There’s a certain “It Girl” effortlessness that seems to exist in the straight-size world, especially when it comes to polished professional pieces. Every plus size woman who’s worked in an office environment, especially in a corporate sphere with a strict dress code, has found themselves settling time and time again for whatever workwear their local department store offers.
But you’re a boss babe, and it’s about time your work wardrobe reflects that. Enter Henning, your plus size solution for a promotion-worthy career collection, founded by model and editor, Lauren Chan.
Henning Launches with the Polished Professional Pieces You’ve Been Waiting for
Rally Blazer, $595; Rally Pants, $349
Designed by former Glamour editor and plus size model Lauren Chan, Henning is a size 12-24 collection of career classics updated with contemporary touches and luxurious fabrics.
Henning is all the things I was missing when I was working as a fashion editor.
I wanted high quality, high-end things that made me look like a high-end person, made me look like I was capable of the work I was already doing, and I couldn’t find them.
So I put a lot of thought into fabrication, design in terms of the silhouettes, design in terms of the fit tricks, into the branding, into the photoshoots to make the Henning customer feel like she is as commanding as she feels on the inside.
Bank Blazer, $595; Bank Pants, $295
Not only was Lauren Chan frustrated with the lack of elevated businesswear, she was frustrated by the low-level quality that exists in the options that are often offered for the office.
Unwilling to compromise on quality, she knew Henning would have to have an elevated price point, but Chan has kept it as low as possible by selling direct to customer instead of wholesale.
“It’s made in New York, the fabric is top-notch fabric, we share mills with some of the most exciting American designers, and the attention to design and all the development that goes into iterating and iterating until we have a perfect product,” explained Chan regarding the cost.
After Hours Dress, $549
These were the things that I always wished that I had. I wanted a great trench coat, I wanted some power suits, I wanted a dress to wear to fashion events after work that I didn’t feel embarrassed to be photographed in; so this is all of it.
Overtime Trench, $995
And no one can deny Henning is Chan’s passion project, as she’s currently self-funded. The absence of investors is the sole reason the line currently stops at a size 24, but she wants to hopefully expand the range to be as inclusive as possible.
“On every product page we have a form that will start a pre-order for any size above a 24.
In full transparency, we needed it to make financial sense because it’s not a venture-backed business, but we’re not saying we won’t do it, we absolutely want to be as inclusive as possible.
But right now if you go on the site it asks what size you’d like to order the item in and then it triggers an email to us and we start conversations with those people and when we get the minimum order quantity we’ll cut the sizes.”
Bank Blazer, $595; Bank Pants, $295
Take a look at the rest of the pieces in the collection.
Henning X For Days T-Shirt, $65; Raise Pants, $349
On both: Bank Blazer, $595; Bank Pants, $295
Henning X For Days T-Shirt, $65; Raise Pants, $349; Dovetail Shirt, $249; Bank Pants; $295
Capital T-Shirt, $249; After Hours Robe, $549
Photos by: Lily Cummings
Shop the collection at HenningNYC.com.
Of course these price points are not for everyone but for for the money, what do you think of these styles and silhouettes?
Live the simplicity and elegance. The cut is spot-on, and color pallete classic but modern. The Trench loses the boob-buttons which always sit weird and look sloppy, and the charmeuse dress looks better fit than any straight size one I’ve seen in years – that is an unforgiving, but gorgeous fabric!
I remember writing to Macy’s in my 30’s, complaining that all the suits were matronly and many plus size options were “church suits” with satouche stitching and cheap-looking colors like mint green and a shade of aqua that wouldn’t even work for a Miami real estate agents. Ugh!
Legs and armholes were cut huge, making them boxy shapeless and out of date. And shoulder pads… not the good kind that look fashion forward, but 80’s dynasty ones that ignorant designers bulked up to balance our prodigious hips, evidently thinking making us look like linebackers was ok as long as we were proportioned linebackers.
Today, it is better, with Calvin Klein and Tahari making some perfectly servicable simple modern suiting for ~$300, including in Petite-Plus.
And here is my single complaint about Henning: made by a model, who is likely 5’10+, and fit models are 5’7” – when the average American woman is 5’4”. I can hem pants – but you can’t fix a long rise. I can hem jacket sleeves – but you can’t take in shoulders on a jacket, or hem the bottom without destroying proportions. (Not to mention the return of 80’s women’s wear suiting with very long jackets and wide cut pants and midi skirts is a disaster for shorter women…)
Our tall sisters absolutely deserve clothes that fit, too – and i love seeing them rock long, richly-draped billowy pants with slouchy georgette neck-tie blouses… but if I’m spending $1k for a suit there’s no buying it “on principle” at 5’3”, no matter how much I want to support the brand. ?
Sigh. Great quality and attention to detail, but most of these pieces are still too fashion forward for a traditional corporate environment. (A satin suit? I think not)
Not directly related to Henning, but .is it too much to ask for quality, traditional (but still on trend) corporate attire? Currently, Loft is the only company really filling this niche. WHBM was on to something, but never promoted and then shuttered its plus size offering. J. Crew and Banana only go to a size 20 (that is more appropriate for apples than pears). Talbots is usually too matronly. What is a young, aspiring professional to do?? Argh.
Heyyyy! Have you checked out Eloquii? They have mix and match options that may work for what you are looking for?