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Thursday’s TPS Report: Banana Republic’s Classic Tailored French Cuff Shirt

Fashion· The Personal Shopper (TPS) | ·

Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. Women: Cotton non-iron short-sleeve shirt - WhiteWe’re pretty sure we’ve featured these non-iron shirts from BR before, but when reader R wrote to us with such a nice review we couldn’t help but bring it to your attention again:
I love the French cuffs and the cut–no gaping at the bust, and no poufing out at the waist when you tuck it in. The color is beautiful, and fabric has a great sheen to it that makes it lovely under a jacket or by itself. Personally I think it is set off best with pearls, but you could put about any jewelry with it. Best of all, so far the non-iron wrinkle free label is true to its word!
It’s $59 at Banana Republic. Women: Classic tailored non-iron shirt If you’ve recently seen a great work piece you’d like to recommend to the readers, please e-mail editor@corporette.com with “TPS” in the subject line. Unless you ask otherwise, we’ll refer to you by your first initial.

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Workwear sales of note for 5.26.23:

  • Nordstrom – The Half-Yearly Sale just started!
  • Amazon – Memorial Day Sales! Lots of discounts on Amazon Essentials and more.
  • Ann Taylor – Extra 50% off all sale styles (through 5/29); 40% off your entire purchase (including suiting).
  • Anthropologie – Extra 40% off sale.
  • Athleta – Up to 60% off, PLUS an extra 30% off!
  • Banana Republic – Summer preview, 30% off your purchase!
  • Banana Republic Factory – 50%-70% off everything + extra 25% off purchase
  • Bloomingdale’s – Memorial Day Sale, save up to 50% off on summer essentials, plus save up to 40% on designer items!
  • Boden – 30% off everything, including sale (ends 5/29).
  • Brooks Brothers – Extra 25% off sale; already up to 70% off (ends 5/31) – also mix & match sale with men’s shirts, 4 for $249.
  • Cole Haan – Up to 50% off sale styles.
  • Eloquii – 400+ styles starting at $19; up to 50% off everything.
  • Everlane – Up to 30% off, 400+ sale styles.
  • Express – Summer kickoff sale, 30-50% off everything (plus $35+ steals).
  • H&M – Up to 60% off online and in-store.
  • J.Crew – 40% off your purchase; extra 50% off sale styles; up to 50% off summer styles
  • J.Crew Factory – 50-70% off entire site and storewide; extra 60% off clearance.
  • J.McLaughlin – Up to 40% off!
  • Loft – 40% off full-price styles
  • M.Gemi – MDW sale, up to 70% off (but returns accepted only for store credit).
  • M.M.LaFleur – Short but sweet sale.
  • Madewell – Get 30% off your purchase.
  • Ministry of Supply – 25% off sitewide.
  • Sephora – Up to 50% off select beauty
  • Shopbop – Up to 50% off designer sale!
  • Sue Sartor – Lots of cute dresses on sale!
  • Talbots – 40% off one item, 30% off everything else (through 5/29).
  • Theory – Up to 60% off + an extra 20% off.
  • Universal Standard – Up to 35% off!
  • Victoria’s Secret – this weekend only, buy 3 panties get 5 free ones.

Other noteworthy sales:

  • CB2.com – Up to 50% off everything!
  • Joss & Main – Up to 60% off, plus an extra 20% off with code.
  • Tuft & Needle – Save up to $775 on mattresses. (Reader favorite bed brand; Kat really likes hers!)
  • West Elm – Memorialy Day Sale, up to 60% off.

Some of our latest posts here at Corporette…

And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

Comments

  1. Anonymous

    I have a question for R (or anyone else that owns this shirt or has seen it in person) – in the photograph, is the top visible buttoned button the actual top button on the shirt (there’s no way to button it higher?)

    • HK

      That’s my big gripe with BR shirts, too. You can’t button the top button without looking crazy/choking yourself, but the next highest button shows cleavage for me. There used to be one in the middle! I actually email the company about it every time I get a survey, but no luck so far!

      • AIMS

        A good tailor can fix this problem. Just use one of the extra buttons, and have the tailor create a new hole.

      • KH

        Nope – it’s true – there is no top button. I’ve noticed this style on a lot of shirts lately. I kind of like it – it makes for a flattering, face-framing look and it’s just more feminine. But it does reduce the versatility. I wonder if this trend too can be attibuted to Mad Men. I’ll have to watch to see.

        I do wish this shirt didn’t have French cuffs. I’m short, my arms are short and if the sleeves are just a tidge too long, French cuffs make it impossible to fudge.

          • KH

            Good suggestion, but alas. I have a small frame but not petite in the bust – fitted shirts rarely work well for me. If I can close it at the bosem and still feel I can move, then the shoulders and everywhere else are too bulky. The no-iron ones which are even stiffer just stand away from my torso and look worse.
            Silk(y) fabrics and sweaters just work so much better.

          • Anonymous

            I always buy that shirt from Banana in petite. This helps with the arm length and the overall fit, neckline issues, etc. I get the “tailored” (the one that is fuller in the bust) in a Large Petite and it fits my bust but then isn’t baggy overall. (Though for some reason the non-iron version was not a winner for me.) As to gapping along the buttons, I always wear a camisole underneath.

      • Cat

        Adding a higher button that’s evenly spaced from the rest would still result in a fairly high neckline – I wish that top button were about an inch or inch and a half higher. Still room to have a necklace show, but no cleavage risk. J. Crew’s Kathryn fit has them at the perfect height.

    • Midori

      Yep, that’s the top button. Sometimes I’ll wear a cami underneath (same color if I can get one) or just a distracting necklace if it’s a little lower than I’d like. for some reason, this one didn’t seem as bad as others I have. Suit jackets seem to let you get away with more on that front, too.

    • KZ

      yep, that is the annoying part about these shirts. i use thin strips of hollywood tape when i wear mine.

  2. Daisy

    From 10/22 to 10/25, BR is having a 25% off sale. In-store, you need to bring a 25%-off card (I received mine by mail a few days ago), but online you can just enter THANKYOU as the promotion code. The discount definitely applies to cardmembers; I’m not sure whether it applies to non-cardmembers, or only those who simultaneously register for a card. But it’s probably worth a try.

  3. Anonymous

    Yes, that’s correct. The older version of the shirt buttoned all the way up and was not so shiny. Those were perfect but I find that the new no-iron shirt is not as dependable.

  4. divaliscious11

    That’s a pretty color! I may get it to try the shirt. I so rarely wear suits anymore but that could work with a suit, a skirt or with jeans on Fridays.

  5. MRP

    I like this shirt quite a bit and think it would look great under a suit, but I have a question for you ladies. I have never been able to wear long-sleeved shirts under my suits because I get way too hot! I have to go either sleeveless or wear short sleeves. Does anyone else have this problem, and, if so, have you been able to figure out a way around it?

    • Toni

      I have this problem too and, unfortunately, I haven’t figured out a way around it. I tend to stick with sleeveless or short sleeve shells or sweaters unless it’s very cold. In that case I can usually go with a 3/4 sleeve fine-gauge sweater, but long sleeves would make me inappropriately sweaty.

      I hope you can find someone who has a solution to this problem!

    • L

      This happens to me too. I sweat onto the button-down’s armpits and then I have to dry clean or wash it right away. Dry cleaning too much often results in broken buttons and/or the shirts wearing out, so I try to wash myself, but then have to iron. Are these shirts really no-iron?

    • Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

      If it’s simply a matter of your body producing too much sweat then I would recommend a product called Drysol (generic name: Hypercare). It’s a prescription strength antiperspirant that’s fairly inexpensive (especially since a 35 mL bottle lasts four months) that you put on at night and then you don’t sweat the next day. I can personally vouch for that fact because today I am wearing two t shirts and a heavy hoody (my school likes to blast the air conditioning) and I am not sweating.
      You don’t have to put on any deodorant in the morning, but if you want that security than you need to find one that does not have an antiperspirant (extremely difficult) because it’ll overlod your body. More often than not I have been able to get away with nothing or a quick mist of body spray under the arms. I know this doesn’t help if it’s just a matter of overheating, but I hope this helps someone.

      • DND

        When I was a teenager I had a problem with over-sweating, and I used Drysol. I found it to be extremely effective. Just don’t use too much of it, and don’t use it after shaving!

    • Mel

      It may be the fabric. I had the pleasure of working in a non-air conditioned environment for two years and tried to stick to cotton button-down shirts. I found that even 1-2% spandex or other synthetic increased how much I sweat in the armpits exponentially.

      Question for the ladies who use the prescription antiperspirant- what do you do if you shower in the mornings? I get a lot of night sweats and really can’t do an evening shower. I’ve also heard that these types of antiperspirants make you sweat worse in other areas, so I’m afraid the night sweats might get worse than they already are.

      • Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

        Well you only do the every night thing for a week or two and then you switch over to every couple of days (two or three whatever works best). I don’t know if you put it on in the morning it would be as effective because I was told that the medicine works best at night when your body temperature is at it’s lowest.
        As far as sweating more in other areas, I don’t. However, before I began to use the Hypercare I really only had sweat form under my arms. But the good thing about this is it’s a liquid so it can (feasibly) be put anywhere (caveat: when I was getting my intital perscription from my doctor she told me about a girl who went crazy and put it everywhere even her palms and the bottoms of her feet and passed out from the fact that her body could not release any sweat).

      • Eva

        I’ve never used Drysol but I have used Certain Dri, which I think is the same or similar. It’s not a solid – it’s more a roll-on clear liquid – and it won’t wash off if you shower in the morning. It’s more of a chemical effect than a masking effect. I went ahead and used a normal solid in the morning, as the roll on is an antiperspirant only – it doesn’t prevent general odor.

    • Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

      One of the things that I am not happy about concerning Ann Taylor is something I was told when I was making a purchase over the phone. The very kind woman who was assisting me made an attempt to find the dress I wanted in the size I needed in a store. When she could not she expressed her lament that Ann Taylor was beginning to “cater to their smaller clientle because that it was [they] have a greater demand for.” I was shocked and a little insulted because I am a 16, but because the demand for my size is not as great as that of a 00 I will have to go online and pay shipping (or not depending on the coupons I have in my possession) and experience delayed (rather than instant) gratification. I understand that there is limited space to hold inventory and stores need to stock what is in demand, but part of me wishes that I was not informed that what I need doesn’t meet their demand qualifications.

      • coolcat

        Wow, that is harsh. I wonder how many of the higher sizes they’re going to not carry in stores. Will it only be 16s or will it be like 12 and up, I wonder.

      • Ellie

        yup, I was told at my local store they wont carry 14s and higher. Blech. I get so frustrated as a 14p, or a straight 12, since it just depends on the cut.

      • s

        Wow, i had no idea they were doing that. My comment about direction solely applied to fashion choices!

        (To be fair though, i don’t think AT carries double zeroes in the store either. And online at least they’re stocking up to an 18, which i think is higher than a lot of stores go. I do feel your pain b/c as a petite, I have to order online all the time anyway, since AT is one of the rare stores that actually carries petites in the store: yes, I’m looking at you J. Crew! Its a drag.)

        • Violet

          The one J. Crew store that I have ever gone into only had small sizes in every item that attracted my eye. I won’t bother going online to look for an item that I cannot try on. I wonder what size Michelle Obama wears?

  7. EM

    Personally, I think the “no gaping” feature is 100% dependent upon your body shape. I have never been able to find an off-the-rack blouse that fits properly.

    Brooks Brothers makes made to measure blouses for women, I have one. They were a pleasure to work with.

    But I still prefer knit shells, which alas, I have trouble finding, as these are too expensive: http://www.anueligne.com/product_info.php?cPath=1&products_id=37

    • Midori

      I confess that to be true. My favorable review should come with the disclaimer that, well, womanly curves aren’t exactly my strongest feature.

    • L

      Yes, that seems a bit expensive for that shirt. And the shiny material looks very unforgiving–if you can see her ribs, you’ll definitely be able to see any other “imperfection.”

  8. Anonymous

    I’m also guessing that, if you can see her ribs, you’ll be able to see the outline of her bra as well (perhaps photoshopped out?).

    • EM

      I intended to wear them under suit jackets, so all you can see is a peep of color at my chest. I wanted a shirt with sleeves (as opposed to a camisole) to protect my suit jackets from underarm stains. And also I like to take my jacket off on occasion, and a camisole is not appropriate.

  9. M

    I agree, the placement of the top button is ridiculous! I’m an A cup with a pretty short torso, not curvy–I tried one of these on last week and it was obscene from the side without a camisole. The BR “fitted” (vs. “tailored”) shirt is a little better if you don’t mind the covered placket and a slimmer fit. But I’d rather keep stalking Brooks Brothers and Thomas Pink for sales.

  10. Kelly

    For years my garment bag has suffered severe jet lag. Between red eyes to California and day trips to Boston, my suits, and oxfords crumbled…literally. Prior to striking gold with Banana Republic’s non-irons, my worst nightmare wasn’t a lost boarding pass but rather showing up looking like the bag I’d been living in. I discovered that Banana’s no-iron shirts have this unreal fiber called XLA made by DOW. It allows for that great breathability we love, all the while staying wrinkle free!

    I’ve also fell in love with Brooks Brothers’ non-iron. Same great classic style, and affordable too!

  11. L

    Does anyone have recommendations for button ups for women with broad shoulders, but a small bust/waist? I have this shirt from BR, but there is still a lot of poufing when I tuck it in, but I can’t size down due to my linebacker shoulders.

    • MJ

      L,

      I am on the same quest as you. Talbot’s blouses used to fit the bill – broad enough in the shoulders and no darts – but they have recut them recently. I tried one on last weekend and felt like the Hulk about to bust out the shoulder seams. I am at my wits’ end. Or perhaps I should say I am at my wit’s end since the difficulty in finding essential wardrobe pieces this season feels like the last straw!

  12. Amber

    I like the positioning of the button on this shirt. I’m an A cup with a long torso (and I’m not exactly what you’d call perky unless aided by a push-up bra), and the top button falls at just the right place for me. I’ve never had problems with cleavage or any other boobage, even when I turn to the side or bend over.

    For those who have asked — the non-iron part is really true! These are my favorite shirts, though I don’t have the french-cuff ones. Yet.

  13. Nevadamtnbear

    With the exception of some shirts I’ve found at Kohl’s, I’ve had a very difficult time finding shirts that fit my bust (38DD) without gaping or being to boxy. Sure, I can get shirts tailored, but I haven’t found anyone good locally as of yet.

    I’ve had my eye on the Rebecca & Drew shirts for a while, but have been reluctant to drop that kind of cash on a shirt. But, I’m seriously tempted at this point in time. I figure if I’m willing to spend $ on a tailor, I might as well see if their shirts will work for me.

    Has anyone had any experience with Rebecca & Drew shirts? Thoughts?

  14. housecounsel

    As someone who often stares at the Rebecca & Drew web site wondering if I should take the financial plunge, I’m also hoping for a review.

    I have ordered some white dress shirts from Bravissimo. I am happy to say they don’t gap over my bust, but the fabric isn’t the best.

  15. Anne Vohl

    These Babana Republic shirts that nip in under the bust are the greatest. They are really feminine, and the fabrics are beautiful. Go for it!

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