The Hunt

The Hunt: Stylish Women’s Belts for Work

08/07/2018 by Kat 5 Comments

Sure, we all know what wardrobe essentials for work professional women are supposed to have in their closets, but if you’re buying one for the first time or replacing one you’ve worn into the ground, it can be a pain to find exactly the right incarnation in stores. In “The Hunt,” we search the stores for a basic item that every woman should have.

We haven’t done a hunt for belts in a while (if ever? hmmn) so I thought we’d round up a few today. There are some great sales, as noted below — and ladies, if you don’t have an animal-print belt, there are a TON of options, particularly for leopard print belts — now is the time to stock up. (We’ve noted before how these are surprisingly versatile options, and the leopard belt + red dress is a favorite style trick of Selina Meyer on Veep.)

Readers, what are your favorite belts right now? How do you wear them — and where are your first stops when you’re hunting for stylish women’s belts for work?

Good sales today: Brooks Brothers, Reiss, The Outnet,
Drool-worthy brands: B-Low, MM.LaFleur, Maison Boinet, Gucci, Brooks Brothers, Isabel Marant, Rag & Bone,
Plus options: Lands’ End, Talbots, ModCloth,
Animal print belts: Lands’ End, J.Crew, Banana Republic, Maison Boinet,
Good belts to wear over dresses: MM.LaFleur, ModCloth(ish), Net a Porter, Outnet,

Some particular favorites at the moment, featured below:

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Filed Under: Accessories, The Hunt Tagged With: Belts, posts

The Hunt: Comfortable Work Heels

07/30/2018 by Kat 10 Comments

Today we’re hunting classic, comfortable work heels — perfect for interviews, a starter work wardrobe, keeping at your office, and more. A few things to note at the get-go:

of course you don’t have to wear heels to work — check out our recent roundup of cute flats for the office
a note on comfort: comfort/walking with confidence is the top thing to look for — e.g., if you feel uncomfortable walking in 4″ heels don’t get 4″ heels! — you should feel comfortable standing in your heels for at least an hour (such as at a networking event) and feel comfortable walking at least three blocks (such as to go to a restaurant near the office with clients). You can change into your commuting shoes for longer treks or other more specialized situations, of course
don’t forget you can wear black with navy
take care of your shoes — scuffs, scraped leather, and more can be taken care of pretty quickly either by yourself or by a shoe professional — you can also replace heel tips and even the soles of your shoe with rubber portions to increase the comfort (here’s our post on how to make your shoes last longer if this is a big problem for you!)

Ladies, let’s hear from you — what are your most comfortable work heels? Are you Team Block Heel, Team Kitten Heel, or Team Stiletto? How long on average do your work heels last for you?

Before we get started, here are a few of the heels in our Hall of Fame category:

Pictured, row 1 (all under $100): one / two / three
Pictured, row 2 ($99-$600): four / five / six

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Filed Under: Shoes, The Hunt Tagged With: comfortable heels, courtroom attire, posts, Under150

The Hunt: Pencil Skirts for Work

07/24/2018 by Kat 43 Comments

We haven’t done a hunt for pencil skirts in too long — what are your favorite pencil skirts for work these days, ladies? (Are you Team A-Line, Team Pencil, Team Dress, or Team Pants?) I’ve always been a fan of pencil skirts as a great structured basic — pair it with a low heel or sleek flat, pretty much any kind of top (blouse, fancy tee, pullover, cardigan) and a necklace or two and you’re good to go. If bare legs are OK at your office (know your office) then Jockey slipshorts or Spanx are great to wear beneath them — meanwhile check out our favorite tights for work as the weather gets colder. (We also have a Guide to Pantyhose, should you need them for interviews, very formal/big days, or if you just prefer pantyhose!) An important note on pencil skirts: don’t forget to cut the vents! Many pencil skirts come with a slit in the back, side, or front; this may be sewn shut with a loose little criss-crossed stitch.

These are some of the pencil skirts for work that we’re loving now — we’d love to hear your favorites!

Curious for older roundups of great pencil skirts for work? Here they are from 2016 and 2012.

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Filed Under: The Hunt Tagged With: pencil skirts, posts, Under150

The Best Work Bags for Interviews, Commutes, Your First Day of Work, and Beyond

07/02/2018 by Kat 25 Comments

What do you think are the best work bags, readers? How does your answer change if you’re looking for a great tote bag for an interview, your first day of work, business travel, and beyond? Who do you think makes for the best tote bags for work, interviews, and beyond? For today’s roundup of the best work bags I’m mostly featuring fun, happy prints and colors, but if you’re looking for a neutral, basic bag we’ve rounded up some great Hall of Famers below as well. As I’ve noted before, I think the best professional tote bags in general may be leather (more polished), a room for a laptop or possibly a legal-size notebook, and have intelligent details like feet, keyfob chains, interior pockets, and more. By contrast, whenever looking for a great tote bag for an interview (especially a day of interviews like with OCI) I’ve appreciated tote bags nylon (lightweight) but structured (non-floppy, stand up by themselves on the floor), large enough for a folder (for copies of your resume), and are mostly a solid color without brash logos. Some of the most neutral, timeless options if you’re looking for the best work bags include these, pictured below:

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Filed Under: The Hunt Tagged With: posts, Under150

The Hunt: Cute Flats for the Office

06/05/2018 by Kat 63 Comments

This isn’t a typical Hunt for us — I started doing a roundup of classic pointy toe flats, but then decided to branch out — so each category includes several options. Readers, how often do you wear flats to work? Are they a commuting shoe for you or an all-day shoe? Have you bought any comfortable, cute flats for the office lately?

Looking for comfortable heels for work? Don’t miss our Guide to Comfortable Heels for a roundup of readers’ favorite brands!

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Filed Under: The Hunt Tagged With: comfortable flats, posts

The Hunt: Classic Sheath Dresses for Work

04/16/2018 by Kat 81 Comments

For spring and summer, classic dresses for work are often the easiest thing to throw on — particularly if you keep a blazer and cardigan and a pair or two of classic pumps or comfortable heels at the office, you can almost create a work uniform from the sheath dress. (In fact, in our four-week work outfit challenge we dared you to try wearing the same sheath dress four different ways during the four weeks!) Particularly for summer, note that slipshorts are a reader favorite for comfortable layering under sheath dresses; if you want something to suck you in a bit more you may want to check out shaping shorts like these from Spanx. (If your office is extremely conservative, do check out our guide to pantyhose — and keep in mind that going sleeveless may be controversial in your office, so keep a cardigan or blazer close at hand if you’re new.)

Pictured above: some of our Hall of Famers! Clockwise from the largest: one / two / three.

We’ve rounded up a ton of options below (including ones in a wide range of sizes, sheath dresses with pockets or sleeves, and more!) but I’d love to hear from you — what are your favorite dresses to wear to work in 2018? Do you feel like black dresses are classic — or is the color too heavy for warmer weather? Does your summer work uniform include a ton of dresses — and which are your favorites?