Best Workwear for Size 16 (and 18 and 16W and 16WP)

This page was last updated in January 2023, unless stated otherwise.

We haven’t talked openly about the best workwear for bust sizes in a very long time ladies – if you’re a size 16 or 18, what are your favorite stores and brands? Considering the fact the average American woman is now a size 16 and 5’4″this is a particularly difficult question because with these stats you can fit regular sizes (eg 12, 14, 16, 18) plus sizes (eg 10W, 12W, 14W or 16W). petite normal sizes (like 14P, 16P, 18P) or that rare bird, petite plus sizes (12WP, 14WP or 16WP) – women in this size range are therefore called “in-between”!

But many “regular” stores only carry sizes up to 12 – and many “plus” stores start at just 18W. Add to he is Most stores have very few of these sizes on their shelves, and as many readers have pointed out in our post here, you can be stuck in a never-ending cycle of online shopping and product returns. How to return products bought online.

{related: 100+ great stores for plus-size workwear}

LIKE THIS. Let’s discuss ladies: What is the best workwear if you are a size 16? If you’re an “average” size and are at the peak of plus sizes, which brands or stores did you see fit you best? What type of clothes suits your body type best? Which brands run small; which is big?

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(Note that we’ve sprinkled some of our favorite plus-size essentials throughout this post—note that most of them also come in sizes 14-16.)

Some of the brands I know are:

“Normal” Workwear Brands in Sizes 16-18 (also known as “Misses” Sizes)

(I’m aware that “regular” brands are a flawed term, but I’d like to distinguish size 16 from 16W – any suggestions other than “regular” or “missing” sizes will be welcome.)

Also check out our latest recap. Best workwear for size 16 and other peak sizes; also check out our list of options above for plus size minions.

Independent Brands with Sizes XXL-3X

Crossing an “X” size can be tricky, but if you’re looking for something to wear, you should consider these stores.

Measured Work Clothes

seeking the best bespoke work clothes? By 2023, the best options we know Brooks Brothers, SumissuraEtsy sellers My Heart Cabinet, Vigilante Laboratoriesand CelesteLilouas well as smaller brands such as Noisy Organs, Sharpe Suit, IGIGI, eShaktiand Rita Phil (only pencil skirts). Here are some of our favorite stores that offer free changes for members: Nordström, J crew, banana republicand Uniqlo (choose styles). If you’re crafty, you might also want to check out our general list. sewing patterns for work clothes.

Minion Workwear in Sizes 14P, 16P, 18P

As of January 2023, this is where you can find petite sizes over size 12…

Plus Size Workwear for Minions (12WP-44WP)

This is where you can find plus size minions as of January 2023…

Smaller Plus Size Workwear (10W-16W or 0X)

Plus-size clothing tends to fit slightly wider than regular clothing – for example, a size 16W will be larger than a size 16.

Above are some of our favorite plus-size wrap dresses for work: a / 2 / three / four / five (not in the picture but also check this Etsy seller)

Photo Fotolia / Syda Productions.

Admin note: This post was originally written in January 2017, but has been updated as noted above.

Updated stock photo via Deposit Photos / CandyBoxPictures.