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I'm new to the midwest & just accepted a new job as the Administrator of a healthcare facility. Dress code is business casual (which differs in varying parts of the country, so I'm unsure what it is here), but I was told to dress biz casual + a casual "suit jacket" in the form of a cardigan or casual biz jacket (I don't even know what that means). Unfortunately, I've only visited on casual Fridays where people can wear jeans, so have no idea how dressy people are M-F. I'm guessing non-dressy as compared to my usual.
My NYC/Boston, upscale wool suits are far too formal. I was told to wear button-down cardigans/sweaters & button-down shirts with dress pants/skirts.
I get it, but the stores are new to me here (never heard of any of them, including markets) & I have limited time. Which stores can I visit to find a few outfits? I need to replace my formal jackets with casual button-down cardigans & need a few dress pants that aren't so formal. I don't think that color makes a difference, but would like to focus on more basic colors to begin with... gray, beige/camel jackets/pants, white or soft-colored shirts.
I'm in Waukee... can someone suggest a store where I can buy a few off-the-rack tops... button-down shirts/blouses & cardigans? I'm not far from Jordan Creek, so perhaps I can find a store there? Also, I'm not the matronly type, so want something a bit more stylish yet suited for an office. Solid colors are preferable.
Here the stores are new to me (I've only seen them on Google Maps)... Dillard's, Ross... never been to them. I only need 1-2 button-down cardigans & 4-5 shirts/blouses to start. I'm so busy & am one of the few women on the planet who dislikes shopping... in addition, I haven't needed new clothing for 20-yrs since I buy classic designer suits for work... so, I'm trying to make shopping as simple as possible. BTW, I don't care about cost, but if I could keep the above 6-7 garments under $300, that would be ideal, for a start. I'll add on as necessary. I just want to get a week's worth of outfits. Nothing I have is casual, so I'm at a loss.
In addition, where can I buy casual work shoes... black flats or with a modest heel? I mostly wear stilettoes or dressy ankle boots with high heels & feel they're far too dressy. I'll find a DSW, again, for a cheaper option for a start... but, are there other outlets where I can look?
TY very much. I appreciate the help. In my last relocation, 3/4 of my clothing was stolen, so I'm trying to make my 1st wk at work as comfortable as possible.
Try Von Maur, JJill, and Dillards at the Jordan Creek Mall. Von Maur and Dillards have a good selection of shoes. DSW is just down the street. Nordstrom Rack next to Jordan Creek Mall has a pretty good selection of shoes too. Those are my go-to places when I shop in Des Moines. Right now there are great sales. Don’t forget Kohls in West Des Moines too!
Try Von Maur, JJill, and Dillards at the Jordan Creek Mall. Von Maur and Dillards have a good selection of shoes. DSW is just down the street. Nordstrom Rack next to Jordan Creek Mall has a pretty good selection of shoes too. Those are my go-to places when I shop in Des Moines. Right now there are great sales. Don’t forget Kohls in West Des Moines too!
Thank you so much for this! I've not heard of any of those stores, so you're saving me from running around trying to find stores & since I dislike shopping, I'm glad to hear a couple of stores have shoes, too. Bonus is I leave near JC Mall, so this list is great. I'll let you know how I've made out. Thank you again!
Your welcome. Von Maur is an Iowa-based department store and has been around forever (at least 30 years since I’ve been in the state). It’s as “upscale” a department store as you can get in Iowa. They just moved to Jordan Creek from the Valley Junction Mall also in West Des Moines.
Actually Valley Junction has JC Penney’s which has seen better days but you might find something there as an alternative. It’s been a couple years since I’ve been there.
In Altoona is the outlet mall. The only place that comes to mind for work clothes is the Loft store but I’m not sure if they shut down. There is a Coach store and Kate Spade that have high-end shoes and purses there too. Not a huge selection though.
Last edited by smpliving; 02-19-2023 at 06:55 PM..
Okay, I'm back after 5-hrs of shopping. < Insert exhausted emoji > It was very entertaining.
I didn't have good luck with any store & came home empty-handed aside from a Mac mascara that's now $29, not $18.50. Dang you, Mac, dang you.
I went to Von Maur's, Dillard's, H&M, Nordstrom Rack, Kohl's & every single woman's clothing store in the entire mall, top floor & bottom. Most of the clothing fell into 3 categories... matronly/boxy, athletic or casual/baggy/slouchy. All sweaters were cropped, even those that were size 4XL. I was stunned at the horrible patterns, poor-quality materials & lack of color choices most sane people would embrace. Most of the stores featured clearance summer, casual clothing... lots of swimsuits & loungewear.
If you want to wear neon, lime green tops/jackets, that mall's your haven. If you want a big boxy double-breasted suit jacket that resembles The Talking Head's music video from the 80s... you're in luck... every store's got 'em.
If you want orange or yellow tops, grandma patterns & ruffled collars on poufy, flowery blouses & fuzzy, striped turtle necks like Charlie Brown's polo <screech, screech!>, run don't walk to the Jordan Creek Mall.
Shoes were extremes, too... heavy, clunky, chunky, 4" thick creeper soles with buckles so youthful maidens can clomp about like Frankenstein or metallic, strappy, high-heeled sandals you'd wear with a gown in summer. Since at my new job, the suits I have (black, smoke gray) are too formal, hence the search for less structured cardigans, I'm assuming a gown & strappy heels would push it over the edge.
If I weren't so exhausted after 5-hrs of shoving hangers to & fro, it actually occurred to me to venture into the men's dept to buy 1-2 pairs of men's trousers & a couple of boy's extra large button-downs that might fit me just to get me through the 1st few wks. I've rarely seen anyone in DM wear anything other than casual clothing for work, so I'm unsure I'll find the clothing I need here. Even my dr wears khakis. I need something in-between biz casual & my far-too-formal suits.
To that end, I think I'm going to have to regularly shop to try to find a piece at a time... or look online... I just prefer to buy clothing in person.
Tomorrow, I'm going to try Target, Walmart (might as well) & Ross. I'm so insanely busy, I don't have any other days to shop, so I've got to come home with something. I also see there are a few secondhand/consignment stores around... maybe some Sat I can give them a try. My sister also said to try Goodwill. She's a nurse but needed a suit jacket for an interview (which she'll never wear again) & said she found a couple of designer jackets at Goodwill's. I just realized there's one 1-mi from my house, so I'll try them tomorrow, too. I'm not so much into used clothing, but I need something to get me started.
For shoes, I'm just going to have to wait until I have time to shop. In the meantime, I have 2 pairs of black flats that I can wear, so I'll get by. Maybe I can find a button-down sweater at Target/Ross tomorrow. If worse comes to worse, I'll just wear casual tees underneath a suit jacket (maybe left open to be more casual) to get through the 1st week. I'll ask where others buy their clothing... I'll be up in Ames for at least the 1st 2-wks, so maybe there are some stores further north.
BTW, I did see the outlet stores in Altoona as I was driving back home. If I can't find anything, I'll stop there one night after work. I'll just have to be open to whatever I pass by.
TYVM again smp... it's a bit challenging, but I'll try again tomorrow. If I can just get 5 outfits for my 1st wk, I'll be okay. I have a feeling I'm going to be too dressy, but that's okay.
Darn! Sorry to hear it didn't work out for you. It seems the pandemic really took its toll on the amount of selection in stores, and quality.
Asking colleagues for suggestions sounds like a good idea. I would think there must be at least one or two independent boutique shops in the Des Moines metro (or Ames).
OP, the internet is your friend. You can find a wider selection at Nordstrom online, Macy's, good old Pendleton (a fixture on the W Coast), which does carry women's office attire as well as a selection of cardigans. Pendleton, along with other outlets, is just finishing up its winter clearance, so you can find some bargains for wool. This won't solve your need for work attire as urgently as tomorrow, since there will be shipping time involved, but you'll probably have better luck building a wardrobe this way.
In the meantime, you could use your East Coast office pants, and combine them with a blouse and sweater from somewhere, anywhere, until your shipment arrives.
Last edited by Ruth4Truth; 02-21-2023 at 09:08 AM..
Darn! Sorry to hear it didn't work out for you. It seems the pandemic really took its toll on the amount of selection in stores, and quality.
Asking colleagues for suggestions sounds like a good idea. I would think there must be at least one or two independent boutique shops in the Des Moines metro (or Ames).
No worries, smp, I appreciate your suggestions. And, you're right about the selection in most stores being lacking... I've seen that everywhere across the country during my travels, including convenience stores & markets. Still, it was better than me just driving around like a lunatic trying to find a women's clothing store... I'm an impatient shopper & don't enjoy any kind of shopping, at all... so I don't know what most stores sell. I only go when I need something badly & am a kamikaze shopper... run in, toss it over my head into the cart from 3 aisles away, stampede to the checkout & pull out of the parking lot like Mario Andretti rampaging around the Pocono racetrack.
I just found out this week that Sonic is a restaurant... I've seen them when traveling cross-country, but always thought they were gas stations. They look like gas stations to me... & Sonic = fast as in their gas makes your jalopy go fast, so...
I found plenty of stores around the mall, but everything is so bloody matronly. JJill especially surprised me... I've only seen them online, but they used to have that classic type of office gear... straight, plain lines, kind of like old Calvin Klein, when he still designed his clothing... or like what Ann Taylor used to sell. That style could be a little bland but was classic for the office, well made & could be dolled up with a leather jacket or brightly colored top if going out.
Just made my 5th trip to the car from the 4th floor (no elevator & healing from 12 broken bones) to carry everything upstairs after 6-hrs of shopping. The 11-hrs of shopping I did yesterday & today is more than I usually do in 12-mos of food shopping.
I bought a ton of inexpensive clothing for $300 (anything I could find in beige/gray & some black cuz most things my size were in black... although everything is a top... nothing really my style, but the only stores I could find anything solid colored, unstructured but not too slouchy, slightly sophisticated-office-ish... surprise... Walmart & the Goodwill near Jordan Creek.
I would ordinarily skip WM, but had an xray at IA Ortho at 8am, just next door to Jordan Creek mall. Finished in 15-min but it was too early to go pretty much anywhere, so I headed to the closest WM, since they open at 6am. I spent 3-hrs sifting through rack after rack of junk, but for every 100 things I looked through, I'd find 1 unstructured jacket-like-ish/cardigan-sorta/almost sweater but not really thing. Couldn't find ANY button-downs. Seems sweatshirt material & hoodies reign supreme at WM & you're hard-pressed to find anything that's below 2XL. And, so much clothing is trying too hard to be multiple garments... it's not a shirt... it's not a sweater... it's not a jacket. It's a sheaket... all I keep seeing are the jorts of tops.
At Goodwill, I found 2 designer suit jackets... one bluish-tweedish Anne Klein & the other beige-pinkish-tweedy Bill Blass. They're both XL so fit very loose, but look okay if left open for a less formal look. Again, not my style, but better than the only 2 black jackets I have.
That's the best I could do for now. Most of the stuff I didn't try on, so I'll do that later. I still have no work pants/skirts to wear, so will have to find some kind of solution by the weekend. All I have are flared, black yoga pants. Everything else was stolen, so I'll probably go to Ross on Friday (& no other stores... I'm done shopping for now) & if nothing else, I'll get 2 pairs of men's trousers, beige/black... not ideal but better than nothing until I figure out what everyone else is wearing. Who knows... people are so casual here, maybe the yoga pants will work.
I passed DSW on my way home & was too exhausted to do more shopping, so maybe I'll visit on Friday, if I can find a few minutes. And, shoes are hard for me to find...I've got to try on 100 to find a shoe that's comfy. I must have a princess & the pea thing going on.
OP, the internet is your friend. You can find a wider selection at Nordstrom online, Macy's, good old Pendleton (a fixture on the W Coast), which does carry women's office attire as well as a selection of cardigans. Pendleton, along with other outlets, is just finishing up its winter clearance, so you can find some bargains for wool. This won't solve your need for work attire as urgently as tomorrow, since there will be shipping time involved, but you'll probably have better luck building a wardrobe this way.
In the meantime, you could use your East Coast office pants, and combine them with a blouse and sweater from somewhere, anywhere, until your shipment arrives.
Hey, Ruth. I've never had good luck ordering clothing online unless it's been yoga gear. I find that sizes are all over the place with women's clothing. A size 4 by one manufacturer is a 6 or 8 by another. So, I'll pass on online ordering of clothing. I did try it for a period of time & had to return everything cuz it didn't fit.
You missed the last paragraph where I said 3/4 of my clothing was stolen with this last move. All I'm left with are 2 very dressy, dark suit jackets (no skirts/pants) & they're far too formal to wear to this new job... my dozen suits are gone. I've got some casual tees & yoga pants & that's about it. Dresses are gone, all skirts, dressy blouses/dress shirts, gowns, handbags, leather jackets, gloves, coats, everything. Even my heels,sandals & boots are gone... I've got hiking boots, sneakers & 2 pairs of cheap Target flats I bought in my travels, both a size too big. I wasn't kidding when I said I have nothing to wear for my 1st wk of work. I'm running around in Iowa in a giant XXXL sweater I got for $8 at Target/Walmart... don't even have a coat or a bed yet... I'm still sleeping on an air mattress. Worse is all my kitchenware is gone. Ah, well... moving on...
I don't begin 'til next Monday, but I'm so busy, I don't have much more time to shop... spent Mon-Tues doing so... I'm still in need of dress pants, but I checked out JC Penney's site that smp recommended & they've got some styles of pants I could use, at least to get me through the 1st month. Shoes are going to have to wait... I just don't have the time to shop any longer, so my cheap Target flats will have to do for the time being. I'll just hope no one notices, cuz if we get the pile of snow we're supposed to get this week, I'll be stomping into work brown in hiking boots & will have to switch to flats.
I brought home a lot more than I'd thought... most of the Goodwill sweater-jackety things are a bust (the styles are too odd or don't fit well, although I do see people wear those things here) & the casual suit jackets will need to have buttons moved WAY over cuz they're huge, but at least I'll have something. Have a feeling I'm going to need to pair my tops-haul with black yoga pants for a week. I've got 5 pairs & they're not like straight-legged leotards, so can pass for pants, at least for a week.
I'll try to get to JCP on Friday & I see it's near a TJ Maxx. Those are about the only 2 larger stores I haven't yet visited. So far, the Walmart tops were a good buy, which is a real surprise.
Maybe Talbots? I see two locations in Des Moines (Jordan Creek is listed as one but I don’t recall ever seeing one there and I was just at Jordan Creek last weekend). I live in Cedar Rapids-Iowa City and the Talbots here carry nicer slacks/trousers/slender pants for the office. Chico’s carry nice slacks too (in Jordan Creek). Although these stores are geared toward older ladies like myself, I feel their pants would be appropriate for younger women too. They do have some cute cardigans - Talbots.
However it’s been a year since I’ve been in those stores so maybe it’s changed. Just a thought though. My 30-something daughters give me a thumbs up on the jeans I have purchased at those stores.
I’ll be following with interest
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@smpliving... I tried...
They look like gas stations to me... & Sonic = fast as in their gas makes your jalopy go fast, so... 
