Where to Buy the Best Plus-Size Dresses for Work

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collage of 5 women wearing plus-size work dresses

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.

Pondering where to buy the best plus-size dresses for work? We just rounded up the most stylish sheath dresses for work in regular sizes, and while we mentioned plus-size availability in that post, we thought a roundup of the best plus-size dresses for work deserved its own post.

Below find a bunch of our favorite plus-size dresses for work, from basic sheath dresses in plus sizes, sleeved sheath dresses, plus-size petite dresses (so hard to find!), designer dresses in plus sizes, wrap dresses, dresses with pockets, machine-washable dresses… and more.

(We try to keep this roundup updated, as well as our general roundup of the best work dresses — other more specific dress roundups we've done recently include work dresses with pockets, day to night work dresses, fit and flare work dresses, work dresses with matching blazers, colorful sheath dresses for work, work dresses with built-in shapewear, and (over at CorporetteMoms), the best maternity dresses for work.)

Readers, which are your favorite plus-size dresses for work? Which ones do you have in multiple colors? Which ones make you feel like a million dollars?

Best-Selling Plus-Size Dresses for Work

As of 2024, some of our favorite plus-size dresses for work include options from Lands' End, Karen Kane, CeCe, Talbots, J.Crew, Universal Standard, and Eloquii – also check Karen Millen, Pari Passu, and Tanya Taylor for more unusual choices.

stretchy dress with V-neck and cascading ruffle-ish detail that begins at waist and goes down side of skirt — Karen Kane

woman wears plus-size work dress in wool — Karen Kane

Best Plus-Size Wrap Dresses for Work

collage of plus-size wrap dresses for work — *Above, some of our favorite plus-size wrap dresses: one / two / three / four / five (not pictured but also check out this Etsy seller)*

The Best Plus-Size Dresses for Work: Reader Favorites

The Best Plus-Size Sheath Dress: Universal Standard

one of the best plus-size dresses for work from Universal Standard; it has short sleeves and a slight drape detail across the front

Universal Standard has a number of nice dresses for work.

Universal Standard, if you don't know, does this great thing where they show you models wearing the dress in your size — so you can see a variety of models wearing sizes 6–3X. If you worry that your weight is in flux, they also have a great thing called “Fit Liberty” — if your size changes within the year you can exchange the dress for your new size. (The program does include some dresses, but they're not necessarily workwear dresses.)

Other nice options for stylish sheath dresses for work in plus sizes include Lands' End, Karen Kane, CeCe, Talbots, J.Crew, and Eloquii

The Best Structured Plus-Size Work Dress: Lands' End

Lands' End dresses have always been hits with the readers — pictured is their wool dress (actually from their uniform section, but it's too perfect not to include) and their ponte dresses. They also shine with wrap dresses!

For simple basics, also check Of Mercer, Universal Standard (up to 40), and Gravitas (up to 3X).

The Best Made-to-Measure Plus-Size Dress: Heart My Closet (via Etsy)

vintage-looking green dress for work on mannequin from Etsy seller heartmycoset

Bespoke, custom dresses are another way to go — and we've featured a lot of great Etsy sellers over the years who are surprisingly affordable. Etsy seller “heartmycloset” makes dresses inspired by the royals (Meghan, Kate) and TV shows like Suits, Agent Carter, and House of Cards — she has a zillion colors to choose from, and for the most part the dresses are under $150. Sign me up! (If you know of more Etsy sellers we'd love to hear about them!)

Other spots to check for custom dresses include eShakti as well as Igigi.

If you like the vintage vibes of heartmycloset, check out Amazon seller Marycrafts (available up to size 22), as well as ModCloth (but note that it can be hit or miss in terms of wear-to-work pieces).

Hunting for the best made-to-measure work clothes? As of 2024, the best options we know of are Brooks Brothers, Sumissura, Etsy sellers Heart My Closet, VigilanteLabs, and CelesteLilou, as well as smaller brands like Loud Bodies, Sharpe Suiting, IGIGI, and Rita Phil (pencil skirts only), plus eShakti.

Some of our favorite stores that offer free alterations for members include Nordstrom, J.Crew, Banana Republic, and Uniqlo (select styles). If you're crafty, you may also want to check out our roundup of sewing patterns for workwear outfits.

The Best Plus-Size Wrap Dress: DVF

plus-size dress for work in geometric print from designer Diane von Furstenberg

The iconic DvF wrap dress is currently available in a ton of prints, in plus sizes, at Dia & Co. (formerly 11 Honoré). While it's not a classic sheath, it's still a great dress for work. If you're uncomfortable with the amount of cleavage, I'd recommend either a full slip, or possibly a demi camisole if you want to wear it with another high-waisted foundation garment like Spanx shorts (for compression) or Jockey slip-shorts (for anti-chafing and comfort).

Some other great options for splurges (dresses over $200) include brands and shops like Vince, Nic + Zoe, Lafayette 148 New York, Karen Millen, Pari Passu, Tanya Taylor, and Navabi — but see our full roundup of designer plus-size clothing for professional women for more ideas.

Some of our other favorite wrap dresses that come in plus sizes include Kiyonna, Lands' End, Karen Kane, ASOS, and Universal Standard.

The Best Day-to-Night Plus-Size Work Dress: Eloquii

one of the best plus-size dresses for work from Eloquii

Eloquii's inventory of plus-size work dresses changes frequently, but they've had this “twisted shoulder detail” dress for a while now — I like that you could wear it beneath a blazer for work, but then add a sparkly necklace or gauzy wrap for evening and go out to dinner with it also. It's available in sizes 14-28.

Hunting for other feminine, plus-size work dresses that can go from day to night? Check out Calvin Klein, CeCe, and Boden (up to 22); this affordable Amazon dress sometimes comes up to size 3X also.

Our Favorite Plus-Size Work Dresses in 2024

Eloquii

A woman wearing a black long-sleeved dress and black sandals

This ponte dress with a twisted waist detail is lovely — and the long sleeves make it totally acceptable for wearing on its own, or with a blazer to mix things up a bit.

It's also machine washable — easy care is always a plus!

The dress is originally $99.95 at Eloquii and comes in sizes 14–28.

London Times

A woman wearing a green dress and silver sandals

This sheath dress from London Times has a fun little tie detail — and would be a lovely basic to have on hand if your office skews more formal. The dress comes in a range of colors and prints in sizes 4-24.

The pictured “shaded spruce” is my favorite of the bunch, but don’t miss out on the bright “cherries jubilee” or “high-risk red.”

The dress is available at Amazon in sizes 4-24 for under $100.

Vince

This elevated T-shirt dress from Vince looks absolutely fabulous — I love the tie waist and drop shoulder. I would probably wear it to my business casual office once a week from May through October.

The dress is $195 at Vince and comes in sizes 1X–3X.

Universal Standard x Henning

green plus-size sheath dress from universal standard

Universal Standard's new collaboration with designer plus-size brand Henning is great for elevated basics — I really like this greenish sheath dress with pleated details at the neck. (It also comes in black!)

It's available in sizes 00-40 for $188.

Maggy London

Elizabeth was thrilled to see this fantastic short-sleeved sheath from Maggy London. As she noted, “[m]y favorite part is that the sleeves are substantial enough that this could be worn on its own, but not so bulky that you can’t tuck them into a blazer.”

The dress is $138 at Nordstrom and comes in sizes 14W-24W; it comes in black and navy.

Gravitas

plus-size model wears red dress with hidden shapewear

If you're hunting for high-quality clothing made in the USA with hidden shapewear and other thoughtful details like wrinkle resistant fabrics, do check out Gravitas New York.

We've pictured the best-selling Lucille, which is made of wrinkle-resistant fabric, and comes in three colors in sizes 0-3X. As they note, it includes their “Shapewear Secret”: “This piece is lined with our Light shapewear, your smooth – and coolingl! – operator that works undercover to tame the tummy and hips for an unshakeable silhouette. Cue head turns.)”