As fall and winter approach, I need some wardrobe-building help. 

I work in Manhattan in an industry that’s not quite suits-and-heels, but isn’t cazh, either. I have lots of appropriate separates to wear, but I like to have a mix that includes dresses. And winter dresses are increasingly difficult to come by. My current closet components are becoming less and less presentable. I have a garment or two that have been doing yeoman’s work for 20 years, and although they’ve held up through style changes and all, they need to be replaced.

My specs:

• I’m plus sized.
• No empire waists — I’ve tried ’em lots, they don’t work on me. Trapeze cuts and smock-type stuff is okay, though.
• POCKETS. Must have ’em; anything that doesn’t have ’em won’t be bought. (This is really rant-worthy for me, but I’ll just leave it at: if a designer can’t craft a ladies’ garment with pockets without compromising “the line,” he is bad at his job. Full stop. Menswear isn’t burdened by this design problem, so it can’t be such a problem, can it?)
• Knee-length or longer.
• Beefy, winter-weight fabric. I prefer natural fibers seeing as they last longer, but at this point, I’m not going to spurn an otherwise acceptable garment because a polyester gave up its life for me. Heavy cotton jerseys or wools. My office’s climate control isn’t modern, so slinky modals and clingy or breezy fabrics won’t do. Corduroy is okay, denim is not.
• Jumpers are fine. (Not the British jumper, which is a different thing entirely. And those, I have.)
• ¾ sleeve or longer, any neckline is okay.
• I’d rather be not so spendy, but I’m willing to fork over $100-200 for a good piece that works.
• I don’t care about being fashion-forward, but neither am I dowdy. Sharp and classic is what I’m going for. Playful isn’t inappropriate, but playclothes are.
• Any color is fine. Neutrals or brights, bring ’em on.

I’ve been through the usual big-gal catalogs (Ulla, Lane, Land’s End, Silhouettes, MIB, Avenue) with no dress success, so I’m hoping a reader or nine will know of a source that isn’t on the beaten path.

Thanks. I really appreciate it!

Un-dressed

Dear Un,

I hear you on the no-pockets rant, obvs — but it does seem like ready-to-wear has gotten a little better about that, at least in skirts.

Depending on how plus you are, here’s a corduroy shirt-dress from J.Crew that looks pockety and toasty, or a suiting dress with pockets, but a lot of these companies are shite with extended sizing. Readers, any suggestions with a little more plus latitude? I browsed Torrid.com, but it seemed like almost all strapless (they are, however, having a sale today).

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