Sure, we all know what wardrobe essentials for work professional women are supposed to have in their closets, but if you’re buying one for the first time or replacing one you’ve worn into the ground, it can be a pain to find exactly the right incarnation in stores. In “The Hunt,” we search the stores for a basic item that every woman should have.

Collared women's shirts are a classic for a reason — and whether you're on the hunt for them as Zoom tops or for basic work outfits, we haven't done a roundup in far too long.

Readers, what are your thoughts — yea or nay on collared shirts? If you're going into the office, are they part of your work outfit rotation? Are you them out for the occasional Zoom call?

In the past we've talked about important issues such as whether the collar goes out or in, what color camisole to wear beneath a white blouse, how to keep white blouses white, some DIY options for gaping blouses, when to tuck your blouse, and 10 things to know about wearing button-front blouses.

Some of the Hall of Famers we've mentioned in the past include these lovely collared shirts:

• Hall of Famers: Hugo Boss, J.Crew, Foxcroft, Brooks Brothers, Ann Taylor, Universal Standard, Equipment, Tucker, Everlane
• Under $50: Amazon Essentials (2,400 good reviews), Clovery (1,600 good reviews!)
• Under $100: J.Crew, Brooks Brothers (frequent sales), Ann Taylor, Hawes & Curtis, Everlane
• Brands with interesting blouses for a splurge: Rebecca Taylor, L'Agence, Tuckernuck, Anne Fontaine, Tucker
• Iron-free: Brooks Brothers, Foxcroft, Talbots
• Organic: Eileen Fisher
• Crisp collared blouses: Hugo Boss, J.Crew, Foxcroft, Brooks Brothers, Ann Taylor
• Silky collared blouses (spots to check): Equipment, Halogen, Everlane, M.M. LaFleur, Banana Republic Factory, Mango, Vince, Uniqlo, The Shirt by Rochelle Behrens, Loft, Tucker
• Jersey collared blouses (definitely more casual!): Boden, James Perse, Eileen Fisher, also check Eddie Bauer
• Bodysuits: J.Crew, Express, Amazon, Tuxe, Express, Venus (but see our whole post on the best bodysuits for work outfits!)
• For busty women: The Shirt by Rochelle Behrens, Bravissimo, Exclusively Kristen, Foxcroft
• Bespoke (custom tailored): Sumissura
• Petite options: Hotouch (bad name but #1 bestseller!), Brooks Brothers, Ann Taylor
• Tall options: Ann Taylor, Lands' End
• Maternity: Lands' End, H&M, Gap, ASOS (also check Target!)
• Plus sizes: Universal Standard, Foxcroft, NYDJ, Ralph Lauren, Lands' End

5 Best Women's Collared Blouses

Some of our favorite brands for silky collared blouses for women are below:

If you're hunting for some of the best collared shirts for women in plus sizes, many of our favorites meet the bill!

Of course, gaping can be a problem with button-front shirts. If your bust is the problem, definitely check out some of the best blouses for busty women — we've rounded up some above, but here are some pictures:

As of 2024, some great dress shirts for women with large breasts include The Shirt by Rochelle Behrens, Lands' End No-Gape shirts, eShakti's made to measure tops, Tradlands' “Boob-Gap Improving Button-Up,” and specialty stores like Exclusively Kristen, PerfectDD, and Miriam Baker.

Some of the top products to help you fix a gaping blouse include:

Readers, if you're a fan of collared shirts, which are your favorites?

Curious about older iterations of this roundup? Here they were in 2019 (modern blouses for suits), 2017 (best women's dress shirts ) 2014 (silk button-front blouses), and 2013 (crisp button-down shirts).

Like this feature? Check out other recent installments!

The post The Best and Affordable Women’s Collared Shirts appeared first on Corporette.com.

When interviewing, must you button your shirt all the way to the top? How many buttons are acceptable to leave unbuttoned? Reader S wonders…

I am going for an interview at quite a conservative organisation. I have a navy skirt suit and was going to wear a white button up shirt. Do I need to button up all the buttons up to the top?

I have an immediate, initial gut reaction here — but I'm curious if the readers agree. Before we start, note that the WSJ just discussed this very topic for men's attire; in the past we've talked about whether shirt collars should be tucked into a blazer or splayed on top, as well as where to get the best button-front blouses. Here's my gut reaction $.02:

NO! Don't button it all the way to the top! That would look weird, and fussy, and… and… I'm thinking of a hitman in a movie but can't quite put my finger on which movie. (Also: Rainman.) I dug up a few pictures for inspiration, though, and my opinions shifted as I studied it. So I'm really curious to hear what readers say. Here are some notes:

Buttoned all the way to the top:

Personally, this is my least favorite look. It looks very severe to me; I'm surprised to see so many models styled this way. I'd say this is the dominant way I saw things styled online, which was a surprise.

Pictured: Source / Source / Source / Source (totally not an interview suit, but look how purty!).

Slightly Unbuttoned:

When I started writing this post, I also would have said this was WAY too high. It still isn't my favorite look, and personally I would want more of a V-neck effect. (Note that my personal preference here has ALWAYS been affected by the fact that I am busty and a V-neck is much more flattering on me than a closed-neck top — so add that grain of salt to the, uh, other grains of salt.) That said, it is a classic, very buttoned-up look.

Source / Source  (note that if you zoom in on the product page, there are two unbuttoned buttons — but it lays so neatly it could be only one)/ Source / Source

Unbuttoned and Open:

Think “top 2 buttons undone,” so there's a bit of clavicle showing. Honestly, this is how I've always worn a button-front blouse, and how most people I know have styled it in real life, whether accidentally or on purpose. (I have even adjusted the opening so it purposely lays a bit open, with the collar still tucked inside the jacket.)   But you can barely find any pictures with it styled as such online.

Source / Source / Source

Blouse Open:

Hi yo! Please do not wear this look to an interview or to work (at least not without a serious layer beneath it… like a turtleneck.) J.Crew is the big offender, here, and to me it's one of their little styling quirks. Admittedly, a lot of their styling quirks have become trendy (the half-tuck, the J.Crew roll, the disheveled ponytail), but I'd stay away from the blouse half-undone look.

Source / Source /Source.

Ladies, how do YOU wear your blouses with suit jackets: buttoned all the way to the top, slightly unbuttoned, unbuttoned and open, or very open?

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N.B. These substantive posts are intended to be a source of community comment on a particular topic, which readers can browse through without having to sift out a lot of unrelated comments. And so, although of course we highly value all comments by our readers, we're going to ask you to please keep your comments on topic; threadjacks will be deleted at our sole discretion and convenience. Thank you for your understanding!

The post How High to Button Your Shirt for Interviews appeared first on Corporette.com.

Sales of note for 7.19.24

• Nordstrom – The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is now open to everybody! Here are all of our picks, and here are reader favorites.
• Ann Taylor – Semi-annual sale, extra 50% off markdowns + 20% off everything!
• Banana Republic Factory – 40-60% off everything, take an extra 20% off your purchase
• Eloquii – 50% off select styles
• Everlane – Up to 70% off
• J.Crew – End of Season Sale, extra 50% off sale styles
• J.Crew Factory – 40-60% off everything
• Lo & Sons – Summer sale, up to 50% off
• Madewell – End of season sale, up to 70% off with code.
• M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide. (Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is the biggest sitewide discount I've ever seen…)
• Rothy's – Lots of great finds in the “final few” section
• Talbots – Semi-annual red door sale, extra 40% off markdowns

Some of our latest posts here at Corporette…

And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

• Is there a mantra or slogan that will help me combat imposter syndrome?
• AITA for not moving to the middle seat to be closer to my husband on a recent flight?
• What are your latest favorite nonfiction books for fans of Mary Beard?
• I'm so annoyed by people who look at their smart watches instead of paying attention to our conversation…
• Let's have a secrets thread…
• I need tips on managing employees in BigLaw who have to leave for daycare pickup…
• I'm thinking of leaning out to spend more time with my family – how can I find the perfect job for that?

The post Frugal Friday’s TPS Report: Button Down Blouse appeared first on Corporette.com.

Sales of note for 7.19.24

• Nordstrom – The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is now open to everybody! Here are all of our picks, and here are reader favorites.
• Ann Taylor – Semi-annual sale, extra 50% off markdowns + 20% off everything!
• Banana Republic Factory – 40-60% off everything, take an extra 20% off your purchase
• Eloquii – 50% off select styles
• Everlane – Up to 70% off
• J.Crew – End of Season Sale, extra 50% off sale styles
• J.Crew Factory – 40-60% off everything
• Lo & Sons – Summer sale, up to 50% off
• Madewell – End of season sale, up to 70% off with code.
• M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide. (Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is the biggest sitewide discount I've ever seen…)
• Rothy's – Lots of great finds in the “final few” section
• Talbots – Semi-annual red door sale, extra 40% off markdowns

Some of our latest posts here at Corporette…

And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

• Is there a mantra or slogan that will help me combat imposter syndrome?
• AITA for not moving to the middle seat to be closer to my husband on a recent flight?
• What are your latest favorite nonfiction books for fans of Mary Beard?
• I'm so annoyed by people who look at their smart watches instead of paying attention to our conversation…
• Let's have a secrets thread…
• I need tips on managing employees in BigLaw who have to leave for daycare pickup…
• I'm thinking of leaning out to spend more time with my family – how can I find the perfect job for that?

The post Frugal Friday’s TPS Report: Sleek Fit Silk Shirt appeared first on Corporette.com.

Someone was telling us recently that they didn't wear button-down shirts, didn't even know how to wear 'em. So, here ya go…ten things to know about wearing button-down shirts!

1. If you're going for the crisp cotton look, go for non-iron. Brooks Brothers makes a great fitted non-iron shirt. Thomas Pink (very high end, typically thought of as a man's store) makes amazing button-down shirts for women, also, with interesting prints and a lovely fit.

2. Collars and jackets: Collars should stay on the inside of the jacket, not splayed open on the outside.

3. If you have a white shirt, try not to put it in the dryer in order to avoid yellowing. Actually, in our experience the iron-free shirts look best when hung dry. (Just pull them taut, a bit, when they're wet and you're hanging on the hanger — it always seems to help the fabric figure out where to go.)

4. If you've got a French cuff shirt, do not bother with those tiny knots you can buy at places for $10 — you're wasting your money and time, because they take forever to put in. Instead, make an investment in a good pair of cufflinks — Nordstrom also has some beautiful ones right now.

5. Tucking: If you're wearing a fitted, button-down shirt (such as the ones from Pink) you can experiment with how it looks untucked. The key is that it can't be too long — it should hit mid-hip, and no matter what should not be longer than your suit jacket. Silky shirts should always be tucked.

6. If you want a very clean tucked-in look, there are some stores that make leotard-like button-down shirts. See, for example, Victoria's Secret or Donna Karan.

7. Non-traditional style idea: Wear a short-sleeved button-down shirt beneath a vest or even a t-shirt. (We've given up trying to wear anything but silky button-downs beneath full-sleeve sweaters — the static cling gets us every time.)

8. Non-traditional style idea, Part 2: Wear a camisole/tank top underneath the button-down shirt, tuck in the shirt, and only button it up halfway, so people can see the camisole beneath.

9. Gaping: If your shirt is gaping, this could mean a few things. A) You need a larger size, and should take it to a tailor to get it to fit you the way you want it to. B) You need to wear a camisole beneath it, so when you turn to the side people don't get a view of your bra. C) You can experiment with Hollywood Tape and so forth to keep it from gaping — we've found the camisole is just easier.

Some of the top products to help you fix a gaping blouse include:

10. Beneath the slightly sheer white shirt: Wear a bra that matches your skin tone, and a white camisole, no matter how convinced you are that no one can see through it. We've tried the nude camisole, and trust us: white just looks better.

The post 10 Things to Know About: Wearing Button-Down Shirts appeared first on Corporette.com.