[llamas]

Ooh, fun thread.

So my office is business casual, which I absolutely despise. Basically anything but tank tops, shorts, and jeans goes. I'd much rather have virtually no dress code, like my old office, or actual business attire. As such, getting dressed is a pain in the ass, trying to match my interesting mix of preppy and rocker-ish tops with what few dress pants I have. Methinks I will have to break down and buy some khakis and cords that can be worn in the same context as jeans, which I used to wear almost exclusively.

[brett]

I work where there is basically no dress code (no tank tops, shorts, or open-toed shoes) and I usually wear my nice jeans (dark denim, simple boot cut levi's 515s), a cute t-shirt, and sometimes a hoodie or nice cardigan (it's always freezing in there!). Occasionally I'll rock out the knee-length skirt, but that tends to go in phases per my mood.

As far as shoes go, I usually go with my black and turquoise Pumas, but sometimes I'll wear my black ballet flats (usually when I get my feet tattoos touched up-an ongoing process).

On another note, I got my hair cut short a week or two ago and realized that it looks really cute with a headband. While I have a few bandanas and scarves that look cute as headbands, I needed some more. So I picked up a pretty black, wide Alice band at Delia's today, as well as a sheer black scarf with skulls & crossbones on it. I can't wait to wear them!

[pepper]

poopy poopy poopy poop. ha ha. i feel that way sometimes too. but i like your verbal diarrhea. keep it up.

[doodlebug]

Why are my posts always so long? *sigh* I'm sorry. I seem to have verbal diarrhea.

[doodlebug]

I don't know if I could manage a professional dress code, as I'm very fussy about what I will/won't wear, and I hate to feel restricted by my clothing.

I also have a job where pretty much "anything goes." Mostly I wear jeans, but I'll also wear really good black pants, depending on the day and the event. I can look pretty business-like and professional if I need to! Usually to work, I wear my jeans or pants with a nice blouse, and maybe a jacket or cardigan, depending on the weather. I've started restricting myself to the "sillouettes" I'll buy, since I've finally gained an understanding of what's flattering on me and what's not. So it's mainly empire waist and wrap blouses, with a few knit tunics and semi-fitted shirts thrown in. I also have a couple of sweaters and a couple of shell blouses, though I find I don't wear them as often. Sometimes I'll wear a t-shirt or camisole, but usually only if 1) it's summer and a casual day, or 2) I wear a jacket or cardigan over top. I tend to wear jackets/cardis most of the year anyway. And then I play around with scarves and jewelry and hair. I keep my makeup pretty simple and "natural"-looking....mainly 'cause in feminist circles, I'm often the only one wearing it!

My mama, who has always been really well-dressed, told me always that the "secret" to work dressing is to buy separates and mix 'n' match them, and to buy black! Black is the secret. Or any neutral, I suppose, but black seems to be easier because you don't have to worry about matching, plus it's less "memorable" (you can wear the same item more often), and black always seems to look more "expensive." I also like charcoal grey. If you buy your basics in black (or another neutral), then you can jazz it up with a coloured top or scarf or other accessory. I tried doing warm neutrals - browns and taupes and beiges - for awhile, but it was really complicated to coordinate, and then I realized I felt "invisible" in taupe/brown. I feel sophisticated and "hip" in black.

My basic working wardrobe is: 2 pairs of black pants, 2 pairs of good jeans, 1 charcoal grey semi-fitted blazer, one black cardigan with nice, feminine detailing, and a huge variety of tops/shirts/sweaters in black, white, and various colours. I try to avoid patterns, though I do have a couple of patterned tops, and a couple of striped ones. If I want to wear patterns, I usually don a scarf. I also have some other, more colourful cardigans, but I could manage without them. Currently at the top of my "on the lookout" list is another pair of good black pants (one pair is just about "done"), a pair of good charcoal grey pants, perhaps a black blazer, and some really good black boots. I'd also really like a pair of black low-heeled pumps and a pair of dressier shoes, but with my 9.5 EE feet, I don't hold out any hope at all.

Thanks for the link, maimy!

raisin, I have a problem with pants, too, because I wear petite sizing in the waist, but I'm 5'7"....very frustrating. Regular fit pants come up almost under my boobs, but petite pants are often too short in the leg. Plus either way, I have to take in the waist band - it's weird to have a belly and still have to take in the waist!

Thank heavens we at least KNOW how to sew, pepper!

I have this one sales clerk at my favourite clothing store whom I really trust, and usually I tell her what I need and she ferrets it out for me...she even calls me when something I've been looking for comes in. I've finally decided I'm willing to pay a lot of money for pants - well, clothes in general - that fit PROPERLY, rather than having a bunch of stuff that looks or feels not quite right! It helps me to be more confident in work situations if I feel comfortable and know that I look my best.

[raisingirl]

I actually prefer "having" to stick to a professional dress code. I *like* suits, and kind of enjoy heels and all that stuff. It is, in its way, less effort somehow. Because I'm hardly ever confused about what will be appropriate. *Grin*

EXACTLY! I haaaaate being inappropriately dressed in any situation. I used to not care, but funny how things change.

Beqi, yes yes yes! She doesn't have the fall collection up yet, but I'm so going to look there! Awww yeah! You hear that, BG? Keeping it in the family!

Knit pants, huh? I'm going to have to think about that.

Yeah, I like Tahari. There is something about those suits that catches my eye when I see them in a store. They have really nice lines and don't look uber-cheap, but also don't look like boring old suits, either.

I'm going to have to poke around in the stores up here where I might find similar rayon dresses. I think those are the kinds of things I'd HAVE to try on in person because of their length/my height. Dresses that sweep the floor can be really neat. Isn't it cool to get compliments after wearing it for all those years? I love stuff like that.

xo

I love this thread. THREAD, GET IT?! haha

Keep it comin'.

[maimy]

Raisin, the first dress I ever got like that I bought at the State Fair, and STILL every single time I wear it, I get compliments on it. I think it's like nine or ten years old now.

Glad to hear Tahari is fab, they look good, and the seller's sizing/make guide was incredibly helpful and detailed.

If I could wear anything, I'd invest in a whole bunch of good knit pants. Pair 'em with boots you like and stylish sweaters in winter/fall, and in summer, longline t-shirts and sandals or whatever is comfortable. On Casual Fridays, I wear something like that rayon dress, or my black slinky-knit pants and moonboots, or longish skirts with nice-looking but comfortable fitted tees. If I were let loose, that'd probably be the week-long attire. I know you say pants aren't your thing, but knit ones that fit fairly close might minimize the silhouette issues you have, and the right length t-shirt or peasant blouse would (a) balance the line, and (b) draw attention upward, if you choose something with a special detail or pattern.

Oh, and you should totally hit Beqi's site and see what she's got in dresses, tops and skirts that are cute, fab, and not too fussy. She kicks exceptional ass.

At the end of the day, I'm with you - I actually prefer "having" to stick to a professional dress code. I *like* suits, and kind of enjoy heels and all that stuff. It is, in its way, less effort somehow. Because I'm hardly ever confused about what will be appropriate. *Grin*

[raisingirl]

Maims, dahling, Tahari suits are pretty fab. And those dresses, I know I've seen those kinds in stores around here, but I can't remember exactly where right now.

Does anyone know where Speedy has been? Seems like he hasn't posted in the new Lounge. I had to go back to his old posts to find the link to this clothing company, Mark Shale, that he had recommended. I remembered it from a while back and he seems to have a good eye for women's clothes. These are sassy but sophisticated clothes. Too bad I can't afford much of anything right now.

So let me just come right out and ask y'all for your expertise: what would you wear to work if you had the freedom to wear pretty much whatever you wanted? I am having a hard time with this, but maybe it's just the insecurities of being at a new job at a company where I've worked before. I didn't think about what I wore so much when I was in my 20s and worked at this company, but now that I'm in my 30s and back there with a job with way more responsibilities (and a bigger need to prove myself, I suppose, even when I am just sitting in my office minding my own business), I feel like I need to pay better attention to what I'm wearing. I don't want to dress all juvenile-like, but I don't want to be all stuffy, either. I know I could get away with jeans, t-shirts with funny sayings on them, and my funky purple sneakers day in and day out, but I don't think it's really the look I want to go for. That's fine for the weekends or running errands, but I still feel like I want to make a distinction between work clothes and non-work clothes, even if the line is a little more blurred than it's been for a long time.

Prior to this I wore suits for work. I got away with only, like, four suits, and I rotated everything. And prior to that, I was in school where absolutely no one cared if I dressed like a slob (so I did!) -- I didn't care, either, because I was so consumed with classes. Prior to that, I was in a business casual work environment, but also 30 pounds heavier. Those clothes I used to wear are long gone because I grew out of them.

So, basically, I have not a lot of things to wear in general, aside from loungewear and gym clothes. Oh, but I have scarves, as you all know! Hee.

Combine all this with the following problems:
1) I don't have a whole lot of disposable income right now.
2) I'm still losing weight, so I don't even know what the hell to buy that isn't going to be a waste, unless it can take me from fall into winter in the northeast.
3) I'm short and have an aversion to pants unless it's a pair of jeans.

It's like this whole "I don't have a thing to wear" crisis is and isn't about clothes, you know? I'm just feeling inadequate because I feel like I should have had my wardrobe "together" by now, but everything has morphed, inside and out, personal taste changes (I used to be into preppy-type clothes, but I'm more rock&roll/artsy now, SORT OF, I don't know), and all I have to show for it is a big box of interesting scarves. I'm torn between buying throwaway-type pants from Target that are the right length that I'm not crazy about but will do for now and saving up for something costume-y like this that has no practical value whatsoever (but is so cute!).

I guess I have been full of these thoughts for a long time, but now I'm forced to confront them. How to build a wardrobe? I do like the idea of having key classic pieces and not have a gigantic closet full of crap but still feeling like I have nothing to wear, but I like novelty-type things like that green dress a whole lot, too. I don't want to look like everyone else and wear the latest trends, but I don't want to be a caricature of myself, either. My company has a lot of forward-thinking people for employees, so I can probably still wear dresses over pants (the few that I have) and don't have to wear twin sets or think about going down that road. ::barf!::

I feel like a superficial idiot for writing so much about "just clothes," but I think you understand where I'm coming from. Clothes are fun! I want that fun back. I bow down to Trinny and Susannah. Like I said, it's not just about the clothes. I really like my new job and I want to give it the respect it deserves without wearing the same pair of jeans five days a week. I'm sorry for the novella here, but I would really appreciate your thoughts, Empresses.

(ETA: I recently looked around in H&M, but didn't buy anything. I have such a love/hate relationship with this store and the whole concept with throwaway clothes v. investment pieces. Also, Maimy, wow, some of those dresses are less than $10! Whatta bargain! See, I'm all over the place.)

I have no idea what I'm going to wear tomorrow. Gotta love it. FOUND SOMETHING! Black & white graphic flowered skirt with a boring black pullover shirt, probably with strappy black sandals. Works for me. Phew.

[maimy]

Hello, fellow professional-dressers!

Pepper, it has totally eliminated rummaging from my in-drawer life. *Grin* And, yes, it's good for packing. I learned rolling from my roommate from Finland my freshman year of college, and she knew her packing bidniss, she did.

Just purchased a suit from this seller on eBay: http://stores.ebay.com/Shining-Star-Suits, whose sizing guide goes so far beyond mere "sizing", and whose meticulous attention to detail (and FEEDBACK) appears to make the online gamble more than worthwhile. I got the black shadow pinstripe three piece suit, with skirt AND pants, and am VERY excited. I'll keep y'all posted once it arrives, and let you know whether it's a good buy. If it is, she had a taupe suit I hope to see reappear in size 12, as I'll snap that up in no time flat.

I also purchased a black satin double-breasted suit for $15 a couple weeks ago. Fits very well, is clean, and has every appearance of never having been worn at all. I got it mainly for the jacket, which I think will make a fun sort of gothy looking piece for evenings; but I might be willing to get frisky and actually wear the thing to the office if I'm in a terribly frothy mood one day. ( http://i19.ebayimg.com/02/i/07/d1/cc/d1_1.JPG )

(Doodle, if you're interested, the seller for those dresses - I've gotten three from them so far - is slow to ship, but reliable. Their store: http://stores.ebay.com/HOLYCLOTHING-EXCLUSIVES-Sizes-Sm-5X. That dress is TO THE FLOOR, but the way the hemline is constructed creates a LOT of motion, and it's uber-comf, very girly, and I think it's quite pretty. I love some of the colors they have.)

Okay, I will stop eBay whoring now ...

[raisingirl]

Pepper, I'll buy your friend's $20 saris! Hee.

I've been mainly posting about my recent clothing woes in Kvetch. For work I used to have to wear suits. Now I'm in an "anything goes" (well, almost) environment. I swear, I did better when there were strict rules I had to work with. Now all I want to do is wear jeans to work 5 days/week.

Doodle, I have problems with pants because I'm 5'2". For the most part, I also hate how pants look on me (my ass just looks too close to the ground), so I gravitate more towards skirts and dresses when I'm eventually wrestled out of my jeans. Even then, I'll still rock the dress-over-jeans look. Yes, you can all feel free hate me now for making that confession.

[pepper]

well, thanks for the compliment doodle. perhaps i could hang onto the title of "sewing genius" if i'd actually sew something once in a while. i did just make three little fairy dresses for my friend's girls though, that was fun. no finishing though, just costumes. ah, if only we could all dress like that all the time eh? what fun.
i have fitting nightmares too. my torso is very long and i'm slim so the bust point on garments that fit me around is always about two inches too high for my actual boobs. that and i have a really narrow back and a big handful of boob so nothing that fits me around is right in the cups. bra shopping is a frustation to say the least. and i have a waist And an ass so things that fit my hips never fit my waist.
no wonder i sew my own stuff. i have to alter anything i buy anyhow, might as well do it all myself. blech. thank Goddess for stretch fabrics.

[doodlebug]

pepper, if it's any consolation on the pants issue, aside from sweats and jeans that are for exercising/painting/cleaning in, I own exactly three pairs of jeans and three pairs of black pants in varying degrees of casual/dressiness. And not a single skirt. I'm lucky, though - I can often wear jeans to work. When I eventually move on from this non-profit job, I may have to change my ways!

I do like buying nice things to wear to work, though, and for travelling for work. When I can find things that fit properly and don't look hideous on me. I have the shoulders of a linebacker, so it makes fitting difficult!

Does anyone else have fitting problems that make them crazy like that?

I bought two more scarf shawl thingies yesterday at Value Village. One is an Indian shawl, purple with a narrow gold embroidered band all around. The other is kind of grey-blue, like washed out denim, and has a "mod" flower pattern in turquoise, navy, and tan on each end. It's not transparent like so many of my others, so I might actually consider wearing it out of the house as a sarong!

pepper, I've seen your sofa slipcover. You are a sewing genius! I haven't sewed actual clothing for years. The last thing I tried to make was a real lined jacket - I got an amazing deal on this taupe Armani fabric - but even though it was collarless, it was a hideous experience that I wasn't ready to tackle, and I've been too frustrated to sew anything but home decor stuff since.

[pepper]

oh, i have been so terrible, terribly remiss. i voted for the creation of this thread and haven't posted in it once (i haven't posted in it once, have i? if so it was so long ago that i've forgotten).
i've just been feeling so wardrobally depressed lately as i have to "dress" for the bank and find myself saying "Ooh, now isn't that cute?!" whilst out shopping with my little sister who then looks at me with a curious sort of expression on her face and says "Uh, kinda..."
it's sad, really. my nickname used to be Rainbow Brite for a reason. oh well.
yesterday and today i was working in a friends funky import shop and i got to wear some of the lovely things that i've bought there and haven't been able to wear even once yet. such a relief to look like me once again. several people commented on how lovely, colourful and fun my outfit was. i felt gorgeous. i even bought a new belt, something that i would never actually go looking for but i thought would be nice with the outfit i had on so i tried it and then kept it. cowrie shells and flower shaped shells on black cord with dangley ends, really quite pretty.

now it's back to the grind though. it's the bank tomorrow and, ugh, i'm trying to avoid thinking about my outfit until the last moment. it's doesn't actually work very well to do that though since everything has to work around the clothes. jewlery, shoes, makeup, and my impossible hair. i swear, this year i Will get it chemically straightened. grr. messy mop of unmanagability.

the problem i am having right now is with pants. i seem to have a thousand pair of jeans but only six pairs of decent work pants, two of which are capris (i can actually wear those at the bank in summer, it's such a casual small town place), and two others are pinstriped so can't exactly be worn over and over again without it being obvious. i guess i'm just loathe to shell out the money for nice, wearable, well fitted trousers and that'll be the day when i actually have time to sew some myself (ha!). i'm still working on fabric i bought for simple two hour skirts for work. it's all stuffed into my closet but it hardly matters since my skin has been freaking out every time i shave my legs so skirts are pretty much out unless the reach my ankle. the capris too. poo. plus the air con keeps it so cold in there that i need a sweater. it's all about layers these days as it's mostly humidly hot outside and the pants kill me once i hit the door.

aliboo, i have one of those tide pens (for work, of course). the girls at the bank swear by them but so far i haven't been able to make it work for me. red wine on the table cloth was my first experiement but no luck, it stuck (ha). maybe i used it wrong? who knows, i'm sure i'll have plenty of chances to try it again.

maimy, i LOVE the idea of rolling pants in the drawer so you can see everything without rummaging. oh, that is just brill! i have SO MANY t-shirts and i can't ever seem to find the one i'm looking for and once i've put all the laundry away so nicely it sucks to mess up the entire drawer because i'm in a hurry. i imagine that it makes it super easy to pack when you have to go somewhere too. i'll have to do that.

doodle, i have so many scarves too. and bags. i've tried to minimize them but the best i could do was to give up ONE bag at my recent yard sale and one scarf to a co-worker who just retired. i wear them all, i just love them. i have them hanging around the house, as runners on surfaces, i wear them around my head, as skirts, as a dress sometimes, every which way. i just like fabricy things that can be worn or used all over. i'm struggling like crazy right now not to bring home a whole whack of the $20 saris and awsome hand loomed silk scarves at my friend's store. i know my land-lord beige walls are boring but how many hangings can one girl justify? (a lot, apparently). but they're only $20!!! how can i not buy them?!

i promise to post pictures of the skirts once i finally make them. i picked out such cute fabric, hopefully i'll have tops to go with them all. (i will get them done before the season is over, i will, i will! hafta justify this new sewing machine somehow!)

[aliboo]

I need to get one of those Tide pens..have heard so many great things about it. Seems like I'm good at getting something on myself.

Went shopping the other day for a newish fall wardrobe. No...I've never been that girl who buys all new stuff each season. Wish I could be...too poor for that lol...but I gave in and got quite a few new things this year. Wow..had forgotten how nice it was to actually have clothes that felt like ME instead of just wearing stuff because I felt like I had to. The shopping girly girl side of me was supressed for far too long, I'm afraid I started something bad lol

[doodlebug]

altargrrrl, I think that dress is beautiful, and I hope you get it!

I don't think empire waists make people look pregnant, although I guess some people would disagree with me. I am a double-D with a tummy...I have about five empire waist tops, and I love them to bits! I feel more "feminine" and sexy in them than in anything else I own....except maybe for wrap tops, which are very flattering to just about everyone.

maimy, that is a very beautiful dress!

mando, if you take the pants to a drycleaner and tell them what the spot is, they can do a spot clean for you, without having to do a full clean. If they were expensive, I wouldn't risk doing it yourself....but that's just me! I think you can buy drycleaning fluid and try it yourself....

I'm always getting oil spots on things like t-shirts. Pisses me off....I lose more t-shirts that way! Me and spots are one of the reasons I prefer to hang dry my clothes....just in case I didn't get it all in the wash!

My favourite spot cleaner now is this 2-in-1 stuff that has Spray 'n' Wash and Oxi Clean....it's two "separate" bottles sort of stuck together as one product, and they mix together when you pour them on the spot. It's the first spot cleaner I've been really happy with.

One other thing I am really fond of now is that Tide pen. I keep it in my purse and especially like it when I travel. It's terrific for food splashes. One of my friends got red wine all over her white shirt by accident, the last time she was over....that little pen got it all out! Not so great for things like blood, though.

[altargrrrl]

thanks for the input, ladies. i even found it on another website for cheaper, but it's currently out of stock. sigh.

[maimy]

Oop! The parenthesis got in the way of the automatic coding - sorry about that! Have edited the original post, but here's the link without excess gunk anyway:

http://images.channeladvisor.com/Sell/SSPr...04_095252AA.jpg

[mandolyn]

altargrrrl, if you keep coming back to it, it's calling your name. i say go for it. then again, i'm biased ... i adore all things mocha.

can't get the link to work for maimy's cute rayon dress. *pout*

i avoid 'dry clean only' like the plague, but when something is too flattering to pass up, i succumb. the latest are 98% wool/2% lycra & spandex slacks that are lined. of course i got an slight oil spot on them the first time out. how should i spot clean - with what?

also, what might happen if i hand-wash a 75% rayon/25% nylon sweater? it's a little big, and i wouldn't mind some shrinkage. but would it shrink drastically?

[brett]

altargrrrl,

i love that shirt/dress! it's awfully cute. go for it!

[altargrrrl]

sneaking in to ask what you think of this dress. i would probably be wearing it as a tunic over jeans.

i keep coming back to it, but am a little wary. i'm a little on the heavier side (a size 10ish) and have large breasts, so i'm afraid that the empire waist will make me look pregnant. i don't carry my weight in my stomach, though, and it does have a wideish waistband that comes almost to the natural waist.

it's also a bit more unusual or attention-drawing than my usual clothes. but that's something i'm trying to change. i'm a fitted grey t-shirt and jeans kind of girl. i'm wanting to expand into more hipper territory. it's just a bit uncomfortable for me. but, that's my problem, not the clothes' problem, of course.

anyway, now i'm just blabbering. opinions anyone?