To be unable to find clothes to wear to work?

[whosiwhatsit]

I work in a place where it's business attire. The men wear suits, and most of my colleagues are men. The women wear dresses mostly, or other smart clothes. I can't figure out what to wear without looking boring and/or overdone.

I tried to go shopping today and walked away with nothing. I went into Monsoon and the whole shop looked like a clown threw up. Austin Reed was shockingly expensive. Zara and Mango almost all the blouses were see-through, low cut and very bright. M&S had some things that looked okay on the hangers but like shit when I put them on. How am I supposed to dress decent for work without spending a fortune, or do I have to spend a fortune to look semi-decent. I'm short and pale and tight and size 12-14. Where do I shop?

i buy planet dresses/cardis/jackets in the sale - they work for me cause they're lined, gathered and patterned so hide the lumps and bumps! if you're shorter you could look at minuet petite? i also get bits and pieces from TK Maxx, M&S, tesco and sainsburys.

i like this kind of style: www.planet.co.uk/en/leopard-print-jersey-dress-268358 although normally in blues/blacks

Skrumi, I don't feel comfortable wearing sleeveless stuff for work which is another problem as clothes manufacturers seem to be leaving sleeves off things a lot nowadays, probably to save,money. I do like the cut of that dress apart from the lack of sleeves, though.

I'll have a look at the supermarket stuff. Suebfg I think that's a look that could really work for me as long as I can find some smart enough cardigans.

I'm short & quite pale too, minus the odd freckle.

I buy most of my work trousers in Next petite, although I actually went shopping today as am back in work after mat leave in a weeks time, and got 2 lovely pairs of trousers from H&M which surprised me as I usually struggle with trousers.

I think H&M is also pretty good for tops which you can get some smart ones for not a lot of money. Also I do like Warehouse for some smartish dresses. Joules is pretty nice too (can be a tad pricey though), oh and La Redoute and ASOS online.

Hope you get some nice outfits!

Remus and next phase, I look awful in work shirts too. They make me look rumpled and a mile wide. I think they work best on those with hourglass figures?

Go for a free style consultation at John Lewis. They'll help you put together a basic wardrobe that you can build on with guidelines to follow. It will stop you being over faced in every shop and returning empty handed.

Who - I'm hourglass but shirts really don't work on me, unless I wear them pretty much indecently open!

The only shirts I can wear are from pepperberry who do shirts with different degrees of boob space. I would normally need about an 18 to get a shirt with enough space (tent elsewhere!) - I wear a 12SC in theirs There is also a polish company called BiuBiu who do shirts designed for big norks - I haven't tried them but they get good reviews.

Buy suits in next or m&S with shirts. In the summer work dresses (plain navy black, knee length, either sleeveless or short sleeve with jackets.)

Look in next tailored look. All shirts from tm lewin.

I buy in austin reed in sale, yes too expensive.