Fashion

SmartGlamour's New Size Inclusive Workwear Is Fashionable & Functional

by James Hale

Inclusive clothing brand SmartGlamour's button-ups are bringing all the folks to the yard—er, the office. The Workwear capsule collection, designed for women and femmes in the workplace, debuted March 13, and features a mix of common workwear items properly fitted for women and femmes so they're both fashionable and functional.

SmartGlamour founder and designer Mallorie Dunn, who sews each SmartGlamour piece, tells Bustle in an email that she sourced ideas for this collection from her customers.

"I do often ask my friends and customers what items they wish they could get customized a la SmartGlamour and a button-up is always mentioned," she says. "Truly, the list of items I made for this collection came straight from the items my friends and customers asked me for."

She says it's "impossible not to know" that women and femmes face challenges when shopping for workwear. "Women and femmes in the work place have a tough enough time dealing with sexism and wage gaps — their clothing options should not add to that stress," she tells Bustle.

Dunn started with the basic button-up. Her design "solves the age-old bust gap problem," incorporating design tricks that both make the shirts actually fit people with breasts, and keep the costs down for both Dunn and her customers.

Other pieces in the collection include "a layering camisole with adjustable straps and length, a fitted knit collared blazer with no tacky lining, a stylish + structured work dress, four new office chic blouses, a brand new cardigan, and more," Dunn says.

Like all SmartGlamour creations, the Workwear collection is fully customizable. "[O]ur items are offered in our full size range of XXS-6X and beyond — but can all be customized to fit truly any body and size," Dunn explains.

She adds that, "We used a few design tricks to get the cost down to just $70 for an ethically handmade shirt. I am not interested in marking up my clothing 800% as indie designer labels are ought to do. [...] I just wanted to find a way to make it at our price point first because a $70 work shirt is a lot more doable than a $125 one."

For Dunn, releasing affordable, ethical clothing that not only can fit any body, but is also imbued with a social justice purpose, is all part of the job. She tells Bustle, "[T]he entire point of SmartGlamour is to give people what they need/want/are looking for etc. It's a fashion solution — as well as a confidence/empowerment tool — so knowing that people are looking specifically for these items that they need for their office lives, and then being able to offer them is a great feeling."

No bust gaps here! SmartGlamour's Workwear collection is totally on point, and fans are sure to be eager for whatever Dunn turns her creative attentions to next.