Which Are Your Favorite Stores to Step Up Your Work Wardrobe?

Commenters had a great threadjack the other day about the best stores to step up your work wardrobe, and I thought it would make a great larger discussion here. So do tell, readers: Where do you shop when you're looking for a few great pieces to elevate your collection? What are your favorite stores for when you want to step up your work wardrobe?

The original poster, an in-house lawyer, noted that she was in pretty good shape and “feeling like it's time to step up my work clothes a bit.” She noted that her workplace was pretty casual — no jeans and no sneakers, and that she mostly wears pants and sweaters. She explained she was “tired of shopping at the same mass market stores” and was really looking for recommendations for clothing websites that might be a bit less popular.

We offered general tips on how to step up your working wardrobe when you want a promotion, such as wearing a suit, wearing more structured pieces, wearing a watch, and “sleek-ifying” your hair — but we didn't get into actual stores in that post.

Readers' Favorite Stores to Step Up Their Work Clothes

Some readers noted that independent boutiques could be great for this — a small, local business where you might be able to make a connection with a sales associate who would learn your wardrobe needs and your style. Still, others noted that independent boutiques were more for “fancy SAHMs vs. executive women.”

One reader noted, “I don’t think you need to go the independent boutique route to escape having the same clothes as your office mates. There’s a lot of companies in between. When I wear Brooks Brothers or the occasional Garnet Hill sweater to the office, it’s very clear that nobody else has so much as seen their websites. And I’m in the US, but I also occasionally buy online from Marks & Spencer or Boden because again, they have reasonable clothes that aren’t immediately recognizable.”

Some of the other stores readers called out:

• & Other Stories
• Amour Vert
• Anthropologie
• Aritzia
• Boden
• Brooks Brothers
• Evereve
• Everlane
• Frankie Shop
• Garnet Hill
• Joules (now via Next)
• LaRedoute
• Mango
• Marks & Spencer
• Sézane
• Talbots (a number of readers noted that they can be surprising; here's our roundup of the reader favorites)
• Tuckernuck
• Uniqlo
• Vince
• Zara

The Best Stores to Step Up Your Work Wardrobe (IMHO)

Long ago, we had a “next step” series that included ways to step up your work wardrobe… One of those was a roundup of professional clothing brands for all budgets.

In addition to the ones the readers mentioned, some of the mid-level workwear brands I'd also suggest include Arket, COS, Club Monaco, Karen Millen, Quince, The Reset, Universal Standard, and Wolf & Badger.

Stores that have workwear that's just a bit more expensive include Agnes B, Another Tomorrow, ba&sh, Frances Valentine, Hobbs, Judith & Charles, LK Bennett, Me + Em, Milly, Oak & Fort, Rebecca Taylor, Reiss, Trina Turk, and Tory Burch.

(It's worth noting that if you haven't checked out these stores in a long time, you may want to take a look, as many of them have significantly changed price points… For example, Brooks Brothers used to be a bit more expensive but now focuses on more affordable clothes. Meanwhile, Lafayette 148 New York used to be a bit more affordable (although still pricey); it has now raised prices significantly to the “fancy” zone.)

Obviously, there are a ton more of small brands on the fancier side!

Readers, what are your thoughts — what are your favorite stores to comb through when you're looking for a few great pieces to elevate your collection? What are your favorite stores for when you want to step up your work wardrobe?

Stock photo via Pexels / Ron Lach.