haniboo

i will be visiting the US and would like to find ideal clothes for travel and work, and a more put-together option than jeans. i am not too conservative, nor too funky. love black as well as colors, and find pants with tapered legs fit me best. thought if anyone could help, you all could. thanks so much. ideally they are (in no order):

comfortable, inexpensive, don't require dry cleaning, look good on a size 16, aren't too fragile (i get spilled on a lot), wear well, look put together quickly.

thanks!

Kate_Canuck

Do you mean that you want to figure out a wardrobe to take to the US with you, or do you mean that you want buy the kind of clothes you describe when you get to the US? I will assume you mean the latter.

My favourite chain of stores for smart casual clothes and work outfits, which I always visit (several times) whenever I visit the US is Ann Taylor. Ann Taylor is the somewhat dressier, somewhat more expensive line (but still quite affordable). Ann Taylor Loft is somewhat more casual and less expensive, but still has work clothing as well as lots of weekend options. I don't know if sizes stocked in the shops go up to Size 16, but it's quite possible since their online catalogue goes up to 18. One thing in particular I like about Ann Taylor is that it's very easy to put the clothes together - the stores stock coordinated (but not too matchy-matchy) combinations, plus accessories. I'm not sure where you'll be going in the US and how much time you have for shopping, but you should also search for Premium Outlet Malls, which carry the Ann Taylor Factory line (very affordable basics). Have a look at www.anntaylor.com and www.anntaylorloft.com to see if you like the styles.

Without even leaving home, you could shop Landsend.com. They have a wide range of styles, lots of sizes (including petites and long lengths), lots of practical easy-care clothes and they deliver internationally at quite reasonable prices (from the UK).

haniboo

i havn'et looked at ann taylor in years, but will do so, or at least look online before hand.

you are right: what i am really after is a wardrobe taht will work for me. i have been home with kids and tend to be sorta slouchy anyway, but have decided it is time to update/(dress my age?)/get out of jeans and a T.

are there particular lnadsend styles that you have found that work best for work/travel? (becuase i gravitate towards sporty, i end up shopping landsend for more Tshirts and ignore the "nicer" parts.

will take a look tho.

Kate_Canuck

I have had mixed success with Land's End. Their target customer's body type doesn't quite suit me. (I think their target customer is a 30-40 something mother who is in ok shape but has put on a little weight around the middle due to having had kids. I have a much more defined waist and a lower rise - they tend to cut trousers and skirts for women who prefer to have waistbands at or near the natural waist. But what I do like is the availability of long lengths for trousers, colours and fabrics, and the fact that the clothes are generously sized through the shoulders. French clothes are cut narrowly. Plus, the prices are great.)

To answer your question, Lands End clothes that I haven't tried but that I think might work well for you, especially for travel, are: (a) their commuter line (e.g. washable wool trousers with some stretch); (b) sport-knit trousers for flying (I bought some for my sister, who likes them a lot); (c) the three knit dresses they've got in their current catalogue (long-sleeve tshirt dress. LS button-front dress and 3/4 sleeve ballet-neck dress - which I'm going to order next); (d) knit jackets (e.g. Milano stitch); and (e) their no-waistband line of casual trousers (includes jeans, but also cords, velvet, chino-type). Of course, they've got lots of tops to mix and match.

If you're thinking of ordering from Lands End for delivery to Israel, you might consider experimenting with some of their inexpensive sale items - to test fit, etc. In theory, you can return things but I never do. So, earlier this fall I ordered a couple of pairs of trousers that were very cheap (about 15-20 dollars) to test the fit. One pair was excellent (stretch chino-type trousers), one pair is very comfortable but not the most flattering pair I own (stretch flat front jeans) and one pair (cords) was very, very wrong. As the three pairs cost less than what I would have paid for a single pair in France (if I could have found them), I thought the experiment was money well-spent.

A number of posters in this sub-forum are big fans of Chicos (travel clothes) and Coldwater Creek, but I find the styles to be too fuddy-duddy (although I like the colours of the Coldwater Creek clothing).

Calcifer

I'm pretty fond of Ann Taylor for work clothes, but much of the stuff there needs to be dry cleaned, and the slacks I've bought there lately have had a fairly full leg (I think they have some skinnier pants, but they're not tapered). Definitely take a look online first before you invest any time in going to their stores.

Mary2e

Try Talbots. I've recently started buying almost all my business casual & casual clothes there.

They're a bit funky without being too "young."

CDTraveler

For nice slacks, no-iron shirts and a variety of sweaters, I like LL Bean better than Lands End these days. The quality of the button front shirts is 10 times better, and they really are no iron. LL Bean offers their pants in a couple different configurations - plain front, pleated, elastic waist, etc. I can also promise you their clothes wash well - I have a high mess kid, and he hasn't managed to do any of them in permenantly yet.

haniboo

thank you--will take a look.

schmare

I've had really good luck recently with clothes from Eileen Fisher. They are available online, and in most department stores.

The look is similar to Ann Taylor, but I find the fit to be better suited to my shape. Most items can be machine washed, and the items go together well so it's easy to get a lot of outfits out of a few pieces.

The price point is a similar to Ann Taylor, and definitely more expensive than Lands End or LL Bean.

Redhead

I am also a size 16 and you will have difficulty at Ann Taylor. I get a double whammy since I'm also tall with long legs. Ann Taylor sometimes carries a 16 but not always and the selection is limited. I have better luck with Eileen Fisher. Macy's tends to have a very good "woman's" (god I hate that term) department for size 16's and 14W's which has some designer wear as well.

Lands' End does carry up to 16 and I find it fits but but agree that LL Bean is better quality

Owlchick

Eileen Fisher has some really wonderful outfits. They are comfortable and have more of a casual/trendy sort of look (at least, to my mind), but are excellent office clothing as well. I have a wool/silk skirt that's fifteen years old and still looks terrific today.

obscure2k

Some of those who post on this Forum are very enthusiastic about Chicos.

Tennisbum

Eileen Fisher

See what's new at
http://www.eileenfisher.com/scripts/...90000001040050

Buy pieces on sale at Neiman Marcus
http://www.neimanmarcus.com/

BNA_flyer

I just happened on this topic because it came up on the front page, but my wife has had good experiences with Talbots, Chico's and Eileen Fisher, all of which have been mentioned--like many of the other posters here, she travels frequently for work. She can shop at any of those three and come out looking professional without looking stodgy, which is what I think you're after. You could probably spend less money, but I think they all offer good value for what you'd spend.

She's had less experience with Ann Taylor, but I don't know if it's so much that she doesn't like Ann Taylor or that it's less convenient for her (where we are, Talbots and Chico's are off-mall and the parking's easier).

(I'll get out of the women travelers' forum now. )

janhigginskcmo

I second Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor Loft. Thats pretty much all that I have in my closet.