need fasion advice

[JenStone]

Ok I really hope this doesn''t offend anyone but WHAT''S UP WITH WOMEN''S FASHION THESE DAYS?!? Slim-fit jeans that are reminiscent of leggings in the 80s, and frills, frills, frills everywhere. Now I''m sure there are people out there who love this stuff and look good in it, but I don''t. And I''m the type of person who chooses to ignore trends and stick to what works for me.

Since I spend the majority of my time at the office, I prefer to buy clothes that are work-appropriate (business casual). Does anyone have any suggestions for affordable stores/brands that carry classy pieces that are work-appropriate AND have some flair?

 

[ljmorgan]

Ann Taylor is my fav. Classy business casual, and unlike Banana Republic (which can be fun), Ann Taylor stays away from the strange trends...

 

[gail013]

Jenstone,

What type of fashions do you like, and what are you comfortable in?

 

[bookworm21]

Hmm....I DO like Banana Republic a lot, and also White House, Black Market. J.Crew is a hit or miss, but they do have good pieces there too.

What I tend to do is when I shop, I keep an eye out for clothes that would be good for work. I don''t really only frequent one store for work clothes, but sometimes, an individual store will go through a weird, yucky phase, so it''s good just to keep an eye out for stuff when you''re out shopping for other things.

 

[kcoursolle]

Date: 12/2/2006 9:09:34 AM
Author: *Lindsey*
Ann Taylor is my fav. Classy business casual, and unlike Banana Republic (which can be fun), Ann Taylor stays away from the strange trends...

I thought of Ann Taylor right away as well. I like Ann Taylor loft as well. I''m with you on the classic look. I love black pants, turtlenecks, tailored shirts, etc. I can tolerate somewhat slim jeans, but I do not like skin tight shirts, sequins, etc...bleh. Although I''m fairly slim, tight shirts show a little belly bulge that I rather cover up. I love ann taylor loft, they have very nice pieces that are timeless and comfortable. They are a tad expensive for my cheap bones, but most people would consider them reasonable I think. They are probably priced similarly to The Limited, which is another store you might like. Express is too trendy and a bit too young, but I often find nice classic pieces at The Limited.

 

[Independent Gal]

I''m a HUGE fan of Max Studio. They have a shop in SoHo in NYC and one in Chicago (900 N. Michigan?). I don''t know where else. But they also sell online: www.maxstudio.com Their sales are amazing, and their stuff is great quality. Beautiful fabrics, beautifully cut. And it lasts for years.

 

[bookworm21]

Just thought of another one I like: BCBG MaxAzaria. Their stuff can be a bit expensive, but if you can things on sale, I think it''s well worth it.

 

[JenStone]

At the moment, I would say the majority of my clothes are Ann Taylor-esqe. I love Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor loft but a lot of their clothes tend to look similar after a while. But I guess that''s a trade-off for wanting classic pieces.

I used to love BR and J Crew but I really think their lineup has gone down the hill the past couple of years. They do carry classic pieces but they just seem so drab lately! Has anyone else noticed this or is this just me?

I like Max Studio too, but their clothes don''t fit me too well so I have to be careful...

I LOVE BCBG and their clothes fit me very, very well. However, the price tag has an ouch-factor so I can only shop there when they have their sales. Plus they don''t sell their stuff online - I really wish they did because the closest BCBG is 45 minutes away!

Express is another chain that seems to have taken a different direction in the past year or so. Now it seems like it''s geared more toward the younger crowd and a lot of their stuff wouldn''t fly too well in an office. I do love their dress pants though, and stock up on them when they''re on sale.

Thanks for all the suggestions everybody. Please keep them coming!

P.S. - I grew up in NY, went to school in MD, stayed here after graduation, and will be moving back to NY in a couple of weeks. Any suggestions for NY-specific stores would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Julian]

I echo BCBG! Their suits and tailored skirts/blouses/pants are perfect for petite gals. Bebe used to be great with suits for small women until they turned a little Britney-esque. Their skirts for skirt suits are literally 12 inches long.

Nowadays, I'm an Elie Tahari freak (Nordstrom/Bloomingdales/Saks carry her line). You can find good deals on Elie Tahari at Neiman's or Saks outlets. Ka-ching! But don't be fooled by the regular Tahari or Arthur Levine Tahari...that's the lower end version of the line. Arthur Levine Tahari is like whatever line Isaac Mizrahi makes for Target. Not the same as Mizrahi's couture.

Nicole Miller has good work clothes -- cute crinkle suits & colorful tailored blouses/outfits. They aren't just formal wear! You'll be surprised.

More affordable fashion... I'd say J.Crew has good suits & classic shapes. Club Monaco has affordable clothing that is pretty streamlined & up-to-date. Good ready to wear lines at Max Studio, like Independent Gal wrote. Arden B might have some cute work skirts/pants that are affordable & have flair. Though, I haven't stepped foot in one of their stores since college!

 

[Independent Gal]

Well, it''s not a brand, but if you live in the NYC area and you have the patience for it, there is nothing in the world like Century 21. It''s a huge department store that sells designer samples, seconds, overstock, that kind of thing. They have a lot of conservative stuff, adn also lots of kooky and interesting stuff: lots of different brands and designers (Prada, Gucci, Laundry etc., but also less fancy stuff like Three Dots, Milly, BCBG, etc.). But it''s pretty chaotic and they sometimes have things in only a couple of sizes. My sister, when I took her there was all "GET ME OUT OF HERE!"

But, if you''re someone who LIKES to rummage (like I am

) , it''s heaven. And since everything is seriously discounted, you can get designer stuff for J.Crew prices, especially when they have a sale.

 

[monarch64]

Jenstone: always go for classic pieces and steer away from trendier things at any store and accessorize with fun things that represent your personality and you can''t go wrong.

This year there have been a number of designer lines which I was just shaking my head at. I could list a ton of examples but you already know what I''m talking about from being in the B&Ms, it seems

Best piece of advice I''ve ever read from a fashion mag is: but two ro three fab pieces that will be versatile with the rest of your wardrobe, and a couple of cheaper trendy things that will not blow your budget but will be in your closet when you need them.
HTH!

 

[Mara]

luckily my work is casual so my wardrobe consists mostly of jeans and sweaters. i do like to mix it up a bit with fun colorful cord or cropped jackets or high heeled boots or whatever...and a sweater with a lacy tank on underneath or something....jcrew has a few sweaters this year i really liked...and banana did as well. so i just tend to buy one or two of the fave things. also i really love american eagle right now...it''s cheap but decent quality and i like their sweaters!! but really i am mostly a jeans and sweater girl. i do like layers sometimes for fun, like a long sleeved layered black fitted c&c california shirt and then a short sleeved fitted angora sweater or something in an olive green with jeans and heeled boots is cool looking. also i am really into my big white gold hoop earrings lately...esp since i got my hair cut a bit shorter this last time and so they show more and my hair is more swishy.

anyway i think it mostly depends on what you like, what you feel comfortable in. i second bcbg as having some really awesome fashionable stuff but it can be pricey. for staples like banana, jcrew, and american eagle. ann taylor has some cute stuff but honestly my mom shops there so i always feel like it''s so ''regular'' ... like everyone i know shops there and most of their stuff is neutrals or bland colors or whatever. not much ''pop'' going on. also i love nordstrom in the savvy and tbd departments, you can get some really cool stuff there that is definitely ''in fashion''.

if you don''t like the skinny jeans, wear straight ones. i wear those...i''m not a skinny jean person, they do not flatter me (i have tried on various pairs) and the straight jeans do. they are still skinny at the leg but they don''t TAPER down..they are just straight from your knee down basically and yes pretty flattering on many body types. get a longer leg and wear heels to give yourself even a better illusion of long skinny legs. i added 2 pairs of straight jeans into my rotation and wear them with my other jeans...though the other types of jeans are still popular and are not ''out'' so i''d wear what makes you feel good!