What are the best luxury brands for work clothes? Here at Dandelion Chandelier, many of us are working parents – and hustling at both work and home. We’ve shared our tips on how to dress like a boss lady at the office. Now we’re talking about the brands that help us deliver that authoritative look without using up all of our shoe money. Our ace correspondent Julie Chang Murphy has the rundown on one of the best luxury brands for boss women: Veronica Beard.
what are the best luxury apparel brands that won’t break the bank?
Many of us are working moms here at Dandelion Chandelier. Moreover, we work in an industry where personal style is expected to meld with professional attire.
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Which means we need not just great apparel – we have to have a shoe game and a handbag game, too. Don’t even get us started on the jewelry thing. And while we don’t have to chase every trend, for credibility we need to nod to the zeitgeist and demonstrate our fashion IQ. Plus we love to shop!
All of which means that being smart about where to invest, and what brands go the distance, is key.
One of the best luxury brands for work clothes: Veronica Beard. Courtesy Photo.
gotta look chic and professional all day
It’s a double-edged sword. Those standard issue blazers, shift dresses and blouses from the familiar retailers are serviceable and reliable. But they hardly make us feel like our inner Lizzo: “Mirror, mirror on the wall. Don’t say it, ‘cause I know I’m cute.”
But if we dressed how we REALLY wanted do- in my case, prints on prints layered over more prints, well…that might give some people a headache. So when we discover a brand that checks all the boxes for us, we have to share.
When our day looks like this: morning PTA meeting, followed by a high profile presentation at the office, lunch with potential client, picking up kids from after-school music classes, and then being the wing woman for our bestie at a cocktail party…there is no time to change into something more appropriate or comfortable.
One of the best luxury brands for work clothes: Veronica Beard. Photo Credit: The Middle Page.
One of The Best Luxury Brands for Boss Women: Veronica Beard
One versatile outfit needs to take us through the day. And on many days, we have one go-to. We frequently find ourselves reaching for Veronica Beard’s blazer and dickie layered over one of her feminine, ruched dresses or impeccable and flattering trousers. It’s instantly polished with an effortlessly feminine and even whimsical quality.
Selections from the Veronica Beard fall 2019 collection. Courtesy Photos.
Take the vision for their Fall 2019 collection: A Park Avenue grand dame, dropped in the middle of the woods. Uptown meets upstate. Opulence meets outdoors. The contrast shouldn’t work but in the expert hands of co-founders, both named Veronica, “luxury loving lumberjack” might be our new look this season.
The Origin Story: the Veronicas
The brand was born out of conversations between two sisters-in law, Veronica Swanson Beard and Veronica Miele Beard. They had left their full-time careers in in finance and fashion, respectively, to raise their children. The pair found themselves frequently complaining about a void in the market. There wasn’t a consistently excellent resource for classic, practical clothing that had the cool factor.
The two co-founders of Veronica Beard. Courtesy Photo.
enter the Veronica Beard dickey jacket
In 2010, the solution they initially came up with, and which continues to be their best selling item, is the Dickey Jacket. That is, a structured blazer with an interchangeable dickey.
It may seem hard to believe. But this humble, old-fashioned and kind of unfashionable article of clothing launched a contemporary luxury brand. One sold at prestigious high-end and high-fashion retailers like Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Intermix, and Net-a-porter, as well as their own brick and mortar stores.
One of the best luxury brands for boss women. A Veronica Beard retail store. Courtesy Photo.
Women loved the layered look without the bulk to soften the menswear inspired structured jackets. The dickeys come in all fabrications: from knits, leathers, sweatshirts and even puffers for the winter.
One of the best luxury apparel brands for boss women. The interior of a Veronica Beard retail store. Courtesy Photo.
A-listers like Michelle Obama, Meghan Markle, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Jennifer Lopez have all been photographed looking impossibly chic in their pieces.
Among the celebrities spotted in Veronica Beard are the Duchess of Sussex and Sarah Jessica Parker.
for women, by women: VB Gives Back
However, despite the high-profile names, the Veronicas are passionate about the beating heart of the brand. Which remains a celebration of busy women. And busy women don’t just come in size 2. Veronica Beard offers extended sizing in most of their styles up to size 24.
For women, by women. It’s a hot marketing angle these days. But Veronica Beard is backing women- not only by empowering them through their designs- but through their philanthropic program, VB Gives Back. Every month, their website features a powerful woman doing amazing charitable work. Every $10 per online order is donated to that charity so she can keep making a difference. The causes range from heart disease, to domestic violence, to childhood education. To date, the sisters have supported over 80 charities through the program.
Veronica Beard apparel
Let’s get to the clothes! Here are some of our favorite starter pieces, if you’re new to the brand. And some standouts from their fall collection.
1. Veronica Beard Dickeys
How does a dickey work exactly? These pieces are either buttoned or zipped in to any one of Veronica Beard’s blazers. That makes everything interchangeable. So you can mix and match by season, occasion or mood.
Here are our top three must haves. Denim is always in style and we love the casual and rugged vibe of the Slate Dickey ($200), which keeps an outfit from looking too precious. Up your cool factor with the Leather Moto Dickey ($550) made from luxurious lambskin. Weekend brunches or working meetings, the Hoodie Dickey ($150) is where it all started.
A selection of Veronica Beard dickies, fall-winter 2019-20. Courtesy Photos.
2. Veronica Beard Jackets
Jackets are the MVPs of Veronica Beard. Our favorite plaid this fall is featured in the Martel Dickey Jacket ($695). The ruched-up sleeves give this blazer a relaxed and casual style that works from day to night.
For something a little glam, the Ashburn Dickey Jacket ($750) features a tonal leopard print and satin collar. We can also see it dressed down with jeans and sneakers for a fun, androgynous look.
The Scuba Schoolboy Dickey Jacket ($600) has a youthful, cropped fit and comes in a signature stretch nylon for comfort.
One of the best brands for boss women. A selection of Veronica Beard jackets, fall-winter 2019-20. Courtesy Photos.
3.Veronica Beard Dresses
Whenever we can’t decide what to wear in the morning, our go-to is a dress. One and done.
I wasn’t sure about the Arielle Dress ($595) at first glance, due to the ruching at the hip. Would it be too figure-hugging on someone with real hips that have borne three children? I’m happy to report that it’s incredibly flattering and skims the body perfectly.
And we’re suckers for a good leopard print. The Marcy Ruched Minidress ($278) features subtle metallic stripes in a super soft stretch knit. If your office is more conservative, throw a blazer on top and take it off to meet your date after work.
We love how season-less the Willamette Dress ($695) is. And you can never have enough shirt dresses. Styled here with a turtleneck for the fall, you can wear it on its own in the spring and summer.
One of the best brands for work clothes. A selection of Veronica Beard dresses, fall-winter 2019-20. Courtesy Photos.
4. Veronica Beard Pants
We’re always on the search for a good pant. But trousers are right up there with some of the things we hate trying on the most- like bathing suits. Happily, Veronica Beard’s pants are some of the best we own.
The Crosbie High Rise Wide Leg pant ($298) comes in a saturated but neutral brownish olive color. It makes your legs go on forever. Check out the Carolyn High Rise Baby Boot ($298) which comes with a preppy grosgrain side stripe that gives your outfit a youthful, tom girl vibe. The Gemini Pant ($425) is classic and tailored with a subtle plaid that can easily be dressed up or down. We like it with a leather jacket and heels with a pop of color.
One of the best brands for work clothes. A selection of Veronica Beard pants, fall-winter 2019-20. Courtesy Photos.
The Best Luxury Brands for Boss Women: Veronica Beard
That’s it – everything you need to know about one of the best luxury brands for boss women. We’ll keep sharing our thoughts on other brands like this in future posts. In the meantime, though, happy shopping!
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For access to insider ideas and information on the world of luxury, sign up for our Dandelion Chandelier newsletter here. And see luxury in a new light.
Crediting her training as a cultural anthropologist at Wellesley College, Julie has immersed herself in various industries in the last 15 years including fashion design, event planning, fitness and even investigating police misconduct. Julie lives in NYC where she loves trying every ramen and dumpling restaurant with her husband and three children. She finds joy in bold prints, biographies of fierce women, kickboxing and spending way too long finding the perfect polish color to express her mood.
Join our community
For access to insider ideas and information on the world of luxury, sign up for our Dandelion Chandelier newsletter. And see luxury in a new light.