Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.
We’re loving this ponte knit dress from Trina Turk. The empire waist, the detailing (velvet, silk and bead) on the shoulder, the flattering V-neck, and the ladylike length all strike us as perfect for the office. We like it in both the merlot and the more sedate charcoal. It’s $268 at Nordstrom’s in sizes 0-12. Trina Turk ‘Statuesque’ Ponte Knit Dress
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M
10/13/2009 at 10:40 amI like the color, but it seems a little low cut.
What is the right kind of neckline for the office, and how low can you really go before it gets too low?
anon
10/13/2009 at 11:50 amI agree – I think you would have to wear a cami under this to make it office appropriate. Anything that is going to show cleavage or show your bra if you lean forward is definitely too low.
Anonymous
10/13/2009 at 12:01 pmI also think that anything that will give a taller person standing next to you a clear view down your shirt is an inappropriate neckline for the office (sometimes higher cut but more “open” necklines have this problem).
M
10/13/2009 at 12:54 pmGood point!
Anonymous
10/13/2009 at 1:23 pmI feel like this frequently happens with camis layered underneath another top – the front view is covered but the cami creates more cleavage as seen from above…
divaliscious11
10/13/2009 at 10:46 amThis is quite pretty, and if I worked in Miami, I’d snap it up. Sigh… Unfortunately, I am in Chicago, and while the color is cheery, i’d freeze if i wore this this time of the year. Can we find some warmer dresses?
E
10/13/2009 at 12:28 pmCould you wear a turtleneck under it to make it more appropriate for colder weather?
Midori
10/13/2009 at 1:45 pmSecond! We’re already hitting freezing temperatures in the windy city. I’m more in the market for dresses to pair with tights and a parka here.
lawgrl
10/13/2009 at 10:53 amI concur. All these dresses are cute, but I’ve been wearing full sleeves now for a couple of weeks.
Anonymous
10/13/2009 at 11:14 amI dont like the plunging v-neck. For someone at all busty, it would not work at the office. Also, I do not at all care for the shoulder detailling. Points for being different, but it just doesnt appeal to me.
Anonymous
10/13/2009 at 11:19 amI don’t think it would work at the office for those who are less busty, either – it’s just a bit too low cut for anyone.
LYA
10/13/2009 at 11:37 amI normally LOVE Trina Turk but that dress is hideous all around.
ClerkChic
10/13/2009 at 11:45 amOh! How sad. Someone very tall dropped sushi on her shoulder!
Mel
10/13/2009 at 11:55 amHaha- you are so right. I don’t mind the dress otherwise. I live in Florida where it is still a blistering 90 degrees with 90% humidity everyday, so this would be perfect with a cami underneath if it weren’t for the sushi!
Speaking of dresses- anyone know of brands that work well for women with longer torsos? I am not tall, but I usually have problems with dresses because the waist/hips are way too high on me.
D
10/13/2009 at 12:31 pmI love the color, but the detail is distracting. Plus, the detail is likely to catch on a coat and tear.
I agree with warmer dresses. Most of these short sleeve ones I would end up wearing with a cami, and then they all start looking like sheath dresses underneath. How about some interesting long sleeved outfits?
Abby
10/13/2009 at 12:37 pmWho wears such necklines at the office?
georgienyc
10/13/2009 at 12:40 pmagree with the neckline but i find the color interesting. sort of fall-appropriate. check out some other looks here. http://www.what2wearwhere.com/ListItems.aspx?pt=Event&q=15
L
10/13/2009 at 12:47 pmToo funny, I didn’t think that the neckline was low at all, but looking at the model it is – just camouflaged by the lack of boobs.
I would never think of wearing a turtleneck underneath. Wouldn’t the dress be too tight to do that? And wouldn’t it look like a kid’s jumper or something? I do wear short sleeved dresses to the office now, but with a jacket over them.
jcb
10/13/2009 at 12:53 pmobviously it would need a cami for the office, but it’s a gorgeous dress. love the detail and the color. can’t see it working for fall/winter though, the detailing probably wouldn’t work with a cardigan or blazer. ah, well.
Anne Vohl
10/13/2009 at 1:10 pmWhat kind of office for this dress? It is too beaded, too slinky, and too low cut. Just sticking a cami under a V neck does not necessarily make things look right.
s-k-s
10/13/2009 at 1:20 pmI like the shape and style. A cami underneath would solve the cleavage problem and the dress would still look nice. BUT (and its a big but) – the “detailing” on the neck is just way too ugly. It looks like it is 3-d, which would also make it hard to wear a cardigan or blazar over it, which is the only way any of us up north could wear it until April.
Sharon
10/13/2009 at 1:28 pmI don’t get this. A lovely dress — for an evening occasion. Not for the workplace at all. This is a dressy dress in terms of cut, fit and ornamentation.
SM
10/13/2009 at 8:26 pmThis dress looks like it might work if it weren’t so tight in the shoulders, bust and hips, making it very unflattering on this model. In a size up, could be sort of boxy a la Jackie-O. I too, normally like Trina Turk, but they picked the wrong model to wear this dress, or the wrong size dress for her.
Anyone else getting tired of the empire waist look?
mm
10/13/2009 at 9:31 pmI tried this on in Nordstrom a couple of weeks ago thinking it would work for a pre-wedding rehearsal dinner, and it never dawned on me that this would be a good choice for the office. While I loved the color, the material is very form fitting (I’m a curvy size 6) and, at least on me, the dress was far too low cut to work for the office. In addition, the decorative element at the shoulder is a little glittery/sparkly, and that really just does not seem office-appropriate to me. Also, note that the dress seemed to run a bit small.
belle de ville
10/14/2009 at 11:47 amFabulous dress, but that thing on the shoulder is ridiculous. Why couldn’t they have left the dress unembellished?
Brandy
10/14/2009 at 2:01 pmI just bought this dress today from a boutique. And I bought it for work, at a law office. And I am “busty.” At first glance I didn’t really have an opinion on it but after I tried it on, it looked great. I’m planning to wear it on Friday, without a cami because this dress it too fitted to wear a shirt of any kind underneath. The embellishments add something to the dress because it would be very plain without them.
carissa
10/15/2009 at 10:04 amI just saw that dress at Nordstrom. The appliques are very tasteful.
It inspired me to try putting an applique on a cashmere sweater to cover a moth hole I recently discovered.
I’m glad to know it looked good on a “busty” figure because the neckline looked too plungey to me. Is that how you spell plungey?
S.
10/15/2009 at 8:43 pmTT has it in charcoal without embellishment! Joy!
S.
10/15/2009 at 8:43 pmhttp://www.trinaturk.com/p/5204/Statuesque-Dress-w-o-Embelishment.aspx