Work Dresses: From a 1974 Wrap Top to the Desk Day Uniform

In 1974 Diane von Furstenberg introduced her knitted jersey wrap dress, and by her own telling it began as a wrap top with a matching skirt. During Watergate, Julie Nixon Eisenhower made a speech defending her father while wearing that top, and Diane thought it should be a dress. That is still the best argument I know for work dresses: one piece, one decision.

 

The other half of the story is the sheath. Christian Dior introduced his Vertical Line in 1950, and The Met holds a fall 1955 Dior sheath in glossy black satin that borrows from menswear. Then came John T. Molloy: his book Dress for Success appeared in 1975, and The Women's Dress for Success Book followed in 1977, with a proposed uniform of a navy skirted suit, a white man-tailored shirt and a scarf tied as an ascot. A good dress is a calmer answer to the same question.

 

The Theory belted sleeveless sheath in ivy has a mock neck and a slender belt, which makes it the one I would put under a blazer on a client day. The Lafayette 148 stretch wool V-neck in ink is the quiet, serious pick, and the Donna Karan belted sheath in nightfall has a notched collar. For a long day, the BOSS Dironah in black virgin wool is described as a desk-to-dinner dress, and the Eliza J long sleeve mixed media sheath pairs tweed with sheer chiffon sleeves for a softer take.

 

Before you buy any of them, sit down in the fitting room, lift both arms and take a few long steps. A sheath that looks sharp standing still has to survive a chair, a train and a whiteboard. If you want one more layer for October mornings, the Nikki Lund Mary in gray is cut from a cotton-rich stretch fabric with gentle waist shaping and a clean neckline, so a cardigan goes over it without bunching.

Diane von Furstenberg has said that every new generation discovers wrap dresses, and a desk day shows why: the tie lets you adjust the fit at the waist as the day goes on. The two Sana midis are the obvious place to begin. One is the tie belt version in a gossip pink loop print, in a cotton-enhanced jersey the product page calls light and airy, and the other is the two tie waist version in notte green with long sleeves and a collar. The green one is the one I would wear to a Monday meeting. I went deeper on a related idea in Wedding Guest Dresses for Women Over 50: Diane von Furstenberg's 1974 Wrap Dress.

 

The Ming Wang soft knit midi in black and ivory has a hidden interior tie, handy if you lean over a laptop. The Phase Eight Gina in navy and ivory is a geometric print that drapes smoothly, and the Julissa in dark blue is a faux wrap with flutter sleeves and a ruffled hem for a softer office. For colder weeks, the COS shawl-collar wool wrap in purple buttons into a wrap front, and it has buttoned cuffs and discreet side pockets.

 

Test the wrap before you commit: sit, reach forward and turn to a screen beside you, then check where the overlap falls. The Anne Klein surplice midi in rust has a buckle at the waist, and the Hobbs Arabella in fig purple is a long sleeve faux wrap with a collar.

 

What I would skip: any sleeveless wrap, like the Anne Klein, on a day with no blazer or cardigan to put over it. A 1992 business casual guide from Levi Strauss said to cover bare shoulders with a blazer or cardigan if necessary, and that advice still holds.

Hold a knit dress up to a window before you buy it. If you can see daylight through the stitches, it will cling to tights and show every seam at a desk. The Ramy Brook Natalie turtleneck in heritage brown is made of ultrasoft wool that keeps your body temperature regulated, which is the right instinct for a cold office in October. The Vince rib scoop neck midi in night marine has a cozy ribbed texture with warmth and polish, and the L'AGENCE Voletta in black is a fitted ribbed turtleneck with three-quarter sleeves.

 

The Karen Kane seamless rib midi in chocolate has a figure-skimming bodice that flares into a flowing skirt, and the Elie Tahari Lucia in enchanted evergreen is merino wool with a draped cowl neck, flared cuffs and a playful flounce at the hem. The BOSS Forbina in rhododendron is pure wool with variegated ribbing and short sleeves. The asymmetric wool and cashmere ribbed midi in brown mole has a classic crewneck and a hem that moves, and the Hobbs Ava turtleneck in fig purple is knee length.

 

The same 1992 guide that taught offices to relax also said casual does not mean sloppy, and it told readers to keep wrinkled, stained or dirty clothing out of the workplace. Knit dresses can pill under a bag strap, so check the underarm and the hip before you wear one daily.

 

What I would skip: a thick turtleneck knit under a heavy coat on a long commute. Choose a rib you can strip a layer from, and wear a thin cardigan over a sleeveless knit instead.

Raise both arms as if you were reaching for a shelf before you decide on a long sleeve. If the cuff slides up past the wrist bone, the sleeve is too short for a desk day. Prints are welcome here, which is the difference between a work dress and a uniform. The Halston paisley printed jersey midi in navy multi has a fitted silhouette and stretch jersey that drapes, and the Lauren Ralph Lauren paisley crinkle georgette in black multi has a tied neckline, a tiered skirt and smocking at the waist and cuffs.

 

The Sea NY Mona in black has a floral print, a V-neck and ruffled cuffs, which I would wear with a slim belt and loafers. For solids with structure, the Vince pleated long sleeve in pinewood has sharp accordion pleats, an elasticized waist and a polished goldtone button at the crewneck. The BOSS Dimosal in pumice is woven in pure wool and cinched with a slim belt, and the Cinq a Sept Mckenna in black has a point collar, flared cuffs and twisted detailing at the waist.

 

For a softer mood, the Rails Margaret mock neck midi in merlot is soft heathered jersey with gentle gathering at the waist, and the Nikki Lund Stacey in teal is ruched with a high neck and a side slit. Check the slit when you sit. A midi that opens above the knee in a chair is not a midi anymore.

 

What I would skip: a very full, drapey print on a day with a long walk in the wind, because the skirt becomes the main event. A fitted jersey or a pleated wool will behave better.

A dress you reach for twice a week should forgive a morning commute. Ponte, a thick and stable double knit, is described as durable, wrinkle resistant and easy to wash, which is why I would start with the Finery London Gilly ponte jersey midi in navy: it has gold buttons, straight full-length sleeves and functional pockets. The M.M.LaFleur Emily in dark navy is the other practical one, with a square neckline, elbow-length sleeves, pockets and a wrinkle-resistant fabric that is machine washable.

 

The Theory boat neck midi in nocturne navy is a fit-and-flare in soft twill with cap sleeves, and the Vince square neck midi in black is sleeveless with vertical seams that sculpt the shape. The Hobbs Emmaline in navy has a mandarin collar and three-quarter sleeves, and The Fold Parella sculpt knit in navy is a shift with a small waistband and pleating up to the shoulder. For anyone who prefers a classic line, the T Tahari Judianne in navy is a short-sleeve fitted sheath that ends at the knee, and the Theory Varetta in black is an admiral crepe sheath with a boat neckline and three-quarter sleeves.

 

Pair any of them with a blazer in a different dark tone, such as charcoal over navy, and keep the shoes simple. Check the lining by holding the hem up to a light. A black dress that goes sheer under office lighting has no place at a desk.

 

What I would skip: shiny fabric on a day of back-to-back meetings. Matte crepe and twill hide creases better than sheen.

If I had to pick a single work dress for the week, I would think about the room first. A formal office gets a black or navy sheath with a blazer, a casual one gets a wrap or a ribbed knit with a cardigan, and a client dinner gets the wool midi with the belt.

 

Then I would check three things: sit down, raise both arms and look at the fabric in daylight. That takes two minutes and saves a bad Wednesday.

 

Molloy once proposed a navy skirted suit and a scarf tied like an ascot. I would take one good dress and one blazer, and call it a uniform on my own terms.