen it on me, loved it, walked out… and walked back in and put it on the credit card. I simply could NOT stop thinking about it.
:^ ) I did that with a necklace once, only there was an hour’s drive involved. Still have it, still love it.
LOVE this. But I’m too busty and look bad in belts. Which I think is a good thing, because I’d otherwise spend the money :)
It’s gorgeous. I love it!
I think it’s fabulous!! Of course, I would probably spill coffee on it first thing at work….but it’s beautiful :)
This is a really lovely dress. Am sad that it is only available in the pale pink, which would basically be a nude on me …
C mentioned they also have it in black, see here:
http://www.reiss.co.uk/us/shop/womens/dresses/sky/black/
I second the suggestion to illustrate examples of good layering. I’ve been doing it a lot lately, and now I’m worrying I’m one of the bad ones mentioned above! Yikes!
TTGrl, this is purely a personal opinion, but I think long sleeves sticking out from under short sleeves looks… peculiar. Obviously, this does not include sleeveless vests, which to me look dated, whether worn with shirts or sweaters under them.
Also, anything that is clearly meant to be a dress, worn with something else under it and the underneath sleeves sticking out… a bit odd. If you need something for warmth, it goes on top.
I wear a cowl neck sweater dress over fitted pin-striped dress pants and I also wear a red NY and Company button front shirt under a short sleeved gray boatneck sweater tee with dark dress pants.
Did I read this correctly – a dress worn over pants? For work?
Oh, duh. Glad someone was paying attention – thanks! As for a good example of layering – I do remember C doing a post on this a while back showing the look, but apparently my research skills are lacking bc I can’t find it (and after poking around for a few minutes this is all I can come up with – I don’t actually like this dress that much but it does have the layering idea: http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=26503&vid=1&pid=699323)
In other news, the gray flats I bought not too long ago are on sale at BR for lucky size 8 1/2. They are super comfortable and I get compliments on them all the time (I mainly wear them with jeans, but I’ve worn them to my fairly casual office with dark brownish pants, too).
http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=26508&vid=1&pid=688685&scid=688685002
Ok, I couldn’t leave it alone – here’s a link to the more recent C post on the subject, but I know there was an older one with pictures, too.
http://corporette.com/2009/11/19/reader-mail-what-to-do-with-an-ultrafine-turtleneck/
Darn, too late! I’m a lucky size 8 1/2, but they are all gone. Could use some gray flats, since my bad pregnant back has suddenly confined me to all flats, all the time.
Off topic, but I wanted to put a shout out for Classiques Entier pencil skirts from Nordstrom. I’m quite curvy and thought that I could never look good in pencil skirts because of my hips, but these skirts look really good on me and flatter pear/triangle body shapes. Woo hoo!
I ordered some pants and a sweeater from this line, after it was recommended on a thread last week and have to say I’m in love with the quality. The fit is great, too. Will have to check out the skirts.
Good to know, thank you! I love the look of pencil skirts and have never yet found one I could wear – I’ll have to check these out.
Very welcome! I love the quality of this brand and the fit is very, very flattering. I have only bought the tweed skirts at this point – the heavier fabric is more forgiving, and I also wear Flexees (like Spanx) underneath. I haven’t tried a thinner wool fabric, but I will sometime soon.
It is expensive, but I buy all of their stuff online and always on sale. Nordstrom Rack probably has some good deals as well on Classiques clothing, but unfortunately it’s far from my house.
They are fantastic but sadly not in my price range. I do wear other pencil skirts, but I often have to get them altered to fit right. The ones I’ve tried from Classiques fit me perfectly.
Seconded! I find Classiques Entier excellent for my curvy/pear shape. I have a suit I love (all three pieces) and two tops that are my go-to confidence building blouses. The quality is very good which makes it a very good value IMO. Many people talk about Theory but I’ve never looked good in their stuff — but I would highly recommend CE. Feel like a grown-up in the stuff.
E – I’m with you on Theory. I think it is made for really really straight figures. I’m normally a size 4 or 6 but even so, everything that I try on that’s Theory makes me look big and awkward.
When you depend upon layering (shirt under, jacket over) for appropriateness, you are really in trouble if the office if overheated or the day gets warmer and you need to take something off. For work it is better to be dressed so that if the top layer comes off you are still in good shape. That said, this dress has too much going on.
I am in need of something other than my basic black jacket to wear with skirts on days I don’t wear a suit. Chadwicks has a ton of jackets/blazers on sale (under $20). What is everyone’s opinion of Chadwicks? Thanks.
Haven’t bought there for a long time, but when I did the quality was not good. If you’re looking for something that you are literally going to wear once, maybe but if you are thinking of this as a work horse piece, I’d save up and by something else.
Lovely! I’m just not sure how practical it is for work because of the color. I’m always afraid to wear white or off-white to work. I’m usually working at a desk or conference table with pens, highlighters and coffee – ink and coffee could ruin this dress. For that reason, I’d have to pass unless I bought it for church or some other non-work function.
I just realized that it’s available in black so that addresses my concern about the color. Yes!!!
Absolutely beautiful dress — and so elegant! I could see it with a fitted, short black cardigan and a camisole.
Waaah…just started poking around their site and drooling, and then realized their sizes only go up to US 10. That’s even worse than the department store upscale designer size limits!
Agreed. Went into their NYC shop over a year ago. The window display drew me in. I walked out when nothing would cover my size 12 “office butt.” Sad day. I don’t normally feel fat, but this store made me feel like a whale.
would love if some of the girls in our office could come in dressed that well, then again, some of them should stay in their jeans…
Boob city. Lovely but unwearable for me. The cleavage would trash it up, and I don’t think layers would keep the elegant simplicity intact. Sadface.
Going back to the layering, I’ve been known to put a 3/4 length sleeved cardigan over a long-sleeved collared shirt, and then sort of rolling the shirt sleeve up a bit to the 3/4 length. I could have sworn I saw the first lady doing this in a photo someplace, and I liked the look. Well, I figure it’s all so basic anyway, a button down and a cardigan, that no one’s going to notice little ol’ me and whatever fashion faux-pas I have!!
Just wanted to shout out that as Reiss is a Euro-brand, they have FANTASTIC sales in January and July. So if you covet…hold your breath that this style might make it to sale-time.
This dress looks very “Nurse Betty” to me. All thats missing is the little had with the red cross and white tights.
The black is just ok.
I think you’re right… and the skinny belt isn’t helping any.
The shawl collar is a soft way to sport a collar and is one of my favorite styles. It would be nice under a blazer as well.
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