9 Fresh New Labels for Workwear
One of our most popular posts a few years ago was our roundup of 30 workwear fashion start-ups and independent brands — so I asked Rebecca Berfanger to update the list with nine fresh new labels for workwear! Here are 9 more office fashion stores every working woman should know about! – Kat
While we all have our go-to stores for workwear, they're often the same stores your work friends have — particularly if there's an Ann Taylor or Banana Republic near your office. So it doesn’t hurt to seek out workwear stores off the beaten path to spruce up the daily wardrobe, particularly when it comes to office clothes!
Whether you want a more curated wardrobe, a custom-made skirt, a longer lasting and more classic style, or even just a button-down shirt that will actually fit, these 10 fashion start ups with internet-friendly shopping options will inspire you to at least consider your next fashion purchase, even if you might need to wait until payday.
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Cuyana
Embracing their “fewer, better” philosophy, the women behind Cuyana offer high quality classic pieces—lightweight Italian wool skirts, crepe de chine silk tops and dresses, Italian cotton cashmere silk sweaters—inspired by the their love of travel, and a desire to have a lean closet.
In fact, if you buy with the “lean shipping” option, you’ll receive a bag to send them your gently used clothes and get $10 off your next purchase. Prices range from $135-$250 for tops, $95 for shorts, $195 for skirts, $95 to $315 for dresses.
La Ligne New York
Inspired by the ever-classic stripe, former American Vogue editors Meredith Melling and Valerie Boster along with Rag & Bone alumna Molly Howard founded La Ligne New York. They offer a mix of staples and statement pieces fit for the office or a more casual (or less casual) setting.
You can also check out hand-written profiles of some of their fans, including Mindy Kaling, Allison Williams, Nicole Richie, and Olivia Wilde on their website. Prices range from $85-$345 for tops, $195-$350 for bottoms, $300-$500 for dresses and caftans, and $295-$875 for outerwear.
Laveer
If your office allows for a little more of a rock-n-roll style—perhaps you work for a boutique firm for musicians and artists—or just want to dress like you do, Laveer has you covered. Former Shopbop fashion director Kate Ciepluch started the company in 2012 to help women find more tailored pieces.
Even if cropped flare pants and bustier-style button-up and snap-up vests aren’t quite en vogue in your workplace, Laveer offers a variety of styles of blazers, including its most popular military-style Kadette, to jazz up your wardrobe. Price range from $495-$546 for blazers, $282 for cropped flare pants, and $295 for button-up bustiers.
Maven Women
Following her work as a labor and employment lawyer and later at a nonprofit with a focus on global issues and modern day slavery, Rebecca Ballard founded Maven Women, a clothing company that is in line with her own values.
To start, fair trade, eco-conscious, artisanal clothing company Mehera Shaw in India manufactures the dresses out of 100% organic Indian cotton certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard. You can also vote on the styles you’d like to see them offer next. Prices: The Amira and Sarah dresses, available in twilight, sapphire, and currant, are available for $200. Keep an eye on their website for presales and sample sales.
Ministry of Supply
After its founders met at MIT, Ministry of Supply was born as a clothing company based around breathable and functional yet office-appropriate fabric and style.
Their Easier Than Silk and Luxe fabric tops are wrinkle-free and washable, their Structure Your Day pants offer enough stretch that they feel like yoga pants without looking like you just left the gym, and their seamless blazer is “printed” using WHOLEGARMENT technology in New Jersey. Prices range from $45-85 for tops, $105 for pants, and $285 for blazers.
Modern Citizen
With a similar aesthetic to Gap brands—wardrobe staples in mostly neutral solids and stripes—Modern Citizen was founded by Gap alum Jess Lee. Also based in San Francisco, the fairly new fast fashion brand posts new items on the site every three to five weeks. The website is organized by Weekend, Work, and Evening, to help you sort through what exactly you are shopping for. With the exception of a handbag, all clothing and accessories are priced under $200.
Rita Phil Custom Fashion
Named for the lead characters in Groundhog Day, Rita Phil Custom Fashion offers a solution to always saying the same thing every day: “I have a full closet, but I have nothing to wear.” Provide your measurements and preferences in terms of fit and fabric, even the length and lining, and Rita Phil does the rest to help you through your existential crisis, at least when it comes to your skirt options.
They also offer a video chat and a crazy good return policy if customers aren’t 100 percent satisfied. Prices range from $99-$180. (BuzzFeed's Kristin Chirico also endorsed these custom skirts.)
Senza Tempo
A worthwhile splurge, Senza Tempo, or “timeless” in Italian, is meant to be a staple in your wardrobe for years and not just for a season. It is inspired by the elegance of leading ladies in classic films such as Audrey Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot, and Grace Kelly. In other words, it’s feminine by not too girly, classic yet modern, sophisticated and sexy. Plus, everything is manufactured in downtown L.A. Prices range from $150-$450 for tops, $450 for skirts, and $625 to $950 for dresses.
Thirteen Seven
We’ve all been there. Getting ready in the morning only to learn your favorite button up blouse just doesn’t want to keep you modest that day. Thirteen Seven has engineered a shirt with reverse buttons to prevent what the company calls the dreaded “boob gape.” Available in dusty blush, matte olive, and the classic paper white, the shirts are machine washable and made of Japanese combed 100% cotton. All shirts are listed at $148.
Readers, have you tried any new labels for workwear lately? What's the number one reason you seek out fresh workwear labels — is it to differentiate your wardrobe, get custom fits, support smaller businesses, or something else? Do tell…
Stock photo credit: Shutterstock/Syda Productions.
Here's a crazy big pin if you wanted to pin all of them at once…
It sure would be nice if one with decent fabrics/simple aesthetic came forward with a plus audience.
I wish these kinds of brands had clothing bigger than a size 10/L.
There definitely are brands that have better ranges – I’m kind of obsessed with Universal Standard right now, for instance.
Thirteen Seven will be producing XL in its next batch!
These all look really similar to me – minimalist, solid colored, tailored.
You are right, but they are so cute! I wish there was a way to sample clotheing for mabye a week without buying it; mabye “renting” it and then returning them to recycling bins in NYC so that others could wear them after they were properly dry cleaned! This way, we could be more “green” and other people could wear stuff they could NEVER afford to BUY! YAY!!!!
And I’d love one that had petite sizes…
I’m surprised this round-up doesn’t include Nora Gardner. I discovered the brand through last year’s round-up, ordered a couple things online that I liked but didn’t quite fit me, and then stopped into the storefront a couple months ago during a trip to NYC.
The founder, Nora Gardner, happened to be in the store that day and she put me in a dressing room and started bringing me clothing. Since she’s designed all the clothing, she had a good sense of what would work for me (tall, long torso, prefer a more tailored silhouette), and her recommendations were spot on. I ended up blowing my entire 2018 workwear budget and am now done shopping for the year.
I’ve been meaning to write a more detailed review on the specific items of clothing I purchased and will try and post one later today. The price point is similar to MM La Fleur, but the cuts are more tailored and the garment construction is much better quality. I love the few MM items I have but I’ve had issues with seams falling out and most of the cuts are too drapey to be flattering on me.
What items did you buy? (Also tall, long-torsoed, and prefer a tailored silhoette).
Me too! Please share:)
Fancy hotel etiquette! Assume one bag. Would you tip, and if so how much, for the following;
The doorman who grabbed your bag out of the cab and offers to have it taken up to your room.
When the concierge answers a basic question about directions
When you drop off a car at valet parking
When you drop off a bag at the bag check for temporary storage
Thanks!
If the doorman just gets the bag out of the taxi, but I take it from there, I don’t tip. I do tip if they take it up to my room, usually about $5.
Would not tip the concierge for giving me directions, making recommendations, or anything else that’s quick and easy. Tipping the concierge is something I reserve for situations where they have to do something complicated on my behalf.
I tip at valet pick-up, not drop off, usually $2-5 depending on circumstances.
I don’t tip when I check bags.
Agree with cbackson on all except that I tip when I pick up the bag from storage $3-5 (depends if I have singles)
Main thing I would tip the concierge for is if they make a dinner reservation on my behalf.
I absolutely adore your blog posts! They’re so inspirational! I love what you do, and the things you post is exactly the kind of things I’m interested in.
Ministry of Supply’s shirts were awful. Tons of “gape” across the bust and tacky athletic-wear feeling fabric.
That makes me feel better about not being able to afford any of it. As a sweaty person, I’m into performance fabrics as workwear.
Maven Women has two dresses for sale. Seriously, two dresses.
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