The Best Work Clothes for Different Body Types

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1. I’ve never really known what my body shape is but I wear the same size bottoms and tops and am not flat (C cup chest) so I guess hourglass. My biggest challenge shopping for myself is my height (5’11”). I love dresses but not many brands make dresses that are long enough to be work appropriate on me. The majority of my work wardrobe is from The Limited, since they have a large selection of Tall dresses and those are close to knee-length on me. Many of the more budget brands mentioned here (Ann Taylor, Banana, Loft, H&M, Target) don’t have a good selection of Talls or their talls aren’t long enough for me. I love H&M for blazers though. I’ve heard good things about J. Crew but don’t generally spend that much money on clothing. I did order a couple dresses from Boden and they didn’t fit me very well. I also own a couple of Jones NY and Lands End dresses as well, but they don’t fit me that well and look kind of frumpy.

   1. +1 – length is my biggest problem too (I’m 6′ and all leg). Limited has the best tall selection by far – I wish their quality was better, but their “collection” suiting dresses are pretty good. J.Crew is also usually long enough for me (42″ dresses are my dream) – I often wait until things are on super sale there.

      Any suggestions for tall clothes that are a step up in the price/quality range from Limited/J. Crew?

      1. Layfayette 148 cuts long and larger, in my experience. Generally in the $300-400 range.

         Long Tall Sally carries some Louben and nicer brands, but it’s hit or miss.

         Shockingly, Pendleton has some really long wool skirts, rarely long blazers. Their stuff is not trendy…just basics.

         Reiss cuts long (but small). Whistles cuts long. Hobbs cuts long. Zara Woman cuts long (but small).

         I am also all leg but short-waisted so I can get away with shorter dresses and show some leg. Depends on the cut.

      2. Boden also. They have a ton of shift dresses and A-Lines that are unstructured and thus can fit talls of varying waist-points. I am seriously in love with their new season line. They have some killer dresses.

      3. I’m 5’10” and all leg, too. Talbots has shockingly great pants & skirts. I’m 25, so some of the items are not age appropriate for me, but the basics–pencil & wool skirts, pants, trousers & leggings–have all been great. Size down, they cut generously in my experience. Not quite a step up, but worth looking at.

   2. Try Maggy London (usually a 41 to 44′ hem), Eliza J dresses (usually closer to 39′ hem, but the dresses often have a couple of inches of fabric that you can let out) and Classiques Entier.

      The great thing about Nordstrom is that hem length measurements are always listed. And even if the dress is shorter, some designers are good about giving a few inches to let out.

      Mod Cloth also has a “longer lengths” category but the quality is just so so.

2. As an hourglass myself, I will never understand people who claim J. Crew is hourglass friendly, particularly with bottoms. I have literally never bought a piece of clothing from them that has fit me, with the exception of their basic Tshirts. But I am 100% on board with CK bottoms, they are fantastic. I also find NYDJ has great fit for both bottoms and tops.

   1. Agree. I am basically sir mix-a-lot’s dream body type (36-24-36? Maybe if she’s 5’3!– okay not my exact measurements, but pretty close), and I do best in Ann Taylor, CK, and Talbots. I can’t do J Crew AT ALL. Nothing there fits me. Neither does WHBM, but I think maybe that’s because I’m so short. The proportions do not work well. Banana is hit or miss. Love their pencil skirts.

      1. Funny, because I’m 5’2″ and of similar proportion, and nearly everything at WHBM fits me like it’s been made custom. But I completely agree on J Crew – not even their tshirts fit me.

   2. Another hourglass here, and I agree on J Crew, nothing there fits ever. I wear almost exclusively dresses to work. Besides what you listed, the brands that work for me are Eliza J, Tahari ASL, Maggie London, Halogen, and recently, Vince Camuto. I usually go for A-line or fit-and-flair cut, but I can sometimes find sheath dresses that work for me.

      1. Oh, and I have one Ted Baker dress that appears to have been cut for me perfectly. I’d buy so much more of his stuff if he didn’t cover almost all of his clothes in intense floral patterns – it’s too whimsical for my office.

      2. Ha, these brands are pretty much my go to for dresses as well! Fellow hourglass here. :)

   3. Just another hourglass raising her hand for the “I can’t wear jack from J Crew” team.

3. As a pear shape who wears suits almost every day I have found the most reliable fit in skirt suits is Ann Taylor. This brand allows my wider thighs and rear area to have enough room while still giving me a flattering fit. Think classy verses Kardashian.

   As with many pears I wear a size or two smaller on top then I do on bottom. So I like the option to also buy petite Blazers from Ann Taylor and regular size skirts for a best fit combination. I have short limbs so I want a sleeve that isn’t too long but prefer a longer cut skirt.

   I also have had limited success with *some* BR skirt suits but find them mostly too narrow in the thighs/rear.

   I own Ann Taylor Factor Pants in curvy fit which are by far the best fit (although not remarkable quality) work pant I have ever found.

   For weekend wear I find Loft jeans in curvy fit to be a reliable fit. I prefer the boot cut but also wear the straight cut.

   1. BR curvy cut pants work for me

      1. Also Athleta leisure bottoms fit me pretty well. I need their petite shirts though (5-4, but my waist is up by my armpits).

4. Anyone with a “petite” build who can comment on MM LaFleur dresses and how they fit? I’m a short and narrow build with somewhat of a pear shape. I’m wondering if the 0 runs large or if that would work, as I’m traditionally a 0P or 00P at stores like Ann Taylor.

   1. 0 is the only size M.M. offers in petite. That might work for you.

   2. I’m 5-4 and the Etsuko is perfect on me. In an 8.

   3. I’m 5′ 4″ and 105 lbs, so on the tall end of petite, and the Etsuko in a 0 fits me well. It’s a bit looser on me up top than it probably would be for others, but I think it still works. I did have to get it hemmed.

   4. I find MM LaFleur runs small. I’m generally a 2 or 4 in Ann Taylor, and get a 6 at MM LaFleur. Although, part of that is due to my large chest…

5. I find it interesting that very few readers identified themselves as having a straight body type last time around, as the body type calculator linked above claims that 46% of women are “banana”-shaped. Sidenote: If we are using food analogies, I’d rather be called a string bean than a banana.

   I am straight up and down and long-waisted, 5’6″, size 2 in non-vanity US sizing and US4 in British brands. Virtually nothing fits without tailoring. In my experience things can usually be fixed by tailoring if they fit in the shoulders and bust and aren’t too tight around the ribcage, where the natural waist of the garment usually falls on me. It is not so easy to take things in at the bust.

   I buy skirt suits from J. Crew and used to buy their tall sized dresses, but they don’t carry size 0 tall (which is really a 2 in normal sizing) any longer and size 2 tall always sells out instantly. The No. 2 pencil skirt fits without tailoring.

   I haven’t tried Theory due to the lack of lining, and haven’t tried Reiss because in my experience British brands tend to be too large in the bust and hips and too narrow in the waist. I am surprised to see Boden on the list for rectangles. I have found the quality and sizing at Banana Republic to be too inconsistent to bother with. Classiques Entier and Ann Taylor are too large in the bust in the size where the shoulders fit. DVF is apparently only for the well-endowed. Of Mercer did not work out for me either–the necklines are too high and the skirts are too short.

   I generally wear sheath dresses with sleeves because I have trouble finding cute fitted blazers to go over dresses. My workhorse dresses are all from M.M. LaFleur and Goat. They fit well in the shoulders and bust and have to be taken in at the waist and hips.

   1. I agree with what you wrote for DVF. I want to like the dresses, but I’d have to be built like the lady on the mudflaps to have them hand right (instead of hang sadly).

   2. I find that Hugo Boss is cut well for my figure. I have basically no curves but Hugo Boss clothes fit off the rack with no tailoring required. I buy all my suits there. Reiss, The Fold and Theory also work well for me. I often buy European brands because many American brands have taken vanity sizing to such an extreme that they are too big for me, but have found the Goat and LK Bennett don’t work for me because I have a long torso. DVF dresses (other than wrap dresses) do fit me well. I also like Paule Ke.

      1. This is very helpful to hear and may explain why I returned my Hugos Boss suit. Hourglass, busty, and everyone told me that Hugo Boss suits were the best quality. But the fit was just off for me.

         1. Same here. Hourglass, busty. A Hugo Boss dress – that looked curvy on the hanger – looked like a sack on me.

         2. Boss suits fit differently depending on the cut. I would describe myself as athletic with a large chest, and some Boss is killer on me, others not so much. I’ve had to try a few different styles to find my groove, which is jacket with high button placement, side zip pants, and pencil skirt.

      2. Interesting! I’m size 10 hourglass and Hugo Boss dresses might have been made especially for me.
         I also love Brooks Bros pants and Lafayette tops.

6. Well, I’ve apparently gone into perma-moderation status (unclear why!) but I’ll play. FYI it is 1:52 Eastern when I am attempting to submit this comment.

   I’m a short-but-long-waisted (read: petite styles are almost always a horrendous fit on me, due to too-low-rise pants or too-cropped tops) pear/hourglass. Sheath dresses are typically disastrous for me. My most-needed tailoring is pants hemming and adjusting the waist or adding darts to a dress.

   Most of my workwear is JCrew or Brooks Brothers (with the exception of Talbots Audreys and NM house brand cashmere). Not all styles from either retailer are a match for my body type, but my go-to ensemble of a pencil skirt or ankle pants + pretty silk patterned blouse or shell + either a sweater or blazer (depending on the day) is easy to mix and match.

   I also find the drapey nature of silk makes it easier to disguise having too much fabric at the waist (as opposed to non iron button downs, etc) because let’s face it, I do not have an unlimited tailoring budget, and my weight fluctuates enough that I don’t want all my clothes to fit “perfectly” at a particular size. Depending on the cut of the top, silk can also look more polished untucked than other fabrics, which is much easier than trying to keep a just-long-enough blouse neatly tucked all day.

   1. Where do you get your silk tops? Always on the hunt for these.

   2. If you are in perma-mod, write to Kat. It happened to me a few weeks ago, even though I was putting in an email, and she removed me from purgatory. I don’t know how I got there, but she got me out!

7. I’m a pear-shaped 8 (with a small, short waist). While I LOVE Ann Taylor, almost everything is too wide in the waist for me, but I buy it anyway. Should probably tailor instead of just belting it. J. Crew dresses work well for me but I’ve literally never ever tried on a pair of pants there that fit. I’ve just stopped trying. Still waiting to see how Boden will do for me. Banana Republic dresses are often too large in the bust in my corresponding waist size.

   1. I’m 5-4 and the waist in JCrew is too low for my actual waist. I can order a petite and go a size up (so 6R dimensions are fine, 8P will have the same ones with the waist in the right place for me). But then the skirt is not work appropriate on me.

      Le sigh.

8. I’m pearish/hourglass and have never bought a single item from J Crew in my life.

9. I am an apple and, unfortunately, also a cusp size – depending on the designer I could be a size 14, 16, or 18. I work in medicine so I don’t have to wear a suit, but “dressy business casual” is probably what best describes our dress code.

   Old Navy pixie pants are good but don’t wash well. They’re cheap, so I guess that makes it tolerable, but the black reliably fades after 7-10 washings.

   I have had luck with dress pants from Van Heusen outlets. Shirts and other items are hit and miss. Their accessories often wear out quickly (you get what you pay for!)

   I like Lands End dresses (several with pockets!) and jeans but don’t like their khakis or dress shirts. I agree with PP that certain LE items can look frumpy.

   I have also had good luck with Talbots, mostly because they offer so many sizes and lengths.

   1. I’ve replaced my Pixie ankle pants with Lord & Taylor Kelly ankle pants – they are unbelievably comfortable and wash very well.

      Also, if your work uniform is pants-plus-blouse, then you need to check out Vince Camuto’s v-neck blouse (I’ve linked one at Nordstrom, but you can often find them at deep discounts at Nordstrom Rack and Lord & Taylor) which is extremely flattering on apple shapes:

      http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/sleeveless-v-neck/4100871?origin=keywordsearch-personalizedsort&fashioncolor=NEW%20IVORY

      1. Thank you for these suggestions! The kelly pants are on sale :)

10. I am an extreme pear and plus-size with cartoon-like proportions.

    My measurements are 44-31-48. If I wear anything fitted, no matter how conservative, I look vulgar because I am a ridiculous toon.

    Lane Bryant, Avenue, Catherine–they’re all the worst.

    The only work slacks I can buy off the rack and wear without tailoring are Apt 9’s work trousers and JC Penney’s Worthington brand. They sit low enough that I don’t have a huge gap in the back and fit nicely through the thighs.

    I know a lot of people struggle with Eloquii, but their tops fit me nicely; I actually size down for them and their peplum shapes help flatter my waist rather than make it look ridiculous.

    Kiyonna is my gold-standard for wrap dresses, which is one of the few dress styles I can wear.

11. The only brand that fits me every single time in the same size and looks good is Trina Turk. No idea why.

    Everything else in my closet is all over the map, size wise. I’ve always thought of myself as an hourglass but I am not sure that’s right because I usually wear a smaller size up top than on the bottom in suits and generally can’t do suit-sets because if one fits well, the other won’t (with the exception of one really lovely Italian pant suit). I also always thought of my self as “curvy” but when I try things aimed at “curvy” shapes, it rarely works whereas “straight fit” pants usually work better for me. I think it’s something about my waist being small but my hips not really being too out there so my “curviness” really lies in being generous of thigh (side view) and not so much in the across-sense. Not sure if ANY of that makes sense! I once read someone describe a woman’s body as a guitar or an old school coke bottle or something, and I think that’s more apt for my body type than “hourglass.”

    1. Another curvy/hourglass fan of trina turk. Will also agree with your assessment of athletic thighs, though I’ve got a butt too. I’ve been described as proportional.

       Does anyone know how LK Bennett wears on as hourglass/curvy/busty folks? There’s a blazer I’m eyeing.

    2. Fellow hourglass here and I also wear one size smaller on top than on bottom in suits and most other top/pant combos. Especially with vanity sizing, I’m not sure one size difference between the two puts you out of the hourglass category.

12. For suits, I wear a 4P BR suiting jacket and 6 curvy pants. I’m 5-4, but my natural waist is pretty high up (or maybe my legs are long), so I need a P jacket to get the darts in the right place and not be too long.

13. Editor Pants from Express are great for my hourglass shape. I will never buy anything else from there but their pants are excellent for work. I like the ankle pant version as well (really fun, vibrant colors).

14. I’m an hourglass from the side but relatively straight from the front. Also tall, but I have a long waist so regularish pants still fit me. I am relatively busty (34DD) with broad shoulders and have a flat stomach but my waist doesn’t nip in from the sides. And I’m a size 8-10 in pants and dresses.

    Tailored sheath dresses with sleeves from the following places are what work best for me:

    Elie Tahari!!!
    Classiques Entiers ponte
    Lafayette 148 (tailored in the middle)
    Hugo Boss (tailored in the middle)

    My power outfit is a Theory pants suit with a shell underneath. If I’m going work to dinner (like at a conference), I go with a sheath dress and less structured black blazer.

    Boden’s waists are way too high for me and J. Crew is often too straight. No room for the booty. And Ann Taylor is cut too generously through the middle.

15. I have a straight body type — narrow hips/shoulders, small waist. Favorite brands for fit are Elie Tahari, Karen Millen, and JCrew. Theory, Reiss, and H&M work well, generally. I also just started buying pants from The Limited.

    Brands that never fit: Calvin Klein, Ann Taylor, Brooks Brothers, and LOFT. Banana and I broke up years ago — their fit/quality just isn’t what it used to be.

16. I’m a 48 year old petite former hour glass that morphed into an apple shape with the early onset of menopause a few years ago. (Goodbye, waist!) The only thing that seems to work for me these days is shift dresses with wedge heels. Nothing with a waistband, detailing around the waist, or anything that is too tight around the midsection (whether a dress or a top) looks good anymore or feels comfortable.

    I have some great petite jersey knit dresses from Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren (solids and floral prints) that are work appropriate for summer, look presentable and are comfortable. They are cute with a cardigan or a jacket from Ann Taylor thrown over the top. I also have a few cute shift dresses and dresses in a heavy ponte knit from Talbots in a 12 or 14P that work for my apple shape. For suits, Ann Taylor or possibly Talbots. Skirts are either pencil skirts or A-line, to the knee. Jackets in a 12 or 14P are also my friend – they dress up anything. I never wore scarves before, but now I find that they hide a multitude of sins and I have fallen in love with the jacket/ looped scarf combination for winter.

    The other thing I noticed is that I now look ridiculous wearing kitten heels or a low-to-medium pump – it looks like I am going to tip over. Wedges seem more balanced with my apple shape (and are usually more comfortable anyway). My go-to for the summer is a nude wedge, in the winter it is a black patent medium wedge from Cole Hahn.

    For jeans, I only wear NYDJ and Joe’s. The stretch in the NYDJ jeans helps keep everything sucked in where it belongs and is more comfortable. I hardly ever wear dress pants or shorts any more.

17. Petite hourglass (34-25-34, 5’4″, 32DD) here. I’ve found that White House Black Market petites and Ann Taylor / Loft petites fit me well for dresses. WHBM blazers fit me perfectly, but nearly every other brand blazer I have tried on seems to fit oddly in the bust. My very favorite work week power outfit is a basic suiting sheath dress from The Limited. Most Limited dresses don’t work for my bust-waist ratio, but their suiting sheath dress fits like a glove. I also do pants from Limited.

    1. Totally agree with Anon at 8:31. I’m similarly proportioned (though smaller in the chest after weaning my son) and find that Loft and AT petites fit well. Regulars absolutely drown me, though, which is strange because I’m not THAT small. I have some dresses I love from the Limited, probably driven by the fact that my bust shrank.

       JCrew is too straight. I like Boden, though I haven’t been as willing as I should be to try things on through online ordering.

18. A big recommendation for Land’s End from me – basic t-shirts are a nice weight and feel so much better than the junk you get at GAP brands now. Quality at Old Navy, GAP, and BR is just terrible – everything loses shape and pills. I buy my basics, sheath dresses for work, and bathing suits from Land’s End and have loved almost everything.

19. I’ curious why this round-up would have been done without a petite body type section…

20. I’m pear-ish (35-28-39, 5’8″, 32DD) but with an average butt and bust. My biggest fit challenge is athletic thighs because the traditional pencil/sheath shapes are nearly impossible for me. I have one custom eshakti sheath and otherwise have to stick to a-line and fit-and-flare silhouettes which, while nice, don’t feel as formal. I’m so thankful the Ann Taylor, Loft, and The Limited have started making curvy skirts! I finally own a pencil skirt. I also like that those brands let you combine tall and curvy in sizing. Top-wise (sz 6), I have long torso so I buy talls (LE, Gap, Limited) almost exclusively. I find BR shirts tend to pull across my chest and look funny near the armpits, and I’ve stopped trying J.Crew clothes, which seem to be made for people more narrow/straight than I.

    I’m desperate to find jeans that fit. I had a pair of Levi’s Bold Curve but they’ve discontinued the Curve ID line and they weren’t as fitted in the butt as I would have liked anyway.

21. I’ve just tried to use both calculators and both times my body type was ‘unavailable’. That was a short, sharp shock to the self esteem.

22. I think I am a ruler, or under the Best Dressed system, a Yang Natural. Basically tall, straight, broad at the shoulders, builds muscle easily. We tend to be the more informal t-shirt and jeans type, which is probably why you don’t see many of us commenting here.

    It is hard to find dress clothes because I need a fairly long and sleek aesthetic, while still accommodating my shoulders and not accenting the fact I have no waist definition. So nothing puplum, pin-tucked, cap-sleeved,or classically tailored.

    I do own a pair of theory pants that are my interview pants. I pair them with a long open blazer from a Canadian store called aritzia. Before kids I was able to fit into matching suits but now it is all separates for me. I am hoping that my new job will be casual enough to wear things like dark or solid coloured denim /cotton pants with a long blazer or open cardigan. I am afraid my work wardrobe will be uncomfortable and frumpy otherwise.

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