In September, I will celebrate my 19th year as a personal stylist. It probably comes as no surprise that over the years, I have cultivated a roster of brands that I consistently shop for clients. Of course, after this many years, some brands I once loved are no longer and there are plenty I fell out of love with over time. My resource list is an organic one.
I shop for each brand for different reasons. For some brands, I shop the entire line while for other brands there are specific items I count on. With such a variety of clients, I need to have these brands at my fingertips and know which ones to go to for each client. To help you navigate this guide, I have listed each brand’s price point, How sizing runs, the age range and type of client who wears this brand, and, lastly, what I typically count on from this brand.
When I indicate a size is true, seeing that sizing is arbitrary and it makes the term rather ambiguous, I am basing true sizing when it most equals the size a client tells me they wear.
Fashion Brands I Consistently Shop for Clients
Akris Punto
Price Point: $$$$
Sizing: Small
Age Range: 35+
Client Type: Professional and casual clients who prefer elegant, investment clothing
What I Shop: Franca Pants, blazers, tops and dresses
Style Type: Modern Classic
Key Features: Blazers have slits in the cuffs that make cuffing easy and hemming avoidable, exquisite construction, beautiful design, and fabrics
Lafayette 148 New York
Price Point: $$$$
Sizing: True-Large
Age Range: 40+
Client Type: Professional and casual clients who prefer elegant, investment clothing
What I shop: Grammercy Pants, Novelty Tops, charmeuse shells,
Style Type: Modern Classic
Key Features: Good pants, fun novelty pieces along with good basics, extensive size range.
M.M. Lafleur
Price Point: $$$
Sizing: Small-True
Age Range: 30+
Client Type: Professional
What I shop: Self-hemming Foster Pants, Dresses, Easy Layering, shoes
Style Type: Modern
Key Features: Smart design and shopping for the busy working woman, beautiful color palettes, larger sizes despite limiting their plus-size
Eileen Fisher
Price Point: $$$
Sizing: Very Large
Age Range: 40+
Client Type: Casual Professional & Casual
What I shop: Silk Georgette Crepe Long Shell, Cardigans, Pull-On Pants, fun jumpsuits
Style Type: Modern
Key Features: Easy, comfortable dressing, their Renew Program gives a second life to gently worn pieces, extensive size range, transparent and ethical manufacturing
Max Mara
Price Point: $$$$
Sizing: Small
Age Range: 35+
Client Type: Professional
What I shop for: Suiting, blazers, coats, and dresses, double-face cashmere
Style Type: Classic
Key Features: Expert craftsmanship and tailoring, gorgeous fabrics, exquisite coats
Theory
Price Point: $$$
Sizing: Small
Age Range: 25+
Client Type: Professional
What I shop: Treeca pants, Suiting, blouses and knits
Style Type: Modern Classic
Key Features: Approachable price point if starting to invest in clothing, works well for petite sizing, recently started sizing to 16
BOSS Hugo Boss
Price Point: $$$
Sizing: True
Age Range: 30+
Client Type: Professional
What I shop: Bashina Mock Button-Up Shirt, Dashilo Shirt Dress, Suiting
Style Type: Modern Classic
Key Features: Updated professional pieces, great quality, Beautiful Prints
J.Crew
Price Point: $$
Sizing: True
Age Range: 20+
Client Type: Professional and Casual
What I shop for: Cameron Pants, Vintage V-Neck T-Shirts, Blazers, Sweater Blazers, chino shorts
Style Type: Classic & Preppy
Key Features: Great blazers and pants for the price, comfortable t-shirts. Good for basics.
Vince
Price Point: $$$
Sizing: Large
Age Range: 25+
Client Type: Professional and Casual
What I shop: Silk blouses, cozy sweaters, pants, shoes
Style Type: Modern
Key Features: Easy Comfort, modern, uncomplicated style, available in plus-size
Veronica Beard
Price Point: $$$
Sizing: True
Age Range: 25+
Client Type: Professional and Casual
What I shop: Blazers
Style Type: Modern Classic
Key Features: Great cut blazers, dickie inserts in some of the blazers, offers plus size
Nic + Zoe
Price Point: $$
Sizing: True
Age Range: 40+
Client Type: Professional and Casual
What I shop: Perfect Tanks, 4-Way Cardigans, Novelty Pieces and prints
Style Type: Modern Classic
Key Features: Extensive size range, easy to navigate capsules, work-to-weekend pieces
Hobbs
Price Point: $$$
Sizing: True
Age Range: 30+
Client Type: Professional
What I shop for: Carrie Bolero, Aimee top, dresses
Style Type: Classic
Key Features: British design, Great colors, classic pieces that aren’t stodgy looking, smart arm coverage pieces.
Aquatalia
Price Point: $$$$
Sizing: True
Age Range: 30+
Client Type: Professional and Casual
What I shop: Rhumba boots, Fuoco booties, Pasha pump
Style Type: Modern Classic
Key Features: All shoes and boots are weatherproof, lasting quality, gorgeous styling for functional shoes.
Coolibar
Price Point: $$
Sizing: True to Large
Age Range: 35+
Client Type: Casual
What I shop: Pants, Cardigans, hats, wraps, athletic clothing
Style Type: Classic
Key Features: All Coolibar clothing and accessories have UPF 50+ protection that blocks 98% of UVA/UVB rays. First clothing company to receive The Skin Cancer Foundations Seal of Recommendation.
Madewell
Price Point: $$
Sizing: True
Age Range: 20+
Client Type: Casual
What I shop for: Courrier top, jeans, Fun Tops
Style Type: Modern Classic, Boho
Key Features: Tops look finished with little effort, works well for all ages and many different style types, good jeans.
Ann Taylor
Price Point: $$
Sizing: True to Large
Age Range: 20+
Client Type: Professional and Casual
What I shop: Petites, clients on a budget, jewelry.
Style Type: Classic
Key Features: One of the few petite resources for work clothes, good for young clients just starting out, approachable style.
Frye
Price Point: $$$
Sizing: True
Age Range: 20+
Client Type: Casual
What I shop: Melanie Slip-Ons, Melissa boots,
Style Type: Classic
Key Features: Enduring style, exceptional quality and craftsmanship
11 Honoré
Price Point: $$$$
Sizing: Varies by brand
Age Range: 35+
Client Type: Professional and Casual
What I shop: Event Dresses, 11 Honoré basics, Blazers
Style Type: Modern Classic
Key Features: Beautiful designer clothing for plus-size
Birkenstock
Price Point: $$
Sizing: Large
Age Range: 20+
Client Type: Casual
What I shop: The Gizeh
Style Type: Modern Classic
Key Features: Incredible comfort, enduring quality, timeless style
Piazza Sempione
Price Point: $$$$
Sizing: True
Age Range: 40+
Client Type: Casual and Business Casual
What I shop: Audrey Pants
Style Type: Classic
Key Features: Audrey Pants fit a wide variety of body shapes. I don’t shop the rest of the line.
Michael Kors Collection
Price Point: $$$$
Sizing: Small
Age Range: 35+
Client Type: Professional
What I shop: Sheath dresses, cropped shrug, Samantha pants
Style Type: Modern Classic
Key Features: Classic American sportswear pieces, beautiful dresses, well fitting pants
Honorable Mentions and Up-And-Comers
The following brands are on my list and ones that I have either been more recently shopping, shop with some regularity but not enough to make the list or that come through on occasion.
For M. M. Lafleur, what do you mean by “Larger sizes despite limiting their plus-size?”
I’ve been coveting Everlane heels, do you have any experience with them?
Sorry for the confusion about M.M. What I meant by that was MM recently announced they were pulling back on their plus sizes and what they currently offer is really limited as compared to what they used to have.
Everlane would have been in my top list but recently slipped for me because they have discontinued a lot of their no -casual shoes, like The Day Heel and the Editor Flat. People raved about the comfort of the Day Heel so it is a bummer. I’ve had a few clients try their heeled sandals and they’ve found them to be a bit stiff. I’ve been a longtime fan of Everlane but haven’t been shipping them as much lately.
That is disappointing about the plus sizing 🙁 And the Editor is the style I’ve been stalking…
Thank you for the list!
Agree, it’s a huge disappointment because I really relied on them for extended sizes. And even more disappointing is the discontinuation of some of Everlane’s shoes. They used to be a great resource for that middle ground of mid-casual and now it seems they have gone completely casual, which is fine, but the market is already so glutted with that.
I’m pinning this list.
Glad you found it helpful!
Rumba boots and a Hobbs cardigan are in my future, thank you for this post! I’m petite and love Nic + Zoe.
Great picks! The Hobbs cardigan is basically the less expensive version of the Michael Kors Collection style which retails for around $700. If you ever want the Michael Kors version, you can often get it on The RealReal for a fraction of the price.
Great post! I like Three Dots for beach-y casual clothing, $$, well made & TTS, and Rag & Bone, $$$?, well-made & TTS/largish.I have a like/dislike thing for Cabi clothes–well-made and on the large side of TTS, they feel so same-ish after a while.
Ooh, thanks, Rag & Bone. I forgot them! Three Dots is another good one. Yea, I want to like Cabi more but whenever a client has some in their closet I’m surprisingly underwhelmed.