This is my first time posting to this forum. Hello, all. I'm 23 years old, and I've been losing weight since May (SW 250 lbs, CW 219.75, GW 170). I'm now fairly comfortable in a US 16, which means I'm no longer confined to shopping in the Women's section of department stores, and at Lane Bryant. But I'm certainly still not small. At 5'8" tall, I wear a 38D and have wide, round hips. I've got the body of an over-the-hill cheesecake girl: very curvy (and a little soft) with big boobs and a relatively narrow waist. Not, shall we say, exactly the body type you see on the runway.
Here's my dilemma: I've been hired to teach 10th grade English at a public high school, and I don't have any wardrobe to speak of that will be appropriate. I've gone down 2 dress sizes, from a 20 to a 16, but in most size 16 pants I'm still snug through the thigh and baggy in the waist. The currently-vogue circle skirts are a good style for me, as are any A-line skirt that reaches just below the knee. In pants, wide-leg is better than boot-cut, and any of the styles dubbed "modern" (a.k.a. hip-less) at NY & Co, Gap, Express, etc., never fit. I'm a "classic" cut kind of girl.
Keeping in mind that I'm in my early 20s, have my nose pierced, and tend to wear fishnets with combat boots when I go out on the weekends, where can I find cute, curve-friendly, professional clothes that I'll be able to wear for a few months while I continue to lose weight? Clothes that say, "I'm fashionable, but I'm an authority figure?" HELP!! What styles and stores (brick and mortar or online) work for you?
I am basically a corporate goth. I work in a law office so I have to be professionally dressed. I think I look a bit film noir...
My basic work uniform is long black skirt- either straight or a-line, sweaters that are fitted but not tight, t-s with a bit of lycra in them (not too low cut), tanks with a sheer flowing top in a nice print. I have some plain jackets or jacket style sweaters (kind of mod looking) in plain black, moss green, burgundy that I wear instead of suit jackets (just can't do the suit thing). In the winter I wear wool skirts that have linings in grey, chocolate, or black and wear a nice top with them - again fitted but not tight.
We can wear nice dress sandals in the summer in my office and in the fall/winter I wear knee high black leather or black suede boots with a square heel. That way I look modern and funky but not too outrageous for the office.
My main colours are black, red, burgundy, deep green, deep purple, grey, chocolate brown. I just don't do pastels
My accessories are a plain square black purse with a strap that will go over my head (since I walk to work - safety first) and a black vinyl or leather backpack for the winter. In the summer I carry a small purse with a long strap and a black tote and a plain black straw hat for sun protection.
Jewelly is where I can get a bit more interesting since my clothes are plain I can use them to showcase my collection of funky silver jewelery.
One thing to make sure you do is have clean and neat hair (even if it is platinum or purple) and make sure your hands have clean and properly filed nails. I keep my polish to a minimum since I have to type and it just gets chipped so I just go bare, wear neutrals or something that matches my lipstick du jour sounds silly but people do notice small details. I am very pale but I do wear brick reds and dark oranges or burgandy lipstick -I don't do pastels here either
I can't really refer any stores as I am in Canada so we may not have the same stores. I usually buy something from a regular store and just personalize it with my own accesories and jewellery.
Me on the weekends, well that is an entirely different story
Welcome, likemarigold!
I wish I could help you, but I'm a stay-at-home mom/princess who's working (supposed to be, anyhow) on a book, and I dress to please myself.
Congratulations on your new job, and best of luck to you!!
Hi, likemarigold. (I just typed a nice message in and Ihad a crash, so I'll redo it. Argh!)
Just went through this myself. In January, with two days notice, I accepted a long-term sub position as a high school tech teacher (100 ninth graders a day ). For the past ten years I had been self employed, working mostly at home, so the wardrobe was NOT prepped.
I'm 45 but feel 25, and am a creative writer/casual/doc marten/clog wearing type. My wardrobe consisted of separates...luckily, I've always leaned toward long vests, which gives the illusion of power Just think Bea Arthur of the Golden Girls and add 100 pounds.
Anyhoo, i love both coldwatercreek.com and silhouettes.com. Though sillhouettes caters to larger sizes, they start at 14, and their prices can't be beat. And the quality is good too.
I don't envy you hitting that alarm clock in the morning (talk about a rude awakening for me...sheesh! ), but I sure respect you for doing it. Walking a mile in a teacher's shoes was the experience of a lifetime. (And it took ten pounds off of me in a flash!)
I am in a similar boat, although I started a lot larger. I was a 30/32 and am now a 16/18/20, depending on the store. I've learned that I look better if I don't dress in things that are oversized, extra-long, etc. The more it looks like I have a waist, and I'm not HIDING in my clothes, the slimmer and more pulled-together I look. I'm 42 and while I don't dress like a teenager, I don't like dressing in a lot of "plus-size" clothes that are obviously made for women my age and older. So, between those two criteria, that eliminates most of the clothes at places like i.e., Catherine's , JCPenny, Silhouettes, etc. Lane Bryant stores DO have young, curvy styles, but ya wanna branch out a bit. So, here are two sources I go to time and again:
First, Target. I go every couple of weeks and cruise, because some of their stock has a short shelf life. They have a plus-size section that goes down to 16W, and the regular women's section has some lines that go up to 16 (like the Isaac Mizrahi stuff) and some of their more generic house brands go up to 20. I've found that in their plus dept I wear about a 16W top and a 16W/18W bottom. In the regular dept I'm a 16/18 top and 20 bottom. MOST of my wardrobe is currently Target. They have tons of cute stuff that does not look "discount." You can get great trendy casual clothes as well as more professional outfits. I have a bunch of TERRIFIC flattering stylish pant-and-jacket coordinate sets, skirts, and a ton of dressy tshirts, princess-style blouses, etc.
Second, take a look at Jessica London catalog (www.jessicalondon.com) and Chadwick's (www.chadwicks.com). They are part of Brylane, the company that owns Lane Bryant Catalog (not affiliated with LB stores), Roaman's, etc. Chadwick's & Jessica London are the more stylish, upscale sisters of those other catalogs. Chadwick's is "regular sizes" but some items run into plus sizes. JL is exclusively plus sizes. I think a lot of their stuff is terrific for the price.
Finally, you might check out Spiegel. I haven't ordered from them in a long time, but they always have stylish stuff.
Torrid. Has no one mentioned Torrid? www.torrid.com
Lots of punk, rockabilly, emo but some really nice but funky professional wear. I LOVE this store. I'm lucky enough to have three real live stores in my area but their website has the best clearence.
Yeah, my only beef with Torrid when I first went there was too much denim and "cutesy", not enough black... but it's been awhile since I've been there so maybe it's changed. They do have some cute stuff. I still mostly shop at Avenue (and there's lots in Sacramento and the Bay Area, thankfully), and occasionally get stuff from the Lane Bryant catalog. I like the Silhouette catalog, but it's pricey. If I had more time/ fabric money, I'd make more custom outfits, but I spend all that on medieval/ Renaissance garb for faires and such...
likemarigold-our body types are about the same! Sounds like you are an hourglass figure like me-full bust, small waist, and carry extra weight in the buns and thighs! The hipless low rise jeans don't fit me either...slide off my waist and are tight in the hips! I need classic cut as well!
I find that the asymetrical cut skirts work well on me-they are usually elastic waist-so the small waist-big butt ratio isn't as much as a factor here-and they slim the calves.
I also LOVE LOVE LOVE opaque black tights...with just about anything. Dark colors like Mauvais said...heck, just get everything black, eggplant, and charcoal and mix and match!
Anthropologie. Their tops are cut tight this season. But I find their skirts run large. I'm a size 14 and I wear a size 12 in their skirts. Which, by the way, are currently hovering around knee-length. And are A-line, with plenty o' room in the hips. Pricey, though.
Old Navy. Granted, you're not going to find the epitome of quality. But for basic long-sleeved shirts and sweaters, you could save some money. Sizes for women run as high as 20.
Kohls. Their tops run large. Some of their dresses also run large. You might be able to buy from the bottom half of women's section. (I REFUSE to call it "regular sizes!")
I actually work in corporate America (in a company about as "corporate" as they come!) and I've had to buy a lot of "professional" clothes -- I shop at Nordstrom online all the time. I know my exact size there and they have a lot of variety and good quality stuff. I'm not the "best dressed" of the office, but I definitely feel comfortable with what I wear and not too stuffy!
Also, you might want to try Alight, I've found a couple cute things there.
Your mission: Professional Alterna-Outfits
sounds silly but people do notice small details. 
I am very pale but I do wear brick reds and dark oranges or burgandy lipstick -I don't do pastels here either 
). For the past ten years I had been self employed, working mostly at home, so the wardrobe was NOT prepped.
