Modern women’s workwear has to meet the highest standards – it has to keep you cool during your commute, warm in your freezing office, and take you from your desk to al fresco drinks – all while sticking to an office dress code. That’s a tall order.
On one end, curating your in-office identity through style can be an enjoyable activity—especially if you snag work clothes that can easily transition from the office to a night out. But, on the other, there are a lot of things to consider, including how to balance your style with what is professionally acceptable, comfortability, and quality. Luckily, today’s workwear allows you to have a little more personal flare, which is a blessing for anyone who loves dressing up.
In the latest installment of The Style Edit series, I’ve curated the ultimate hit list of shops you can purchase women’s workwear from, either online or in stores. As I’m sure we all know by now, I’m addicted to online shopping – I went ahead and added some of my favorite new arrivals from each store – items that transcend a variety of personal styles, are sure to become mainstays in your wardrobe, and are investment pieces you can wear on repeat for years to come.
The best news is that many of these stores are having huge sales now and throughout the holiday season so I highly recommend getting your favorite clothing now before they run out of stock.
Let’s dive in!
1. Nordstrom & Nordstrom Rack
Nordstrom Rack is the perfect compromise for anyone who loves Nordstrom and is looking to buy their favorite designers at discount. They carry many of the same brands (including classic designer pieces), so you can get your favorite high-quality items — for cheap. Online is pretty cheap; I go to their clearance section first. I’ve gotten $2-5 tops and bottoms there. Great quality too, which can be tricky with other sites. Shipping is free on orders over $89.
Sure, Nordstom rack has great sales, but you can also find some affordable items on Nordsrom. Now is arguably the best time of the year to shop at Nordstrum – enjoy up to 60% off all throughout the holidays. Linked below are some of my favorite items from Nordstrom.
Square Neck Tie Back Puff Long Sleeve Sweater Dress
$89
Taelor Platform Loafer
2 colors available
$150
Genn Knee High Boot
4 Colors Available
$220
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2. Asos
The e-tailer is a one-stop shop for every type of outfit you could ask for. Asos carries tons of amazing brands you don’t know about yet (think cool international brands) and makes returns easy as pie so you can ensure a great fit. Shipping is a flat rate of $4.99 on orders below $50. For orders over $50, shipping is completely free and so are returns. P.S. — if you’re a student you get a 10% discount!
mini satin slip dress
cotton mini smock shirt dress
wide-leg pant
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3. Cos
If you weren’t a regular shopper at COS before this year, I’d be shocked if you hadn’t been won over by now. COS (owned by H&M) is known for producing reliable, good-quality staples, all with an elevated, minimalist approach. I’ve noticed over the past year that the label is stepping things up, and creating seriously expensive-looking pieces that would be hard to set apart from The Row (minus the expensive price tag). I’m talking utterly desirable items that also make up the basic building blocks in a capsule wardrobe—a hard feat to come by. If you are looking for high-quality clothing that lasts a really long time I would highly recommend checking them out. Shipping is a flat rate of $5.95
Pure Cashmere Jumper
3 colors available
Oversized-wool dress
3 colors available
Oversized leather trench
2 Colors available
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4. Club Monaco
Club Monaco is a reliable spot for chic, on-trend pieces appropriate for work and life in general. The retailer’s clothes can be classified as sophisticated — but not dowdy or overly formal. Dress them up for work, or down for the weekend. Pro tip: they have some good ongoing sales, so it’s worth checking out the sale section first. They offer free shipping on orders over $100.
Tailored Joggers
Ribbed Cardigan Dress
Textured Tweed Blazer
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5. & Other Stories
Like COS, & Other Stories is a great place to find tailored pieces only just slightly cheaper. It’s a great spot for relaxed tailoring, blazers, trousers, and blouses. They offer free shipping on all orders.
Favourite Cut Jeans
11 Colors Available
$99
Colour Block Mini Skirt
$89
Fold-Up Cuff Turtleneck Jumper
11 Colors Available
$129
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6. Madewell
In 2006, J.Crew introduced its sister brand Madewell as a premium denim brand for women. While you can still purchase denim, Madewell has evolved into an all-around clothing brand with everything from casual styles like jeans to office-appropriate styles like blazers, skirts, and sweaters.
Whether your office is super casual or still a bit formal, Madewell has garments that will fit into your wardrobe. They’re about to have a huge holiday sale so make sure to check them out aas well as their pre-loved section which includes upcycled collaborations, vintage finds from various brands, and archival Madewell pieces for resale.
Harlow Wide-Leg Pants
4 Colors Available
Baggy Straight Jeans in Berteau Wash
Loretto Mockneck Pullover Sweater
5 colors available
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7. Ann Taylor
Ann Taylor is a classic women’s workwear brand that offers both simple and elegant styles. Much of the clothing is designed for work and beyond, so when you’re in the office from 9am to 5pm and you’re out enjoying the evening from 5pm to 9pm, your outfit will fit right in. Ann Taylor takes a traditional approach to women’s workwear with high-quality timeless designs to wear right now and for many years to come. Some of the benefits of shopping at Ann Taylor include petite sizing and larger sizes you won’t find everywhere. Ann Taylor also has sales regularly so make sure to bookmark for later.
The Cutaway Jacket In Tweed
Belted Faux Leather Midi Skirt
Belted Pleated Midi Skirt
2 colors available
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8. H&M
H&M clothes play a major role in the contents of my wardrobe – not only for my effort to be more environmentally aware and the brand’s ‘conscious choice’ range giving me a helping hand but also for its expensive-looking pieces that are actually quite affordable.
More often than not, if you ask me where something I’m wearing is from, I’ll answer “H&M.” I absolutely love their dress pants and have practically worn them every day for the past week.
Dress Pants
Short Shirt Dress
2 colors available
Loose Straight High Jeans
3 colors available
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9. Reformation
With great emphasis on sustainability and ethics in its business practices, Reformation makes clothes you’ll be proud to wear.
Reformation started out as a small vintage clothing boutique in Los Angeles but quickly grew into an original line of women’s apparel with a focus on sustainability. All of the brand’s clothes are made in their LA factory or at sustainable partner factories around the world.
While you can get everything from casual styles like jeans to formal styles like wedding dresses, Reformation is a wonderful place to shop for workwear. Pieces like the Catrina Blazer are super stylish and easy to layer with items already in your wardrobe.
Liza Ultra High Rise Straight Jeans
5 colors available
Ida Cashmere Sweater Dress
2 colors available
Alyssa High Rise Wide Leg Corduroy Pants
4 colors available
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10. Revolve
Revolve has always been one of the go-to stores for fashion-forward clothing. It’s the perfect place to shop if you have short notice because they have unbelievably quick shipping all of the time. They currently offer free shipping & returns as well as free international shipping on orders over $100.
Revolve’s selection of clothes is always on trend, and includes pieces from brands you know and love like Free People, Lovers and Friends, Agolde, For Love & Lemons, and Superdown.
On top of all that, Revolve has a wide range of price points, but it gets even better than that – you can find clothing for every style. Here are my top picks for work and the holiday season.
Melrose Sweater Jacket
Nadia Vegan Leather Handle Bag
Mima Dress
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