Frugal Friday’s Workwear Report: Ultra-Stretch Ponte Sleeveless Dress
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Our daily workwear reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.
I would have worn the heck out of this sheath dress from Quince as a junior associate trying to build a work-appropriate wardrobe at a big law firm. Wear it on Monday with a colored blazer and wear it again later in the week with a white oxford layered underneath. (If you work in a formal office, I assure you that the men are re-wearing their suits just as frequently!)
The dress is $49.90 at Quince and comes in sizes XS-XL. It also comes in charcoal and black.
For plus sizes, check out this sheath dress from Kasper — it's $99 at Nordstrom and available in 14W-24W.
Some of the best dresses for work as of 2025 include options from J.Crew, BOSS, T. Tahari, and Lands' End. For really affordable options, check out Quince and Amazon sellers Miusol or MUXXN (both with vintage vibes). We've also rounded up the best plus-size dresses for work!
Sales of note for 6/4/25:
- Nordstrom – The Half-Yearly Sale has begun! See our full roundup here. Lots of markdowns on AGL (50%!), Weitzman, Tumi, Frank & Eileen, Zella, Natori, Cole Haan, Boss, Theory, Reiss (coats), Vince, Eileen Fisher, Spanx, and Frame (denim and silk blouses)
- Nordstrom Rack – Refurbished Dyson hairdryers down to $199-$240 (instead of $400+) + Father's Day gifts up to 60% off
- Ann Taylor – 50% off dresses, jackets & shoes + extra 30% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything + extra 25% off
- Boden – 15% off new womenswear styles
- Eloquii – $19+ up select styles
- J.Crew – Up to 50% off women's dresses + up to extra 50% off sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – 50-60% off summer styles + up to 60% off everything + extra 60% off clearance
- M.M.LaFleur – Try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off
- Rothy's – Up to 50% off last-chance styles
- Spanx – Free shipping on everything
- Talbots – BOGO 50% off everything, includes all markdowns
I usually buy clothes from Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic Factory, Madewell, Uniqlo etc
What’s one level up from that?
I bought a Reiss dress from a sample sale and I love it. How can I start learning about more upscale brands?
For me with my budget J Crew is a level up – it’s expensive these days!
It is! I’ve sort of decided to be more diligent at looking for sales etc so I can buy from nicer brands. I like those clothes more, I feel the material is better, I get more compliments. So its worth it.
I wore the Reiss dress on a date and got compliments both from the date and the waitress.
Alex Mill, AYR, Reformation, Sezane, Doen, Buck Mason
I learned about upscale brands from going in person to the workwear depts at Saks, Nordstrom, and Bloomingdale’s and that’s where I look online now. I’d add Veronica Beard, Cinq a Sept, Massimo Dutti and L’Agence if you like Reiss.
Same.
Also browse Neiman Marcus. While you have to wade through some non-work-attire in the following, I’d add also-
-Agreed with JCrew, but I have paid full price for something maybe 1x every 5 years. I will typically buy at no less than 40% off the list price.
-Hobbs (Bloomie’s carries)
-Vince
-Rag & Bone
-Theory
-Ted Baker
Ooh Cinq a Sept and Massimo Dutti look soo good. And honestly the prices are not as crazy as I expected. Banana Republic has $150+ dresses so $200 isnt that different.
Okay $200 is on the lower side. But still.
And who’s paying full price for Banana Republic
Hobbs is at Bloomingdale’s
depending on where you live i would take some time and do some browsing at a higher end department school (bloomingdales, bergdorf, neiman, saks) and/ or small boutiques (like i live in NY for example and there are these small heavily curated shops in scarsdale, armonk etc which i like because they’re very focused and easy to get through. i have more than once seen something i liked and then googled the brand and found more). If in person isn’t feasible you can go through on line, you can even filter for higher price point just to see if you like it. Reiss is lovely. I like Bash & Co. Hobbs too…. cinq a sept. Vince and theory really have beautiful basics.
the colors and the fit really do tend to be better on more expensive clothes although i will say that i don’t think the quality tends to be better. like i don’t think a vince sweater holds up any better than an old navy or BR.
You could consider doing a Rent The Runway clothing subscription for a month. It would give you access to tons of designers to see how you like the designs, fits and fabric.
If we are listing brands, I.will add Tahari and Boss to the workwear list, especially for basics. They are oldies but still around for a reason. For non-work, Rails, AllSaints, Marine Layer, Faherty, and the Nordstrom and Bloomingdales house brands have all been winners for me.
Max Mara on sale. Very well constructed pieces made with good quality fabric.
I really like Cos. Someone called it a “museum curator” brand and it does make me feel like I’m some fancy lady with an art history degree who can charm donors and knows all about some incredibly obscure vein of early modern art.
I also appreciate COS because I want to dress like an architect but I am on a budget and don’t work in the arts. These days, I mostly focus on their accessories when they are chunkier and silver.
Is there a way to turn off the Gemini prompts on Google? I know how to read and write my own emails dammit!
M365 Copilot has become the new Clippy to me. And it’s not even cute in a campy way, just obnoxious with irritating “suggestions” at every turn.
Usually when I get frustrated with something like that, I assume a whole bunch of other people are as well — usually a quick web search turns up a bunch of articles / videos showing how to deal with it.
A couple of weeks ago, I got fed up with that “sign in with Google” prompt window that shows up on EVERY SINGLE WEBSITE. i went on a hunt, found I wasn’t the only one who hated it, and finally was able to find a way to block it (by adding a script to my ad blocker).
Can you post the link to the script? I NEED this. We should all be hitting Google with ad blockers right now anyway.
Might not be directly related, but I add -ai in searches when I want advice from real humans. It’s like going back a few years and actually giving credit to people.
You can turn this off in your Gmail settings. Go to Settings > See all settings > Google Workspace smart features > untoggle the top option. We use GSuite at work and the poor summaries of email chains and suggested replies were getting on my nerves…
Thinking about splurging on a fancy diffuser, any recs? I have (a LOT of) thick, 2b/c wavy, low porosity hair that I air-dry because traditional blow dryers give me poodle hair, but waiting hours for dry hair isn’t always convenient.
Similar hair and I’ve had good luck with the Dyson Nural diffuser attachments. Diffusing takes slightly longer than when I blow it out straight, but more like 20% rather than 2x. I also realize this is among the most expensive options to solve the problem.
Shark’s diffuser has been amazing for me!
+1 for shark! I have low porosity hair too and I just blow dry my roots with the regular shark dryer and then use the diffuser attachment to do my ends. It works pretty well, takes so much less time (it was like 4-6 hours of drying before), and i have barely any itchiness now.
Can anyone explain why you’re supposed to put on the more clinical strength deodorant at night before bed and not just APply in the morning (after you have presumably showered)? I feel like every time I get a more heavy duty deodorant I end up having it be less effective than my regular Secret stick but I am also not using it as instructed. I would skip altogether but the regular is also not cutting it lately…
Second question is, for those that follow these instructions, when do you actually shave your underarms? I like a morning shower to wake up and always do a quick shave under my arms at that point. Doing it at night ruins my razor because traces of my deodorant are still on me even if I wash with soap first & leaves me with “5 o’clock shadow” by midday the day following. The deodorant instructions also say not to apply to freshly shaved skin! I feel like this is a Logic Game that I am just not comprehending – if I shave at night, I can’t put on the deodorant after because my skin will be “just shaved” and if I shave in the morning, I am washing off all the deodorant from the night before and probably still ruining my razor in the process.
It’s not the deodorant that should be applied at night, but the anti-perspirant. If you use prescription anti-perspirant it’s also applied at night, and then you apply de-odorant in the morning after showering.
Anyway the answer is that you shower in the morning, shave, and apply deodorant, no matter what you did the night before.
But then the razor still gets residue on it in the morning. Also, all the antiperspirants say they are both so do you mean you “refresh” in the AM with just deodorant? This makes sense I guess from an odor perspective though seems like a lot of product.
It’s pretty crucial to successfully wash off all residue when showering. If that requires a different soap, different washcloth, so be it, but if we’re not even removing all the product residue, we’re definitely not exfoliating enough for odor control and that could be part of the issue.
I personally use a gentler, cheaper product for application immediately after a shower/shave vs. the very strong anti-perspirants applied at night. For me personally Mitchum unscented triple defense gel is gentle enough for using on freshly washed, shaved skin. Prescription strength anti-perspirant would sting badly right after showering, and it just doesn’t absorb as well into the skin during the day as it does overnight.
I have less experience with OTCs, but I think the logic is the same: to prevent sweat, apply anti-perspirant at night. To prevent odor, apply de-odorant in the morning after washing. If a product contains both anti-perspirant and de-odorant, we’re still benefiting more from the anti-perspirant when applied at night and more from the de-odorant when applied in the morning.
This feels like so much work. Bless.
I think it’s pretty common to shower, shave, and apply some kind of underarm odor control product when getting ready in the morning?
So it’s just one more step to add a PM antiperspirant. What am I missing?
10:41 – do you really think washing your pits before you shave is too much work?
I guess it didn’t occur to me that people shave their armpits every day. My morning showers are a few minutes long and I do soap my pits during that time, but I don’t scrub. I shave on the weekend so that I can take my time.
Oh wow. I can get away with skipping one day shaving depending on what shirt I wear, but any longer than that would be really pushing it; I’d be so uncomfortable.
(And I’m not doubting you at all; I’m assuming that my hair grows way faster, my skin is more sensitive to it, and I’m just stinkier, none of which is enviable; I’d love to get away with weekends only.)
I’ll bet that’s the theory behind the charcoal scrub they say you should use in peri – they even make ones just for armpits! I think mine is from Pacifica. Lasered off my hair there so I very rarely shave!
I use the antiperspirant right after I shower and then deodorant in the morning. I find if I do antiperspirant every day, it builds up and then I have to heavily exfoliate in the shower. I also shave every other day (YMMV) bc my armpits get too irritated otherwise.
I scrub my underarms thoroughly with a bath scrunchie before shaving. I usually shower in the morning and apply deodorant after showering. I don’t use any sort of deodorant at night.
I had no idea until today that people use deodorant at night. Like why??
Are you not reading the thread?? It’s about anti-perspirant, not deodorant.
People seem to be stubbornly committed to not distinguishing these (yes there are a lot of combination products out there, but antiperspirant and deodorant ingredients are still not the same).
I also thought it was pointless, but then would smell faintly of bo. Using deodorant after my evening shower and reapplying it in the morning fixed the issue.
You’re supposed to apply antiperspirant at night because it’s more effectively absorbed into your pores when you’re not sweating. This is true of any antiperspirant, but they especially recommend it for the clinical strength ones, which should last at least 24 hours, even if you shower. I don’t actually bother with that though, and it still works fine for me. Similarly, I also apply after shaving with no problems, but I only shave under my arms once or twice a week,
Trust me, using it at night is a game-changer, if annoying. I’m an evening shower, so I apply it then, before putting on my pajamas, and touch up before I get dressed in the morning, the same cheap aerosol.
If the residue isn’t coming with regular soap, try an oil cleanser (can be the makeup remover kind or ones designed to be used all over, Bioderma, La Roche-Posay, an Nivea all sell them). Agressive scrubbing before shaving could hurt you.
People still use aerosol deodorant?! I’ve always thought those were just for like guest/gym bathrooms.
If you want something more effective than your usual deodarant I’d suggest using some sort of topical acid (I use the Stridex body pads) at night and then your regular deodarant in the morning. That works wonders for me both for ingrowns and for killing any residual smells, I also like it in the summer for preventing acne on my chest/under my sports bras.
Thanks for this tip; I think it came up before and it is helpful!
Speaking of leveling up, what is the ~$100 version of these cheap Amazon sunglasses where the lenses pop out constantly? I love the shape and style!
https://www.amazon.com/FEISEDY-Oversized-Vintage-Polarized-Sunglasses/dp/B0925KQ2P9?pd_rd_w=MXHIF&content-id=amzn1.sym.6669831e-9eeb-4d57-9d29-51b7c8f17181&pf_rd_p=6669831e-9eeb-4d57-9d29-51b7c8f17181&pf_rd_r=HND1F2S9XTCCTP3XN56N&pd_rd_wg=0HAb0&pd_rd_r=0506e788-3ef3-4184-92b3-f4fec025c68e&pd_rd_i=B0925KQ2P9&psc=1&ref_=pd_bap_d_grid_rp_0_1_ec_pr_pd_hp_d_atf_rp_1_i
I don’t think there is one. These are a super cheap looking style.
They remind me of Ray Bans.
Agree; Ray-Bans are the classic look. The linked ones above are a cartoonishly exaggerated take on Ray-Bans.
Check Target. Sunglasses are one item that I just cannot be trusted not to break/lose and Target’s have been the sweet spot for quality/value. Not sure about this specific style, but it seems common enough that it would be worth a look
Similarly, I have really good luck with J.Crew Factory sunglasses.
Goodr?
+1 the big goodrs. Not expensive but they’re great. The BFG look comparable for the oversize look.
Fun story – my husband has a variety of nice $$$ sunglasses, and he accidentally grabbed my goodr sunglasses one morning before going fishing. He has a pair of Smith Optics ones that are a very similar shape to mine and they were both on the island. He only figured it out the mix up halfway through the day when he took them off to do something else.
+1 Goodr – I have 3 pairs and they hold up to even my kids playing with them. I think Target carries them now too.
https://www.warbyparker.com/sunglasses/vela/jet-black-with-polished-gold?w=extra-wide
Try cheap glasses sites like Zenni or Eye Buy Direct. They have virtual try-on and you can order non-prescription lenses. I’ve had a lot of success at Eye Buy Direct.
I’m hard on my things and my Knockaround sunglasses have held up nicely for almost three years now.
Before I needed readers, my favorite hack for sunglasses was always getting them at discount outlets like Century 21 and Daffy’s (RIP). You can often find designer pieces at mall store prices, so you don’t feel so bad when you lose or break them.
These might work for your current quest: https://www.nordstromrack.com/s/oscar-de-la-renta-55mm-butterfly-sunglasses/8221213?origin=category-personalizedsort&breadcrumb=Home%2FBags%20%26%20Accessories%2FDesigner%2FDesigner%20Sunglasses%20%26%20Eyewear%2FDesigner%20Sunglasses%20Under%20%24200&fashioncolor=Black&color=001
Daffy’s – I had forgotten about that place! RIP indeed.
Ah yes! And there was a great one in Boston too. Maybe the original Filene’s?
Check Goodr? I think those are the cheaper ones everyone likes.
Not exactly the same but similar to Peepers’ Center Stage. I have the reader version of these and they have been pretty durable. They are large frames though – might not work if you have a smaller head.
Low stakes question. They have changed the St. Ives apricot scrub formula and now it smells weird. Favorite face scrub? I use it like 3x/week. TIA!
Oh my goodness, don’t use that. You can do so much better in 2025. I don’t use physical exfoliants at all – chemical ones work so much better.
Idk, different things work for different people. And if OP has been using it for years clearly its fine for them.
anyone try il makiage? its a scrub keeps showing up on my insta.
I bought one il makiage product–not the scrub–and I got DOZENS of emails from them for weeks.
DOZENS. And they were impervious to the spam/unsubscribe for so long.
I curse the day melora hardin sold me makeup lol
I thought it was an aging thing. Like skipping sunscreen, you won’t notice the effects now but you will later!
I like Avene sensitive scrub. It smells amazing and doesn’t irritate my skin.
Lush has a face scrub that’s sort of gritty, just in a good way.
Oh No! I love that stuff, and am at the bottom 1/3 of the current tube. For the skin-care pearl clutchers, I use it 2 -3 times per week, and have for 30 years. I think my skin looks great.
Is Remede Sweep still around? That was a great product, although I stopped using it because it was more than I wanted to spend.
The Vichy Normaderm cleanser + scrub + mask, in the green tube, is wonderful. Probably a bit pricier than the Saint Ives, but lasts a long time, the spheres are even (but not plastic), so not as harsh, and the green clay is calming. I liked the smell, and it was recommended by my derm.
Here is a diy recipe that i I have used 1x weekly forever:
1 tsp Cetaphil + 1 tsp baking soda. Apply with a washcloth in a circular pattern
Use a washcloth. It’s way better for your skin anyway.
The Ole Henriksen lemonade facial scrub. I think they have a new strawberry lemonade one too.
I really like the rice scrubs – I forget my brand but I know tatcha has one.
You have to seek it out, but I love the coffee version of St. Ives scrub. It’s the best smell!
I don’t know who needs to hear this, but PSA that it never hurts to ask for stuff at work. My husband had about 100k stock options and his company was sold. He got cashed out for about $200k and then he asked his boss if he would be getting any new options under the new leadership. She ran it up the food chain and got him 10k options. He was like “eh, better than nothing!” Fast forward 4 years and his company just sold again. He just got his statement from the transaction and those 10k options were worth almost $300k. Nobody else on his team had them, and his current boss has some options but the strike price was much higher.
It literally took 2 minutes to ask and he’s got an extra ~$175k in the bank (post tax). If we put it all in the bank, it will eventually mean we can retire 2 years earlier than planned.
indeed. and not just at work. My son is going to be a freshman in college and got a significant merit scholarship at a school. He called his first choice and asked them to match it and they did, like it was nothing. boom! always worth asking.
Love this, happened with a friend as well. Got great merit/aid packages at two schools. Called her top choice and they matched it.
Yes this happened to me for grad school! A friend told me to do it and I’m glad I listened. It was like “hi can I have more money?” “yes”
Much smaller scale, but we just bought a car and asking another dealership to match the price or beat it took five minutes and we got a great deal.
We got to ride at the front of the Monorail at Disney because my dad struck up a conversation with the driver/pilot. Obviously pre- 9/11 but it was a cool experience.
Hah, the *exact* same thing happened to me as a kid– dad chatted with the driver, we got to ride up front.
Not being afraid to ask can be helpful in so many situations, both serious and fun. I recall a ski trip to Jackson Hole in the early 2000s (before it was so bougie) with my family. My father and I always skied together, but on that trip, I was attempting to learn snowboarding so I was caught up in lessons. My father (around 50 at the time) is an expert skier and former ski bum who can make friends with anyone. Two young Australians, couldn’t have been more than 25, struck up a conversation with him and then asked if they could follow him down his run (Jackson is a notoriously challenging mountain). They ended up becoming besties for the rest of the week and gaining access to my father’s 40 years of secret powder stashes, all because they were friendly and willing to ask a stranger for a favor. What a win-win week for everyone.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from one of my mentors (a retired federal judge who I have done a ton of volunteer and pro bono work with) is that it’s always worth it to ask, especially when you’re asking on behalf of someone who really needs the help and might not be in a position to ask for themselves.
I used to worry people would feel used or put out. But I’ve seen the opposite. She makes a huge deal out of the favor, thanks people like crazy, and genuinely celebrates their help. They end up bending over backwards to do more.
What would be an alternative to Crocs to pack for vacation? I like wearing my crocs for comfy casual hanging out around the house/hotel, quick runs out to grab something, and to the pool, but they are very bulky to pack and I’d like to travel carry on only for this trip since we’ll be moving around a lot.
Birkenstock Arizona EVAs (or a knockoff, probaby)
+1 my go-to beach trip water shoe
I keep seeing knockoffs in really happy, bright colors and I think I might pull the trigger this weekend.
I think I had a pretty early version, have they made upgrades to the shoe? Those cut into my feet so badly and I used to slip around like crazy in actually wet situations like waterparks.
Normal flip flops
Thin flip flops
Isn’t this what flip.flops are for? Or slides like Archie’s and Oofos are in the middle.
My Oofos are pretty bulky. I might just wear them in the airport and pack a different shoe in my luggage.
Archies for a flip flop with a little arch support. Xero for barefoot feel and the least possible amount of space in luggage.
You could always rock the crocs + socks look on the plane. My rule is to always wear my bulkiest shoes on the plane if I’m going carry-on only.
Crocs makes flip flops and thinner sandals now that would be a good compromise.
These are my go to. They last a couple of years of wearing them pretty much all the time in the summer. I love them so much and they are quite comfortable. They can be a little slippery when wet.
Crocs makes thinner sandals now that might appeal?
My old teva flip flops with arch support! Hotel room carpets can be so gross.
Any recs for a step up from a Tinkle razor? Need something less irritating to the skin but still does an effective job. Still in razor form etc (not an IPL system). Thanks!
I bought myself the Dermaflash electric one after using Tinkle for a few years. It’s a nice step up. It’s pricey especially compared to the Tinkle, but it works better than the Tinkle. It has disposable razors that say to use one per treatment, but like the Tinkle, I use it more than once (usually just 2 times) before replacing. It also exfoliates the skin.
It feels like the truly entertaining political scandals always happen when SNL is on break.
Right??
The landing pages of the NYT and WSJ look like a gossip magazine. This is ridiculous (and so, so predictable!).