19 places we shop at for women's workwear - and the best styles to buy

Everlane is the internet's darling for its early adoption and popularization of transparent pricing in an industry that often thrives on arbitrary markups. We shop here primarily for basics that are above average in quality and below average in price. We like Everlane's shoes, leather bags, cotton shirts, and $50 work pants.

Insider Picks reporter Connie Chen calls the $50 work pant the one thing you can't pass up at Everlane, adding, "Fifty dollar work pants is all I need to say. They're comfortable, flattering, and go for double the price elsewhere. You might even want to buy more than one pair since they come in versatile neutrals and cute greens and blues."

In terms of footwear, we typically recommend the Day shoe family, though you'll want to size up a half size for your order. We're unanimously fans of the company's $115 Day Glove (I wear it at least three times per week in the summer) and we also love the Day Heel ($145), Day Loafer ($155), and Day Boot ($225).

If it's a business casual office, Everlane's $68 Authentic Stretch Denim is one of our all-time favorite pairs of jeans because they are comfortable and liberating like stretch denim, but feel slightly rough to the touch like true denim. We've happily worn them both to the office and on plane rides.

We also ranked the Everlane Day Market Tote the best tote bag you can buy, as well as the best work bag you can get for under $200.

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Uniqlo has a few solid collections to shop — including its Wear to Work collection and its collaborations. Multiple Insider Picks reporters placed Uniqlo as one of their first stops for restocking basics like tights and tops, as well as stocking up on its effective HeatTech for winter.

Personally, while I prefer Everlane's flattering office-to-weekend Pima Micro Rib Crew Tees ($30), Uniqlo is also the best runner-up with its Ribbed Crew Neck ($9.90), which is quite a bit cheaper. It also comes in far more colors — nine compared to Everlane's three.

In the winter, you'd be hardpressed to find better innerwear than the HeatTech collection — clothes that generate heat from your body. As Insider Picks freelance editor Jada Wong says, "In the winter, I have a foundation layer of all-Uniqlo-everything underneath my outfit. Can they make a HeatTech onesie already?"

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• Uniqlo has a line of undershirts and clothing we swear by that's incredibly thin and incredibly warm — and most of the styles are only $15

Nordstrom is, unsurprisingly, always a solid one-stop-shop, and it's one we use frequently. It carries a large variety of top brands, including some of our favorite startups, and has a few major sales events, a good rewards program, and a great customer service department. The site will also put together styling suggestions which is helpful for figuring out what goes with what.

Popular online startups like Allbirds, Casper, LIVELY, and Dagne Dover are available to shop on Nordstrom, with Nordstrom's considerable perks — like free shipping and easy returns.

Nordstrom also technically owns Trunk Club, a personal styling service that can update your wardrobe with the help of a stylist and the wide offerings available on Nordstrom, with little effort on your part. There's a $25 styling fee, but it's waived if you choose to buy anything they send you.

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Dagne Dover makes stylish bags with the best internal design hacks for an organized professional life.

The Classic Tote ($245) is our top pick for the best work bag you can buy — and it has earned itsspot. Insider Picks freelancer Erin Mayer compared its specialized pockets to the clown car effect. Inside, there's a neoprene water bottle sleeve, phone pocket, pen holder, padded laptop sleeve, notebook or tablet sleeve, and an interior side pocket — as well as a detachable key holder. Its praises have been sung across the internet, from Harper's Bazaar to Best Products. Insider Picks' own director of content strategy Ellen Hoffman also loves the brand's leather Allyn Tote ($305-$345) for a work bag, though it costs more.

Insider Picks reporters Connie Chen, Remi Rosmarin, and I all swear by the brand's Ryan Laptop Bag and Weston Laptop Bag. As Remi put it, "this bag feels like it was designed with every one of my commuter frustrations in mind." It's stylish, hyper-organized, and sleek enough to stay out of the way in a crowded subway car. Both run for $135-$155 depending on the size you select.

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Tommy John has made best-in-category men's underwear for over a decade. Unsurprisingly, it's been fielding requests for women's underwear since its launch. But, it wasn't until a Facebook post of a woman wearing Tommy John boxer briefs caught co-founder Erin Fujimoto's attention that the company issued its own women's line — and we're extremely glad they did.

There are plenty of good underwear options for women these days that are pretty and extremely comfortable (Everlane and MeUndies come to mind). But, Tommy John makes the best. Its Air styles are the best I own (feather-light, never roll, bunch, or pill), and if they didn't cost $26 each, they're the only ones I'd buy.

The Air "Stay Tucked" Camisole ($36) is another of its best offerings. You can also find it at Nordstrom.

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Spanx is best-known for their shapewear, and — to nobody's surprise — the same things that make their shapewear great (intuitive design, savvy understanding of women's bodies, and high-end materials) also make the best tights we've tested.

Ellen Hoffman, director of content strategy, calls Spanx her all-time favorite tights: "The Luxe Leg Mid-Thigh Shaping Tights ($28) are a true workhorse in my fall and winter wardrobe since that never rip, never pill, and hold me in in all the right places, without suffocating me in the process. I wear and wash them many, many times throughout the season and am consistently impressed by how well they hold up compared to tights from other brands." You can also find them at Nordstrom.

We also ranked the Luxe Leg Mid-Thigh Shaping Tights ($28) the best tights you can buy overall.

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J. Crew seems to be hosting a sale every other day in 2019 — and that's great news for anyone looking to pick up high-quality office basics at a discount. We love the brand's preppy-retro blazers, classic-fit button-ups, and fun-but-still-professional prints and patterns. If you're looking for a fresh, leopard pencil skirt or a houndstooth blazer, you may want to check here first.

I'm always surprised by how few people take advantage of J.Crew's uniquely well-made desk-to-drinks basics. They're professional without ever approaching dowdy. The best example of this is the company's longstanding Regent Blazer ($198) — sleek, stylish, and great dressed down for coffee on a Saturday afternoon or up for a big meeting. Plus, the store seems to be in an eternal 40%-off sale.

MM. LaFleur is the name to know for high-end, stylish, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. workwear. Most clothes are machine-washable and wrinkle-resistant, and the brand's design hacks are helpful rather than gimmicky, like internal clips to keep bra straps in place and adjustable pant hems for different shoes. Miyako Nakamura, former Zac Posen Head Designer, is a master at flattering, easy silhouettes.

Both Ellen Hoffman and I use the brand's cozy, flattering Morandi 2.0 Sweater ($265) as our go-to "desk sweater" — even though the price is much more than either of us would typically spend on a sweater. It's flattering, versatile, and goes with everything. According to Ellen who did the math, "If I wear the sweater three times a week for 49 weeks out of the year, it comes out to $1.80 per wear after one year. After two years, its cost per wear drops to $0.90." In the end, it's worth it.

MM. LaFleur also makes ingenious pants that adjust for different shoe heights: The Foster Pant ($195).

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MZ Wallace was created by two native New Yorkers as a way to bring to life stylish, thoughtfully designed essentials for the modern woman. You'll know them by their signature quilted-nylon bags.

Insider Picks reporter Remi Rosmarin swears by MZ Wallace. "My MZ Wallace tote is my favorite weekday bag. It comes with me from work to the gym to dinners and everything in between. The brand really knows what it’s doing when it comes to blending fashion with function, making cute pieces with versatile features like organizational pockets, key ring straps, and detachable pouches."

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Multiple reporters recommended Club Monaco as a reliable spot for chic, on-trend pieces appropriate for work and life in general. Its clothes can be classified as sophisticated — but not dowdy or overly formal. Dress them up for work, or down for the weekend.

Club Monaco is especially good for tops that are cute enough to like wearing every day. This top is a slim-fitting knit halter that's an easy and flattering option for days when you may be going from your desk to drinks later.

Pro tip: they have some good ongoing sales, so it's worth checking out the sale section first.

Rent the Runway lets you rent designer clothes so you can have a more versatile, sustainable, and high-end closet. Pay per rental, or pay a flat fee per month and get a constantly rotating selection of styles.

Rent the Runway (RTR) Unlimited may be the only subscription — aside from mainstays like Hulu or Amazon Prime — that multiple Insider Picks reporters have. It's also the most expensive by far.

We're willing to pay the high $159 per month fee because RTR Unlimited delivers on variety, style, and convenience. They take care of shipping and dry cleaning, and you get unlimited access to a vast selection of high-end clothes you wouldn't be able to afford (or willing to buy) to wear in everyday life. You can rent unlimited pieces on rotation of four at a time and swap whenever you're done wearing a piece (there are no return dates). That means you don't spend 75% of your clothing budget on professional wear or vice versa, only to stress over outfit repeating. It also means you can try trends you wouldn't otherwise be willing to drop cash on. And, as director of content strategy Ellen Hoffman put it, "I'm actually spending far less on clothes these days" even with the monthly fee.

It's one of the many things we've bought based on a colleague's glowing review.

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As Insider Picks reporter Remi Rosmarin rightly notes, Saks Off 5th can be hit or miss, but you can find some great deals on workwear from high-end brands if you're ok with skimming pages.

"Since this is the discount branch from Saks, the selection can be all over the place in terms of what sizes and styles are available at any given time, but that’s not a bad thing. Pretty much all of my work pants are from here or Nordstrom Rack — and they’ve all been about half the cost of retail."

These Rag & Bone pants are 60% off on Saks OFF 5th. Since Rag & Bone is one of my favorite pricier stores to shop at, and I'm familiar with my sizing in most of their pants, finds like these are a great way to fill my closet with better options without going over budget.

Point blank, Thirdlove makes the most comfortable everyday bras you can buy. The women-led company offers half-cup sizes, has a great return policy, and recently extended its offerings to 70 sizes. We ranked them the best bra you can buy in the Insider Picks Buying Guide.

Personally, the super-soft 24/7 Classic T-Shirt Bra ($68) is the first time (other than my experience with the more casual True & Co Racerback ($58)) that I've felt excited to put on a bra. It's smooth under T-shirts, comes in nine skin-tone adjacent colors, and is so comfortable I feel real gratitude for it during transatlantic airplane rides.

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LA startup DSTLD started by making premium denim under $100. It has since expanded to a huge variety of sleek basics — including leather jackets.

Insider Picks editor Jada Wong recommends DSTLD for high-quality jeans that won't cost you $200 per pair: "DSTLD has really nice classic styles that can pass for work pants, and don’t let the low price point fool you in thinking that it’s not high-quality. They’re just as good, if not better, than ones that have cost me $200." A pair of high-waisted skinny jeans will probably cost you $85-$95 instead.

I also rely on the brand's $180 Wool Blanket Maxi Coat as a budget-friendly on-trend coat in the colder months.

If your office dress code allows for leather jackets, this is the best affordable, high-end option I've found.

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Cuyana makes stylish, high-end leather bags and basics for reasonable prices.

Insider Picks freelance editor Jada Wong prefers Cuyana or Madewell for leather work bags since they can take the daily beatings of your life while lugging around a laptop, book, makeup bag, and workout clothes.

Cuyana makes our top pick for the best satchel work bag. The Work Satchel ($474) has a laptop sleeve to fit both a 13-inch and 15-inch computer, a zipper pocket, and adjustable crossbody strap. It'll also age well, making a $400+ price tag a little easier to justify.

You can also buy the portable Tote Organization Insert ($95) that has the organizational pockets that cavernous, minimalist totes do not.

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Both Insider picks intern Megan Foster and freelance editor Jada Wong agree that Banana Republic is one of the best foolproof workwear stores.

Megan stocks up on the brand's $70 Washable Merino Crewneck Sweaters, which are semi-fitted and low-maintenance.

Jada swears by the brand's basic black pants: "I stock up on basic black pants at LOFT or Banana Republic whenever I can. They’re just so versatile and chic! They’re also a no-brainer on dreary-eyed mornings."

Madewell is responsible for some of the best jeans on the internet, and the rest of its styles include everything you'd wear with a great pair of jeans — like boots, tees, and keep-forever bags.

These Madewell jeans are like a slightly thinner and more moldable version of Everlane's Authentic Stretch denim, though no less flattering. They look great on, and they're never uncomfortable to wear. Madewell is also one of few quality denim options that offer a high enough high-rise for tall people (nine-inch or 10-inch).

Insider Picks freelance editor Jada Wong says shes's bought a pair of Madewell booties every fall for the past five years, "not because I needed to, but because I want to."

The classics are about $100-$200 and season-less. Plus most feature chunky two-inch heels, so they're walkable enough that you don't need to bring in a separate pair of shoes to commute to work in.

Commando's main selling point is that its line of tights has a patented, raw-cut waistband that won't dig into your skin.

Commando's raw-cut waistbands mean the Ultimate Opaque Control Top Tights ($38) are one of very few that don't give me a bizarre stomach ache while wearing. They're more expensive than a $10 pair from Uniqlo (which freelance editor Jada Wong recommends) but they're worth the extra cost to me. I can wear them comfortably all day, and they've far outlived cheaper pairs I own.

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Old Navy is the go-to for cheap basics that don't require a heavy compromise on material or style. In fact, content producer Francesca Rea says about 90% of her closet come from Old Navy.

Francesca says the Old Navy gateway product was the hidden gem $15-$30 jeans which come in virtually every style and cut. She also recommends the brand's affordable sweaters, basic tees, and blouses.