This post was last updated in January 2023.
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 gone on a Hunt for colorful sheath dresses in forever, so I thought we’d do a quick roundup today. If you’re a fan of “one and done” dresses, do you like colorful sheath dresses (with sleeves? with pockets?), or do you prefer muted or neutral colors like gray, black, or navy? If you’re a fan of colors for your working wardrobe, do you find that you prefer specific colors that flatter you — or that there are “trendy” colors that come and go?
{related: how to add color to your work wardrobe}
Pictured on homepage: Hobbs / M.M.LaFleur / Victoria Beckham.
Some Of Our Favorite Colorful Sheath Dresses for Work
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This Amazon dress is great if you’re hunting for a very specific color (such as for a reunion or something). It’s $30 with Prime shipping, has 16,000+ positive ratings at work, and the buyer-submitted images totally sell it. It’s available in sizes S–3X in 17 colors.
A few of our other favorite colorful sheath dresses for work are also available at Amazon, including this stretchy Karen Kane option, Donna Morgan in general, and this hugely popular starburst-themed Calvin Klein dress. There are a ton of Amazon sellers with colorful, vintage-inspired dresses as well; stay tuned for our roundup.
If you’re hunting for a smaller brand (maybe even made to measure clothing for work) there are a bunch of Etsy sellers and smaller brands that focus on that. Etsy seller HeartMyCloset, for example (pictured above) has categories including “celeb-inspired dress” (e.g., Meghan Markle, Kate Middleton), “modern & vintage styles” (rockabilly, 1950s A-line), and “TV-show inspired” (Agent Carter, Suits, Scandal), and pricing starts at around $105 — perfect!
Other brands with customizable options include eShakti and Igigi.
If you’re hunting for smaller brands that specialize in colorful sheath dresses for work, do check out Of Mercer, Gravitas New York, and Maven Women. (Also keep The Kit on your radar if you’re a fan of color — not all of the dresses are work-appropriate but the patterns and prints are really fun, saturated colors.)
M.M.LaFleur in general has great dresses in a variety of colors, and sizes, many of them machine-washable and with pockets; the Jillian dress is pictured. Yes please!
Boden is another standout brand with colorful sheath dresses for work, with pockets and easy care; around this price range also check J.Crew and Universal Standard. The M.M.LaFleur Etsuko dress also used to come in a ton of colors (and sizes up to 3X) but it’s limited to just a few sizes and colors right now; keep your eyes peeled on resale sites.
The above dress is a MAJOR classic — I honestly think this exact style has been around for at least 10 years. Black Halo dresses are known for a super fitted, sleek look, and I like that they come in bold, generally solid colors like red and cobalt blue. The whole brand is solid for work dresses, but the Jackie dress (above) is one of their classic styles, available in both sleeved and sleeveless versions, and sometimes in jumpsuits as well.
Also in this price range: M.M. LaFleur, Hobbs, LK Bennett, Rumour London, Karen Millen, and The Fold. (Lots of British stores, for some reason!)
There are a ton of colorful sheath dresses for work to be found at the splurge level for workwear, as well — keep an eye out for brands like Akris, Chiara Boni La Petite Robe, and sometimes Victoria Beckham (pictured) as well.
Readers, what are your favorite colorful sheath dresses for work?
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Anon
I don’t anticipate hunting for anything like this again. I think this look is already before times and will look as antiquated as a hoop skirt did in the 1920s.
Anonymous
Agree. These are pretty but not worn in the real world anymore.
Anon x 2
Out of curiosity, which dress styles are in fashion for those of you who are working in the office? especially those in the New England region.
anon
I’m SEUS, but I would say that less fitted/structured dresses are more common in my office. Something like the MMLF Maaza or Gabriella dresses, for example.
Anon
I was thinking the opposite… that I was kind of over this look, until my meetings all moved to Zoom and now comfortable clothing (dresses = pants-free living) and jewel tones are where it’s at.
anon
The MM La Fleur one might fly because it’s a bit drapier and less structured, but in general I agree – I am not seeing the extremely tight, structured sheath look out in the world these days. I think the sheath/pencil skirt shape definitely feels outdated when worn with a very fitted top.
Cat
+1, although I do see some neutral sheath + blazer looks around, “bold statement sheath” is a look that was super popular in the Mad Men-fueled 2009-2010 years, and looks dated to my eye now.
Anon
This may be office or geographically dependent. My large law firm in the midwest is back to the office three days a week and I see these types of dresses all the time. People are generally wearing what they wore two years ago. I have two of the pictured dresses and wear them regularly. I maybe have noticed fewer women wearing heels but many still do.
Duckles
I couldn’t put my finger on what fell off about this article and that’s exactly it – these feel really dated. I wore these a ton 10 years ago. Even pre-pandemic it was impossible to find a pencil skirt by ~2019.
Senior Attorney
I gave away most of my work dresses last year, but then I was re-elected president of my Rotary Club and there is nothing like a jewel toned dress for leading a big meeting! And fun fact: This year the president of Rotary Internation is a woman (for the first time ever!) and she and I have several of the same dresses — she was wearing one of my favorites on the cover of the Rotary International magazine!
Anon
I had the exact same thought.
Anon
I’m a DC lobbyist, so statement dress + statement jewelry is my uniform, and concur on colored, form-fitting sheath dresses feeling dated. What I am wearing: a-line/flare dresses in suiting fabrics (old fabric, new shape) and neutral (not colored) sheath dresses in casual fabrics like ponte (old shape, new fabric).
Also, shoes are super important. Square-heeled heels all the way here in DC. (We always wear lower heels here than other cities because we walk so much, but the shape of the heel has fully converted to square heels).
kh
As a woman who dates, I like these kinds of dresses to go out after work.
Margaret Miller
I love finding professional dresses that also have some color. Great post and you introduced me to some brands that I have never tried. I am really loving the dresses on Of Mercer and would love to hear from others that have tried the brand. I guess I can dream that I will get to put on a professional dress like this soon!
Anon
Hah! I unexpectedly had to cover an in person meeting today, which left me with 10 minutes to shower and get out of the house. Sweater dress with tailored blazer for the win, because I could not coordinate separates at that speed.