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Brands for office wear

11 replies

LostWithoutDottyP · 08/01/2022 03:58

The only shop that used to fit my shape reliably was Dorothy Perkins. I need some new office clothes and am stuck without Dotty. Bit of an unusual shape so I prefer high street or at least free delivery/returns if ordering online, as most things don't fit well and sizes are so variable ( I wear 10-14). Can you please help me discover any suitable brands I've missed?

Top Half
Long broad but slim body.
Need boring blouses or stretch tops (not too low cut) & fitted cardigans/jumpers or jackets. M&S tops are too short and wide for me. H&M fit but materials are horrible recently and blouses are often too low cut, cardigans often too baggy. New Look occasionally have things but mostly a bit too fashiony/cheap material. DPs or Oasis used to work, or Apricot for dresses. I'm hoping Joe Browns will fit me for tops as they seem to cut for a waist but they don't really do much that's mundane enough for work.

Bottom half
Need smart tailored wide leg trousers with belt loops (due to short wide legs & small waist)
I have to wait for M&S or Next to decide they want to sell this style, as my DPs and Debenhams options are gone. Most places don't sell them wide enough or short enough. Skirts have to be A-line, not too short and heavy material to work on me but as mostly wfh I am thinking not to bother investing in new long boots and just stick to trousers.

Also wide feet so Fly boots are the only ones I have found to fit and I rarely bother even looking for smart shoes but am open to suggestions. I do not wear heels.

Any top tips on brands to investigate would be much appreciated, thank you.

OP posts:
fernsandlilies · 08/01/2022 16:16

Collectif for trousers?

LostWithoutDottyP · 08/01/2022 19:47

Oh good tip thank you! I'd never heard of them before.

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BambooWhoosh · 08/01/2022 19:58

No new brands to suggest, but did you know that lots of DP stock is being sold by shops on ebay?

As an example, I've bought DP tops from this seller - all brand new with tags.

Suka Clothing ebay

LostWithoutDottyP · 08/01/2022 20:14

Oh cool, that's something to try, thank you.

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tumpymummy · 08/01/2022 20:20

Matalan, particularly for trousers. When I started an office job I tried trousers from everywhere, and the best ones I found were Matalan. Obviously fit varies person to person. And Boden, hampshire trousers but they are a lot more expensive. For blouses I often find suitable stuff in Asda or sainsburys.

LostWithoutDottyP · 08/01/2022 22:02

Oh Mataram, there's a thought. Hadn't realised Biden did workwear either. Supermarket tour scheduled! Thank you.

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LostWithoutDottyP · 14/03/2024 01:52

I’m bumping my old thread to see if things have got any better! I hate ordering online only to find material is nasty or things don’t fit. What I would pay for a time machine to go shopping in, just to pop into Dotty Ps, Debenhams, Oasis and H&M about 10-15 years ago and sort my work wardrobe out. Next still has some suitable stuff I think but never in the shop and I can’t find what I need on the website as there’s too much to search through and the materials have weird names so I don’t know if they’re ok or not. Any pointers to shops/brands would be much appreciated please.

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Garlicking · 14/03/2024 02:40

I was surprised when you said DP was your fit - because it was also mine, and I'm a totally different shape! I'm an oblong, no waist, and find Roman really good for things I would have bought at DP. Their sizes are gigantic but fairly consistent. If you order 3 of something you like, find the size that fits and send the others back, then you should be OK with anything else you get from there.

La Redoute usually has a good selection of 'smart' clothing, some of it in natural fibres. Their sizes are supposed to be correct, though I've found some variation. Trousers tend to be tight on my waist, so they might be good for you.

This is helpful on sizing: https://sizes.darkgreener.com/

What Size Am I?

Find your exact dress size in a range of US and UK high-street stores by entering your measurements. See how you relate to the different cuts used in different stores: Gap sizes, Banana Republic sizes, ASOS sizes.

https://sizes.darkgreener.com

LostWithoutDottyP · 14/03/2024 02:49

Yeah not everything in DottyP used to work for me but i always used to find something.
Thanks so much, I remember liking La Redoute catalogue back before the internet so could be promising! I'll have a browse of both of those thanks.

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LostWithoutDottyP · 12/06/2024 05:30

Just belatedly coming back to an old thread to report that Roman Originals is exactly the fit I'm looking for and I've now discovered they have actual shops, you can try things on without rinsing the credit card! I shall live happily ever after. Thank you.

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