Updated
2024-10-30T15:00:02Z
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The thought of women's workwear utilized to beryllium constricted to pencil skirts, sensible slacks, and smart stacked heels. But pinch much and much workplaces loosening their meaning of "work-appropriate attire," nan word workwear has grown to encompass a wide scope of styles from myriad brands.
At Insider Reviews, we've tested hundreds of items from dozens of retailers, and person a fistful of favorites that we flip connected whenever we're headed to our offices.
For much workwear staples, cheque retired our sum connected nan best suits for women, nan best achromatic button-down shirts, nan best activity bags for women, and nan best flats.
Our apical 4 places to find women's workwear:
- Everlane has remained 1 of our favourite places to bargain workwear for years. Their high-quality master basics are a staple of our style teams' closets. Blazers, button-downs, comfy activity pants, ballet flats, and moreover suits — you tin find it each here.
- Quince is 1 of those uncommon places that gives you sticker daze for each nan correct reasons. You tin get silk skirts for elevated summertime agency dressing for only $60 aliases cotton button-downs for only $40. We highly urge their workwear for immoderate budget-conscious shoppers.
- Spanx makes workwear that's designed to subtly style while still being comfortable. We're immense fans of their PerfectFit collection, which features great, basal achromatic activity pants that travel successful petite and gangly lengths.
- Abercrombie & Fitch mightiness not beryllium your first small heart erstwhile you deliberation astir workwear, but nan erstwhile promenade staple has go a spot to find each kinds of trendy and affordable cuts. Check retired their office-approved section for nan brand's curated master picks.
- Eileen Fisher is nan spot for you if you want to create a simple, master capsule wardrobe. They person an office-ready 12-shapes postulation that allows you to create endless permutations of pieces that are meant to fresh together. Plus, we emotion nan value of each their clothing.
Best overall: Everlane
Everlane whitethorn look excessively casual for workwear, but nan marque is simply a go-to for foundational basics for immoderate agency wardrobe.
Everlane is an net darling, partially acknowledgment to transparent pricing successful an manufacture that has traditionally relied upon markups. We shop present chiefly for basics that are above-average successful value and below-average successful price. We for illustration Everlane's shoes, leather bags, fabric shirts, and activity pants.
In position of footwear, we typically urge nan Day footwear family, though you'll want to size up a half size for your order. We're unanimously fans of nan company's $135 Day Glove and we besides emotion nan Day Heel, The Mary Jane, and The Glove Boot.
Read our afloat review of Everlane's workwear collection to spot much of our favourite picks.
What to buy:
Best budget: Quince
Quince is simply a direct-to-consumer manner marque that boasts affordable prices for traditionally high-cost materials.
Quince provides your run-of-the-mill clothing essentials and makes them utilizing organic, sustainably originated textiles. Their occurrence tin beryllium attributed to their adjacent pricing, maintained by cutting retired nan added expenses of nan proviso chain. Ever deliberation cashmere sweaters were a luxury point retired of your reach? Well, Quince has them for conscionable $50. In addition, they besides make immoderate of nan best achromatic button-downs for women and men.
Read our afloat review of Quince to find retired much astir why we emotion it.
What to buy:
Best for creating a capsule wardrobe: Eileen Fisher
For apparel that are arsenic comfortable for nan agency arsenic they are WFH, cheque retired Eileen Fisher.
Eileen Fisher is each astir easy dressing. Simple, cleanable shapes and awesome fabrics are nan ethos of nan brand. And acknowledgment to nan timeless styles and genuinely top-notch materials, you tin expect to person them for decades.
The brand's wide-legged pants and breezy blouses tin beryllium mixed and matched to create your caller — amazingly comfortable — activity wardrobe. And since astir of these pieces are minimal, and travel successful a scope of complementary hues, each you request is simply a fewer to create nan eventual capsule wardrobe.
Read our afloat reappraisal of Eileen Fisher here.
What to buy:
Best for suits: SuitShop
SuitShop is nan cleanable spot to get a high-quality suit for nether $250 that feels for illustration it was custom-tailored.
SuitShop took location our champion wide grant successful our guideline to nan best suits for women, marking it arsenic a existent standout erstwhile it comes to uncovering nan champion matching blazer and pants group around. Most of nan suits hover betwixt $200 and $250, which is simply a existent bargain for nan quality. There are besides petite and gangly options successful some tops and bottoms.
"Though you could dress it down for work, SuitShop's Women's White Tuxedo is simply a showstopper astatine general events and elegant outings. I'm five-foot-two and nan short action hits maine perfectly astatine nan ankle. I perfectly emotion really civilization it feels, contempt it being only $250. The worldly is besides luxurious. It's made of satin and expertly tailored to flatter your figure," says Samantha Crozier, style editor astatine Insider Reviews.
Best for petites: Petite Studio
Petite Studio is simply a awesome spot to find some trendy and master pieces that are designed by and for petite folks.
Many companies tailor really their apparel drape and fresh by testing them connected a emblematic model, who is often conscionable arsenic gangly and leggy arsenic you would expect a exemplary to be. If nan institution wants to merchandise a petite type of nan clothes, each measurement is conscionable proportionally shortened. But not astatine Petite Studio. Every azygous portion that Petite Studio makes is tailored connected a real-life petite fresh model. And it's a quality that you tin really feel.
"I tested Petite Studio's Rowan Button-Down and was blown distant by nan truth that I could deterioration a billowy, oversized garment without looking for illustration I was drowning. The sleeves deed perfectly astatine my wrists, and nan waist was nipped successful astatine nan astir flattering spot. With thing arsenic important arsenic workwear, it's imperative to look tailored and professional. And Petite Studio is an astonishing assets for women for illustration maine who are nether five-foot-three and struggle pinch nan trailing hems and schleppy silhouettes that tons of standard-size workwear tin cause." — Samantha Crozier, style editor, Insider Reviews.
Best luxury: M.M.LaFleur
M.M.LaFleur is nan sanction to cognize for high-end, stylish, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. workwear.
Most of M.M. LaFleur's apparel are machine-washable and wrinkle-resistant, and nan brand's creation hacks are adjuvant alternatively than gimmicky — for illustration soul clips to support bra straps successful spot and adjustable sound hems for different shoes. Miyako Nakamura, erstwhile caput designer for Zac Posen, is simply a maestro astatine flattering, easy silhouettes.
There are besides plentifulness of options for business travelers that characteristic machine-washable, wrinkle-resistant, packable suiting staples for illustration nan Moreland Jacket. M.M.LaFleur besides makes nan ingenious Foster Pant that adjusts for different footwear heights.
What to buy:
Best for trendy and affordable workwear: Abercrombie & Fitch
The erstwhile promenade champion has rebranded and go a go-to retailer for everything from basics to workwear.
Abercrombie & Fitch's office-approved attire is awesome for anyone trying to build a master wardrobe connected a budget. Most of their pieces are nether $100 and tin beryllium worn to activity and connected nan weekends.
We're peculiarly large fans of Abercrombie's pants, which mostly travel successful 5 different lengths: extra-short, short, regular, tall, and extra-tall. Plus, they person a full slew of curve-friendly picks that person much room successful nan hips.
Here are immoderate of our favourite pieces:
Best for bold picks: COS
COS, nether H&M, is simply a modern clothing marque that incorporates thoughtful manner creation into mundane wear.
COS is H&M's statement of modern, upscale manner that while simplistic successful nature, is yet designed to make a statement. Its vibrant colors and cleanable lines converge into bold silhouettes that still support usability and comfort. COS' action includes awesome foundations for a coagulated agency look, on pinch stylish, well-crafted pieces that guidelines retired connected their own.
What to buy:
Best for activity pants: Spanx
Spanx doesn't conscionable do shapewear well. The marque offers slick basics that modulation to evening ace easily.
Spanx is champion known for its shapewear, and — to nobody's astonishment — nan aforesaid things that make its shapewear awesome (intuitive design, savvy knowing of women's bodies, and high-end materials) besides make nan champion pants we've tested.
We tested Spanx's postulation of Perfect Pants which includes 4 style iterations of nan workwear staple — from flare to skinny. It is 1 of nan champion women's workwear pieces for emotion comfortable and looking professional. We were peculiarly impressed pinch nan machine-washable, smoothing cloth that's flattering but not restrictive. Sizing options besides see petite, regular, aliases gangly inseams.
See our afloat review of nan Spanx Perfect Black Pant to spot really it looks connected different assemblage types.
What to buy:
Best for workwear pinch a trendy flair: & Other Stories
& Other Stories is H&M's premium ready-to-wear marque made pinch much ethically originated earthy materials.
& Other Stories is designed by ateliers successful Los Angeles, Paris, and Stockholm and distributed nether H&M. À la Banana Republic via Gap, & Other Stories presents a much elevated type of its genitor company's eponymous brand. Their wide scope of knits are made retired of responsibly originated wool blends, and their wide usage of recycled materials translates into a reasonably priced sustainable action for value workwear.
What to buy:
Best for classical positive size picks: Universal Standard
Universal Standard has immoderate of nan astir size-inclusive clothing connected nan marketplace today.
Universal Standard has established itself arsenic a marque that carries immoderate of nan champion activity apparel for women, pinch a large accent connected size inclusivity. Workwear for plus-size women is infamously limited, but Universal Standard answers nan telephone pinch a medley of designs for master settings pinch nan added committedness of a cleanable fit.
Universal Standard was besides a standout prime successful our article connected nan best positive size clothing brands that make inclusive apparel that are really cute.
What to buy:
Best for stylish minimalism: ARKET
ARKET is simply a modern manner marque nether H&M, whose styles are inspired by Scandinavian simplicity.
Since ARKET's doors first opened successful London successful 2017, their estimation for durability established them arsenic nan Western constituent of entree to Scandinavian manner aesthetics. ARKET exemplifies nan values of nan 20th period Nordic modern movement. The era emphasized uncovering beauty among mundane motions, arsenic seen successful their clothing and location collections. If you're a instrumentality of cozy wool knits successful unconventional patterns, ARKET whitethorn beryllium for you. Its merino, mohair, and alpaca wool return shape successful designs some elemental and alternative.
What to buy:
Best sweaters for work: Alex Mill
Alex Mill is simply a marque specializing successful azygous designs pinch conscionable nan correct magnitude of nuance.
The understated designs of Alex Mill whitethorn not guidelines retired astatine first. But upon person inspection, nan brand's committedness to its ain unsocial flair for craftsmanship is evident. Their clothing offers a elemental solution for business casual that transfers conscionable arsenic easy to nan play fit. The imaginative guidance comes from a squad pinch erstwhile acquisition designing for J.Crew, Old Navy, Madewell, and Gap. They moreover usage botanical dye successful prime pieces via rainwater and plant-based materials.
What to buy:
Best for timeless picks: Ann Taylor
Ann Taylor takes a accepted attack to women's workwear pinch styles that person been successful style for years and will apt ne'er spell retired of style.
Ann Taylor is 1 of nan champion places to bargain women's workwear — and you're astir apt already acquainted pinch nan brand. Much of nan clothing is designed for activity and beyond, truthful erstwhile you're successful nan agency from 9am to 5pm and you're retired enjoying nan evening from 5pm to 9pm, your outfit will fresh correct in. Not only are nan materials bully quality, but nan timeless designs make them easy to deterioration correct now and for galore years to come.
The marque has everything from ribbed sweaters and classical overcoats to sleek dresses and skirts. Some of nan benefits to shopping astatine Ann Taylor see petite sizing and regular sales.
What to buy:
Best for trendy positive size picks: Eloquii
Plus size manner marque Eloquii makes everything from workwear to evening-wear, pinch a circumstantial attraction connected colorful, bold, and lively pieces.
Eloquii is simply a plus-sized women's clothing marque that was primitively created by The Limted successful 2011, but was discontinued little than 2 years aft its launch. But owed to precocious customer demand, a group of investors independently relaunched nan marque successful 2014 and successful 2018, nan marque was acquired by unit elephantine Walmart.
With sizes 14-28, Eloquii is nan go-to spot for women to find plus-size clothing of each types. From agency attire to day nights and galas, Eloquii's scope of designs canned beryllium fitted for galore occasions.
Some of our favourite pieces see nan Colorblock Sweater Cardigan Dress, nan Pleated Skirt Dress, and nan Tall Cuff Turtleneck Sweater.
What to buy:
Best for basics: J.Crew
Don't slumber connected J.Crew because of its preppy reputation. You tin find bold, agleam patterns and colors successful pieces that are still work-appropriate.
J. Crew seems to beryllium hosting a waste each different time — and that's awesome news for anyone looking to prime up immoderate of nan champion women's activity apparel astatine a discount. If you're looking for a fresh, leopard pencil skirt aliases a fitted blazer you whitethorn want to cheque J.Crew first.
We emotion nan brand's preppy-retro blazers, classic-fit button-ups, and fun-but-still-professional prints and patterns. J.Crew's uniquely well-made desk-to-drinks basics are besides clutch. They're master without approaching dowdy. The champion illustration of this is nan company's longstanding Regent Blazer — sleek, stylish, and awesome dressed down for java connected a Saturday day aliases up for a large meeting.
What to buy:
Best for elevated basics: Modern Citizen
For sleek basics that won't break your budget, look nary further than Modern Citizen.
Modern Citizen's neutral pieces make it easy to build a chic, minimalist wardrobe without spending a fortune. The tract besides lets you hunt by juncture to quickly find what you're looking for. Go to nan "Work" postulation to find a curated group of pieces that'll look awesome successful aliases retired of nan office.
Read our afloat reappraisal of Modern Citizen here.
What to buy:
Best one-stop-shop: Madewell
Madewell mightiness beryllium known for its jeans, but nan marque has plentifulness of casual and business casual styles for nan office.
In 2006, J.Crew introduced its sister marque Madewell arsenic a premium denim marque for women. While you tin still acquisition denim, Madewell has evolved into an all-around clothing marque pinch everything from casual styles for illustration jeans to office-appropriate styles for illustration blazers, skirts, and sweaters. The retailer besides makes awesome shoes for illustration these patent leather Mary Janes and immoderate of nan best activity bags, for illustration this leather bucket tote.
In summation to nan galore caller styles Madewell has to offer, nan marque besides has a pre-loved section that includes upcycled collaborations, vintage finds from a assortment of brands, and archival Madewell pieces for resale.
Whether your agency is ace casual aliases still a spot formal, Madewell has garments that will fresh into your wardrobe. And pinch predominant income and promotions, you'll prevention money connected almost everything you buy.
What to buy:
Best sustainable workwear: Reformation
With awesome accent connected sustainability and morals successful its business practices, Reformation makes apparel you'll beryllium proud to wear.
Reformation started retired arsenic a mini vintage clothing boutique successful Los Angeles, but quickly grew into an original statement of women's apparel pinch a attraction connected sustainability. All of nan brand's apparel are made successful their LA mill aliases astatine sustainable partner factories astir nan world.
While you tin get everything from casual styles for illustration jeans to general styles for illustration wedding dresses, Reformation is simply a awesome spot to shop for immoderate of nan champion women's workwear for looking stylish and emotion professional. Coord sets for illustration their Taryn Two-Piece are ace trendy and easy to furniture pinch items already successful your wardrobe.
What to buy:
Samantha Crozier is nan women's style editor for Insider Reviews. She spends her days testing nan newest it-bag, nan workout group that's each complete Instagram, aliases that lipgloss that everyone is talking astir connected TikTok.Two of her foremost areas of expertise are women's workwear and heeled shoes. In fact, she wrote a guideline to nan astir comfortable heels that entailed her stepping a mile successful complete 70 pairs of heels to find nan champion of nan best. Before joining Insider Reviews, she was an editor connected nan Health Reference squad wherever she focused connected articles astir activity and relationships, skincare, nutrition, and intelligence health. She graduated from Tufts University pinch degrees successful English and Political Science and had jobs successful book publishing earlier coming to Insider successful 2020. Although she now lives successful Brooklyn, she still travels backmost and distant to her hometown of Honolulu, Hawaii. You tin scope her at: scrozier@businessinsider.com.
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Gabrielle Chase
Associate Style & Beauty Editor
Gabrielle Chase is an Associate Style & Beauty Editor astatine Business Insider. She applies a patient dose of skepticism to nan manner trends connected her For You Page — still, she's ne'er supra a bully designer dupe. Gabi started her profession climb arsenic a manner intern astatine Interview Magazine. Before Business Insider, she wrote for ELLE Magazine's online bid "The Launch."Gabi graduated from nan University of Rhode Island pinch a double awesome successful publicity and Spanish. She lives successful Brooklyn, models, loves K-pop, and frequents her section movie theaters.If you'd for illustration to inquire a question— aliases conscionable want a girl's woman to talk astir cool apparel with— you tin scope her astatine gabriellechase@businessinsider.com.Learn really nan Insider Reviews squad tests style and beauty products here.
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Mara Leighton
Senior Digital Culture Reporter
Mara Leighton is simply a elder integer civilization reporter. If you want to get successful touch, please nonstop an email to mleighton@businessinsider.com, aliases nonstop a DM connected twitter to @maraleighton.
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Disclosure: Written and researched by nan Insider Reviews team. We item products and services you mightiness find interesting. If you bargain them, we whitethorn get a mini stock of nan gross from nan waste from our partners. We whitethorn person products free of complaint from manufacturers to test. This does not thrust our determination arsenic to whether aliases not a merchandise is featured aliases recommended. We run independently from our advertizing team. We invited your feedback. Email america astatine reviews@businessinsider.com.
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