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Thursday’s Workwear Report: Floral Three-Quarter-Sleeve Midi Dress

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A woman wearing a plus-size black-and-white floral dress with red pumps

Our daily workwear reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.

Maybe I’ve been living under a rock, but I just recently learned about Ulla Popken, a German plus-sized retailer, and I’m thrilled with the selection that I’m seeing for women’s workwear in sizes 12-34.

As a cusp-sized lady myself, I was even more excited to see the selection of activewear, including a lot of fantastic coats and jackets, which can be hard to find in larger sizes. (We’re not in season, but if you happen to be a plus-sized skier, do not sleep on this stuff.)

This three-quarter-sleeve midi dress was the first workwear item that caught my eye, but it’s definitely worth taking a spin through the entire selection! 

The dress is on sale for $71.96 with code (originally $89.95) and comes in sizes 12-34. 

Sales of note for 6/5:

137 Comments

  1. I ordered from belk for the first time. I filled out the online return slip but forgot an item. It costs $12.95 to do a return so I’d rather add it to the return instead of pay another fee just for this item. I can’t figure out how to add an item or cancel the return and restart online, and I wasn’t able to get through to customer service yesterday via phone or chat. If I add it to the same box with a note do you think they’ll process everything?

    1. Not Belk, but I returned two of the same items in different sizes in the same box to another seller. I did two returns and had two packing slips; I just decided to be nice and combine them in the same box to save them shipping. This vendor did not pick up on there being two returned items and only processed and refunded one. I contacted CS multiple times and could not get a response. I finally reviewed the item on their website and described the issue in my review, and that got a response. They insisted they had no record of my emails, which were very clearly sent to the appropriate address they post everywhere. Whatever. Anyway, that is a long answer to say, “I wouldn’t count on it.”

      1. This is very common, they return based off the bar code on the packages, not what’s inside. Most retailers are like this now.

    2. I used to delay until I knew for sure what I was returning – now a lot of times I just click anything I might return because it’s easier to scribble a note “decided to keep” instead of adding products back on.

  2. For those of you who buy a few new pieces every season to stay with trends – what are you buying now?

    1. I’m really drawn to the 90s look minimalist items, because I remember them fondly from the first time around. BUT . . . I’m not buying them, because that style no longer suits me. So my question for you would be, “What’s your personal style?” or, “In what direction would you like to move your personal style?” That matters probably more than just “what’s on trend,” now that multiple different kinds of styles can all be trending at the same time.

      1. I think this is key. I’m not wearing the slip skirts/baby tees that I wore the first time around in the 90s because it feels too retro for me. but I am enjoying the wider leg flowy linen options, and the ‘Parent Trap’/Laura Dern in Jurassica Park inspired outfits.

    2. Are you filling gaps in your closet? Are you looking for shoes, denim, tops, or just looking to buy anything, generally?

    3. Flowy wide legged pants (linen, twill, or poplin), open weave tops, 1-2 dressy short sleeved tops that do not need to be tucked in for hot in-office/commuting days. Shirt dresses are popular this season so I may grab one if I see a good option on sale.

      1. Aren’t shirt dresses always on sale? I can’t wear them personally, but I feel like Boden has been selling them for a million years.

        1. I can always find a few in the summer but more sedate colors/prints in cotton or linen vs. viscose/rayon/poly that aren’t too ruffle puff have been hard to find for a while.
          Fwiw I can’t wear Boden’s dresses as they are always too short waisted for me so they don’t even ping my radar these days.

    4. I don’t buy for trends. I buy because my size / body has changed or my life needs items I either don’t have or don’t have in the needed size. This includes shoes because my feet have changed size and then I’ve had neuroma and other foot issues to deal with. I’d love to just be concerned with chasing trends.

    5. A pair of Mary Jane flats, a new plain black and white t-shirts (crew neck, just the right length, somewhere between boxy and fitted), another gauze button down, a pair of chunky everyday hoop earrings, and an office appropriate jumpsuit.

      T-shirts and flats are replacements, gauze button down replaces a ‘weekend’ cardigan, and. office appropriate jumpsuit replaces a dress that I like on the hanger but hate because it’s somehow both frumpy and scandalous because of a weird slit that migrates when I walk.

    6. Honestly, I am much happier with my wardrobe when I shop for items to fill specific gaps regardless of the current trends. If I don’t have gaps to fill, I don’t shop. My wallet is much happier this way, too.

        1. Not of you get them in real leather. I also live in Northern California so no humidity weather issues.

    8. My recent acquisitions include full-length wide-leg jeans, square-toe high-vamp ballet flats, low-profile fashion sneakers, a short wide cardigan that hits right at the waist, and tees that are almost short and fitted enough to qualify as baby tees.

    9. I did a shoe refresh and added a couple of pairs of snip toe flats. And sleek loafers in hard to find colors. I am so happy that the thick sole loafers are in the rear view mirror.

    10. I like taking advantage of trends when the items suit me. Because it’s not always easy to find things in a color/style I like; for example, I’m buying a couple of straw purses this year because they’re all over the place, buying more cropped Tshirt because more are available now and it suits my body shape. So right now, I’m all about the cropped blouses, cardigans, and Tshirts.

  3. This allergy season I wake up every morning with almost no voice because of all the phlegm – I’m taking Zyrtec, added Flonase recently, and have been trying a TJ Manila honey spray – anything else I could or should be doing?

    1. Sleep with air purifier (and one during the day if you can), try nasal rinses, whatever tea you find soothing.

      1. +1 million for an air purifier. I have a BlueAir in every room of the house. On the lowest fan setting they are virtually silent and I forget they are there.

    3. Taking a shower before bed to remove all pollen (and washing your hair if you’ve been outside), sleeping with an air purifier and humidifer, and not leaving the windows open in your bedroom should all help.

    4. I have seasonal allergies spring and fall that are so bad that if not managed well I inevitably get sick from a bad sinus infection due to the congestion. My doctor told me that I could stack antihistamines so long as they had different active ingredients. I also think you have to experiment with different actives/brands to find what works best for you. For me, there is a world of difference between just Claritin or just Zyrtec, and stacking with Claritin in the morning and Zyrtec at night. It’s the difference between being miserable and being about 90% okay.

      Also, the less dairy I have the less seasonal allergy symptoms I have. One year and one year only I managed to lead up to spring allergy season for a couple of months ahead of it with zero dairy – no dairy products and not even anything with casein as an ingredient (goodbye most crackers and such). It is the only year of my life I didn’t have spring allergies and did not even need meds. Weird suggestion but I do recommend trying to cut back or cut out dairy for a couple of weeks and see if it improves things for you.

      1. My doctor also has me stacking, but be aware that e.g. levocetirizine and cetirizine are not actually different actives. Or just run your stack by the pharmacist so you don’t OD on anything!

    5. I like Azelastine better than Flonase. But for phlegm I need to take a mucolytic (my doctor has me on NAC but that may be because I have asthma). Zyrtec isn’t enough for me without Allegra.

      But the #1 thing you should be doing is seeing an allergist if you haven’t!

      1. Azelastine is an antihistamine; Flonase is a steroid that reduces inflammation.

        1. Yes, they are totally different, and I find one more relevant and effective than the other.

      3. I actually stack azelastine and Flonase on the advice of my allergist. Works very well that way.

    6. Claritin is the only thing that works for me. Zyrtec and Flonase have never had any impact on my seasonal allergies. At least generic Claritin works just as well as the name brand for me.

      Do you keep your windows closed, have a fresh filter in your HVAC if applicable, and shower before bed?

    8. Wear a mask! My allergies were so much better when I was masking due to COVID that I still do it during peak allergy season, especially when I’m outside. It keeps pollen from entering my sinuses and really helps. N95 is best, but even a surgical mask helps

    9. What are your allergies? If your allergies are indoor things, then washing your linens in hot water, mattress protectors, and indoor purifiers will help. Humidifiers are not a good idea if you have a dust allergy because they raise the humidity in your house which will make the environment for dust mites even worse.

      Change your clothes when you come in so that you don’t transfer outdoor pollens into your bedroom. I also use allergy eye drops like pataday. The best thing to know though is what you’re allergic to.

    10. Definitely see an allergist. I have prescriptions stacked with OTC meds and I feel normal now.

  4. A fun question: I’d like to make a special dessert and maybe special vegetarian dinner for my husband’s birthday tomorrow. Any suggestions?

    I was considering making the mango softserve from NYT Cooking, but that doesn’t seem as elaborate as I’d like. In the past, strawberry shortcake was his favorite go-to (he likes the fruity desserts).

    1. NYTimes had a Lemon Snacking Cake with Coconut Glaze. It is among the top 5 things I have eaten in the past year, which includes trips to Barcelona and France. I’ll follow with the link.

    2. For dinner, cauliflower steaks with chimichurri and the sharpest cheddar you can find. For dessert, Ina Garten’s raspberry rhubarb crostata, topped with vanilla ice cream.

      1. Maybe this is just me, but I loathe cauliflower steaks as a main. It isn’t anything against the taste; it lacks protein. (FWIW, I have been a vegetarian since the 1990s.)

        1. Also a long time vegetarian and very much agree. I love cauliflower and eat it all the time, but the trend of serving cauliflower “steaks” as a vegetarian main dish makes me kind of ragey. Just because you call it a steak (and charge a ton for it at a restaurant) does not in any way change the fact that a cauliflower “steak” has almost no calories and not much protein. If you want to serve it as a main dish, you really need to add a lot more to it than a sauce or serve several other dishes along with it. This dish sounds great, but it’s not an entire meal. And honestly, I think cauliflower tastes better and is easier to eat when chopped into smaller pieces and roasted so that it all cooks more evenly and gets browned all over, so l’d personally skip the “steak” thing altogether, though I understand that it looks more impressive.

        3. +2 long term vegan I hate when people serve me a giant chunk of cauliflower (or mushroom) give me lentils, beans, tofu, tempeh, SOMETHING!

        4. I agree, as another longtime vegetarian. I love cauliflower but a head of cauliflower does not a meal make.

    4. I made a lemon ricotta cake since I had leftover ricotta from making lasagna. It was sooo good! I also make tres leches cake and top with all kinds of berries. My nieces request that cake for their birthday every year.

        1. I use pioneer woman’s recipe and then top with fresh whipped cream and strawberries (sliced), blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries.

      1. Oh this is my favorite summer cake!! Thanks for the reminder. I voted for strawberry shortcake below, but this is amazing.

    7. Stuffed poached pears.

      The LA Times has a recipe for hazelnut chocolate ganache stuffed poached pears.

    8. For birthdays I would stick to the favorites and do strawberry shortcake again. There’s something great about the tradition of it.

      2. Agreed! Make his favorite. I totally get the urge to try new, elaborate recipes when I’m hosting or celebrating something special, but a beautiful recipe does not always translate to a delicious meal, which you have no way of knowing when it’s new to you!

        We have been vegetarians since the 90s. We love making spring rolls with a peanut dipping sauce and black pepper tofu with broccoli (recipe for the tofu is from ottolenghi).

    10. Falafel with hummus, tahini, and babaganoush (it’s best if made with roasted eggplant but store bought is ok), rice with saffron and olive oil, lentils seasoned with cinnamon, caramelized onion, and chopped parsley, and tomato/cuke salad with lemon.

      For dessert: lemon poppyseed cake. Can serve with a scoop of plain Greek yoghurt/labneh or vanilla ice cream.

    11. How about the mango soft serve but serve it in fancy dishes and garnish with fruit and mint?

  5. My husband and I haven’t traveled internationally in many years, but are considering a trip to Norway next June, exact dates and cities TBD. We would like to avoid spending on this until next February, and would also like to avoid any nonrefundable commitments. Is it realistic to wait until February to buy plane tickets? Should we be making hotel reservations sooner? Should we be flying codeshare on an American carrier (Delta?) so that if the trip gets cancelled we can use the credit towards our regular domestic travel?

    1. The soonest I’ve ever booked a flight is a few months before, you should be fine. I suppose there could be some rate advantage to booking earlier, but I’ve always preferred flexibility. It’s not a concert that sells out. Most of my travel is booked the week before.

      1. PS – I do book hotels early but make note of cancellation dates and always get the rate that lets me cancel around 24 hours before. I do this because I like specific boutique properties that do book up and the hotel is part of the trip for me. If you’re just going to stay at a generic place, you can book much later. Big chains don’t fill up outside major events.

    2. We are going to Norway this August (which is likely more in demand than June), and I just booked our hotels this month. We had plenty of good options to choose from. We bought flights in January and got a reasonable price– glad we bought before current fuel price surge!

      1. Yeah, I’d hold off a while because air prices are SKY HIGH right now.

        Also I stayed the Thon Hotel Opera in Oslo and liked it a lot. It’s steps from the train station and the Munch Museum (which is awesome) and public transportation and good restaurants. Rooms were nice and breakfast was good.

    5. We booked in January for a June trip so you are probably fine waiting. We used UpNorway to plan the itinerary and hotels. It was the best vacation we’ve ever done.

    7. Totally realistic. I take a lot of international trips and I’ve never bought plane tickets more than three months out. I know I’m probably not getting the best price, but it’s fine. I do sometimes book hotels earlier but only if there’s a specific one where I really want to stay that I know is popular.

    8. Since you are looking this early, you don’t need to be a member to check out if you can get a good package deal through Costco Travel. You can then join to buy.

    9. For your last question- we always fly carriers we use regularly for exactly this reason. Philly is an AA hub so we usually fly with them, and connect via LHR (BA) or Madrid (Iberia) as they are oneworld airlines, with the whole ticket booked via American. YMMV for best itinerary with Delta’s alliance partners.

      1. +1 we only book through US carriers for this reason. There’s also no downside to booking early because if the price drops you can get airline credit which is as good as cash for us. But honestly I rarely see price drops, especially for international tickets.

    10. For Norway specifically, people advising to wait for the hotel are incorrect. Unless you are planning to stick to Oslo, book ahead. Some of these towns have only one hotel, and if you accidentally hit the date of festival, they’ll be booked up.
      Also, some accommodations are really cool and part of the trip – like the camping cabins in Tromsø, if that’s your thing – and you don’t want to wait until all the nice scenic stuff is booked.

      1. I think everyone said if you want something very specific or at an event time to book sooner.

          1. Meant to say: *some noted that

            Anyhow, shout if you want any particular recommendations. Happy to share what I found particularly nice, but my last trip was in Winter so others probably have more current seasonally appropriate recommendations.

          2. I would love some specific recommendations! The main purpose of this trip is to catch a particular concert in Trondheim. We would also like to see the fjords and visit some other cities and do anything else that’s interesting. We enjoy hiking, nature, walking around cities, art museums, music, and food–pretty much everything.

          3. There are lots of cool smaller museums in Oslo – the Kon-Tiki, the Ramme (Munch’s house), and a few other that are really specific scope (mining, polar exploration, etc).

            When planning, I found the Visit Norway webs*te useful – it’s much more thorough than similar websites for other places.

            The couple tours I booked were seasonal so not relevant to a June visit (winter treks and northern lights tours) but my experiences were great and my impression is that tours are the way to go for anything nature-based, but just walking around cities on my own was easy.
            Everyone I met spoke English fluently so it was easy to get directions and recommendations. Food was expensive, so budget more than you’d think for that.

            Tromsø was actually one of the favourite cities I visited. There are good hikes, a gondola to see scenic views, and buses to get around. Being so far north was really novel and their winter festival was beautiful.

    11. I prefer to fly on a European carrier when possible – it seems to be smoother getting reimbursed if anything goes wrong on a trip. At a minimum, book any layovers in Europe so you are covered by Europe’s laws regarding canceled or delayed flights.

    12. Norwegian here, welcome!

      You should be all right to book hotels later for Trondheim, but for smaller places you might very well hit a local festival that has booked the one local place to stay.

      I think there is still about 10 cities in the whole of Norway with a population beyond fifty thousand people (!).

      In Norway there are three main hotel chains – Thon, Scandic and Strawberry (Clarion and Comfort).

      Thon and Comfort are like Holiday Inn, Scandic prides itself on their breakfast (Scandic Nidelven in Trondheim is supposedly Norway’s best hotel breakfast), and Clarion is a little more boutique. The biggest cities also have Raddison hotels, which are always great.

      If you’re at the west coast of Norway, there are the Historic Hotels of Norway. These are charming or luxe, may be from the nineteenth century, and most likely somewhere very beautiful. In Trondheim the Britannica hotel is one of the historic ones.

      I often book fully cancellable hotels for travel (outside of Norway), and then rebook and cancel later if I can get a deal or know I will definitely travel.

  6. I’m ready to try one of the Asian or European sunscreens you all rave about. Where do I buy this? I currently use SkinCeuticals SPF 50. I need a physical rather than chemical sunscreen.

    1. They’re not sold in physical stores in the US. You have to buy online. I used to use CareToBeauty and had good experiences, at least for European sunscreen – I’m not sure how much Asian stuff they have. Now I just stock up on trips to Europe because Trump has added tariffs that make purchasing online a LOT more expensive.

    2. I’ve bought from both Stylevana and YesStyle and had no problems (not necessarily the fastest shipping, though). I think Stylevana can be a little unpredictable about sending shipping confirmations, so just about when you think “Gee, did I actually place that order? Where is it?” the package will arrive.

    3. The sunscreen ingredients that aren’t FDA approved are totally different so sometimes someone finds they can wear chemical sunscreen if it’s Asian or European (not always though; I have rosacea so I stick with sunblock if I’ll actually be in the sun). I have nothing to add on where to purchase.

      1. Yeah I can’t wear US chemical sunscreen but can wear chemical sunscreens from Korea and Japan. I have rosacea and generally sensitive skin.

    4. I’ve used YesStyle and Japanese Taste with no problems although as another poster mentioned, shipping can be slow.

  7. Looking for recommendations on your favorite flowy pants as an option to wear to work this summer.

    2. I bought some crepe pants from Loft that are great for work, but are only good if you have a sub artic office and do not have a walking/subway commute because the fabric does not breathe.

      1. I want to love crepe so badly but this is my fear. I run hot. My clothes need to breathe.

    3. Following with interest. The Athleta Pinnacle high rise trouser has been working well for me. I’m postpartum; my stretched out belly has sort of flopped down and hasn’t gone back (yet?). I’m super self conscious about it. The pants flow nicely over my belly. No clinging. I wear them to work routinely and I’ve worn the black pants to court. I don’t think they look like athleisure. They’re clearly not wool suit pants but I think they look like ordinary pants.

      Wit and wisdom has a knit trouser at Nordstrom that is a nice weight and is flowy. It clings to my belly a little bit.

      I would love to find a lined crepe pant that is flowy and not clingy but I haven’t had success yet.

  8. Best TSA approved power bank that you use that isn’t as heavy as a phone book? I have an older one that is like carrying around a brick.

    I have a couple of 8-hour marathon CLEs coming up and if it’s like the last one, there will be a million people wanting to use gadgets and 2 plugs to share (so my plan is to check my phone in stealth mode, but it needs to stay charged, then step out as needed if work arises).

    1. Anker is always my go-to for power banks and I have had no issue flying with them in my carry on. Mine is about the same size as my cell phone and can charge every one of my devices through a long weekend.

      1. Same – pick the latest Anker. I’ve had them for years and update probably every year just based on weight.

  9. reasonablyish priced nyc hotel for one person for one night? i just need it to be safe and clean

        1. Tangential anecdote: my recent stay in an absurdly priced NYC hotel included no housekeeping. I had clean bedding but nothing else. In spite of me asking for towels multiple times a day for my entire 4 day stay, I had no towels. I used a sheet from the extra bed to dry off the first day. I swiped some tiny towels from the gym the second day b/c the desk couldn’t seem to get the message through to anyone in housekeeping. I had takeout trash that I ended up placing in the hallway because no one would come clean my room and it was smelly. It sat there for the duration of my stay. It was bonkers, felt like I was in an invisible room.

          2. Yes it’s basically here and it includes 100% of their healthcare insurance premiums.

            My issue with it is that it’s $50/hr for someone who has a high school diploma. Why are we paying so many other roles less which are more demanding in terms of required education or dealing with the public?

            I just don’t see this ending well.

          3. Is it a trust thing? (Like pay people enough to leave them alone in a room with people’s belongings?)

            If so I wish the same reasoning applied to home care workers as discussed earlier this week!

          4. It’s nothing to do with trust.

            The union has done a great job managing the employees they represent. The same union did a good job representing domestic workers during Covid, where nanny’s who were paid off the books qualified for full unemployment.

            I do think it’s absolutely shocking that hotel housekeepers are being paid over $100k a year. I oversee payroll. There are a lot of people working in Manhattan who are not paid as much and they are working 45-50hrs a week doing a job that requires a bachelor and master degrees.

            I also think it’s shocking a hotel housekeeper is making more than a teacher, social worker or police/fire/EMT.

        4. That’s not why. But sure — let’s make sure that the lowest people on the ladder get blamed for things like taxation structures, over-profits for corporations, etc.

    3. Prices are highly dependent on when you stay. They could be reasonable one week and astronomical another.

    4. Friends stayed at Aloft Chelsea and really liked it. It is more on the reasonably priced side, but certainly not $100/night.

    5. It’s been a while since i stayed there so not a full on rec, but look at Arthouse Hotel at Broadway and 77th. Bonus: there is a Citarella close by where you can pick up nice prepared foods for a picnic in the park (or on your bed with a proper Sunday paper – my favorite).

    6. We recently stayed at the M Social hotel in downtown Manhattan for about US$440/night. It’s downtown so not the best location, but the hotel was okay and the price was pretty reasonable.

  10. I can vouch for Ulla Popken, cusp size with very large bust here.
    Ignore the catalogue if you ever get it, the website and IG are much better.
    Some dresses are wrinkly fabrics and I don’t like to iron or steam, so check before buying, but anything in the punto di Roma and some of their viscose is great.
    Returns are easy, sales are good and so is customer service.
    What I like best is that many designs are more colorful/creative than what I see in American stores, so it better fits my style.

  11. I started a new job a few months ago after reaching a moderately senior position at my old employer, and it’s painful to rebuild my credibility as a subject matter expert and thought leader. Multiple times in just the past few weeks, peers have asked/told me to ask my boss for input on something for which my boss already told me that he trusted me to handle. Other times, I’ve raised concerns or highlighted risks, my concerns were ignored, and then the concern comes to fruition. I’m particularly wrankled that my concerns were dismissed by colleagues who lack subject matter expertise and their written analysis isn’t even in complete sentences! I guess I’m looking for advice how to externalize and channel this frustration because right now I’m internalizing it and getting demoralized.

    1. no advice but I’m in the same transition, I frankly was the shit at my old workplace, and it’s a struggle at the new place, for many reasons. I can find rational explanations for the various things that are going on, but I’m struggling hard with feeling completely underutilized. I’m wondering whether restarting my hobby will help, to bring another source of the satisfaction of a job well done.

    3. You need to be there longer and establish yourself. They have no reason to trust you yet.

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