Where to Shop to Build Your Work Day Wardrobe

original photo c/o pink pot

Finding clothes to wear to work that don’t cost an arm and a leg can be a daunting task. Below is a round-up of the places I think are best for office wear. I’ve also picked out some favorite currently available items (so many beautiful pencil skirts!) from each of these stores. Enjoy!

Nordstrom: 

Pro: SO many options. Nordstrom is the mecca for wear to work shopping. My personal favorite brands for office wear are Halogen & Anne Klein (both extremely affordable). I also love Theory (though their clothes are much more expensive).
 
Con: They have far more online than in store. This means a lot of shopping without trying on. If you are in America though, they have a free shipping & returns policy so buy a ton and just return what doesn’t fit! Shipping is $10 to Canada.

Some great options:

Club Monaco:  

Pro: Feminine work wear styles. High quality material.

Con: Expensive. I find that shopping their sale section online is that best way to get affordable items.

Some great options:

J Crew:

Pro: Timeless, Classic items. You can wear J Crew pieces season after season and still be fashionable.

Con: Expensive. Styles don’t fit all body types (I hear many women complain that J Crew just doesn’t fit them right. Try some items on and see how they feel for you).


Some great pieces:



 

J Crew Factory:

Pro: Affordable, classic pieces. Also- lots of “mix and match” items with different cuts of pants, skirts & blazers all in the same fabric/color.

Con: Lower quality material. I find the stitching is more likely to come undone, hemlines are more likely to fall, etc.

My favorite items right now:
 

Express:

Pro: Extremely affordable. “Trendy” items.

Con: Not much selection. Very fast turn around in products (ie. if you like it, buy it. It may not be there next week!)

My favorites:
  

White House Black Market:

Pro: Affordable. Very stylish.

Con: Some of their “work wear” items are not the most work appropriate – sometimes they make v-necks that are a little low, slits that are a little high, etc.

My top picks:
 

Ann Taylor:

Pro: Quality materials. They are also really quite good with returns and exchanges.

Con: Limited number of pieces each collection/season (only really a con if you’re planning on doing a large haul of work wear)

Some of my favorites:
 

linking up with: casual friday // WW // friday faves // flashback fashion friday // friday favorites  // hello monday //