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Sure, we all know what wardrobe essentials for work professional women are supposed to have in their closets, but if you’re buying one for the first time or replacing one you’ve worn into the ground, it can be a pain to find exactly the right incarnation in stores. In “The Hunt,” we search the stores for a basic item that every woman should have.
Hunting for the best popover blouses for an easy but polished look? These are our favorites.
{related: The Ultimate Guide to Business Casual for Women}
What Is a Popover Blouse?
I have never seen a strict definition of a popover blouse — I think of them as a) a blouse that b) pops over your head. So, regarding a), the blouse can be a crisp cotton, a silk, a linen, or a silky blend — but it usually is not a cotton jersey like a T-shirt or a knit like a sweater. (But not always!)
In order to “pop over” your head, a popover blouse usually either does not have any buttons or only has a few buttons on the placket to make the neckline wider. In order to allow you to put it on over your head, the blouse may either have a loose fit, or it may be made of a stretchy material.
Women like popover blouses for work because they’re usually easy care, and there aren’t problems with gaping buttons the way there are with other blouses.
I’ve seen popover blouses with long sleeves, three quarter sleeves, short sleeves, cap sleeves, and no sleeves. Most of the ones that we’re featuring here have V-necks and no collars, but a popover blouse can have collars as well as different necklines like boatneck, roundneck, and more.
{related: The Guide to the Best Tops for Under Women’s Suits}
TL;DR: Our Latest Favorite Popover Blouses
Other Favorite Blouses for Work
The Best Blousy T-Shirts
Blousy T-shirts can be another form of popover, but because they look more like T-shirts (but nicer) we tend to put them in a separate group.
The Best Blouses with Pretty Prints
Hunting in general for blouses in pretty prints? As of 2024, some of the reader favorite brands include L’Agence, L’Amour Vert, Equipment, Smythe, and Tucker NYC. On the more affordable side, check out NYDJ,* Halogen*, Loft,* and Kut from the Kloth. For plus sizes, check out Catherine Gee (and the asterisks)!
The Best Plus-Size Blouses
The Best Silky Button-Front Blouses
The Best Crisp Collared Shirts for Women
Hunting for a crisp, collared button-front blouse? Some of our longtime favorites include Ann Taylor and J.Crew; iron-free options from Brooks Brothers and Foxcroft, and we’d splurge on Boss. Also check out our DIY options for gaping blouses — and note that if you just want a collar beneath a sweater, you can always go for a fake collar instead.
The Best Sleeveless Blouses
The Best Blouses If You’re Busty
The Best Popover Blouses for Work
Ann Taylor
Ann Taylor’s Mixed Media Pleat blouse has been a reader favorite for years — the brand keeps coming out with new colors and prints, and often has the blouse in versions with different sleeve lengths.
The blouse is $54.50 at full price, but is currently marked 30% off (with some colorways eligible for an extra 15% off), bringing the blouse’s price range down to $22-$41.
The blouse is a mix of 100% polyester in the front, and a stretchy blend (95% polyester and 5% spandex) in the back. It’s machine washable, and the blouse is avialable mostly in sizes XXS-XXL, as well as XXSP-LP.
J.Crew Factory
Readers have long loved J.Crew Factory’s popover blouses. The pictured shadow-striped option was one of the readers’ most-bought items last month, but the brand also has a number in prints, solids, and a pretty gauzy clip-dot.
The blouses are $80 at full price, but are currently (and often) on sale for quite a bit less — today it’s $24-$54. Most are available in sizes XXS-3X, as well as XXSP-LP.
Milumia
Amazon seller Milumia has a number of affordable popover blouses that readers love, including the pictured sleeveless option with guipure lace details, as well as this round neck basic pleated top.
Both blouses are extremely affordable (under $30) and come in a wide range of colors and sizes like XS-3XL.
NYDJ
NYDJ’s pintucked blouse is another reader favorite, and has come in a huge range of colors over the years in both regular and plus sizes. The blouse is 100% polyester and machine washable.
It’s $79-$89 full price, but you can find it marked down as low as $35 in some lucky sizes at the moment (but most blouses closer to $53-$59).
(I would have said that Vince Camuto’s rumple blouse is another option that readers have loved, but it looks like that blouse is muuuch less available than it once was — so if you love it, take a swing through the available options now.)
Amour Vert
Looking for something a bit more luxe? This washable silk blouse from Amour Vert has also been a reader favorite for years — it currently comes in four colors, sizes XS-XL, for $140.
Another great option in this price range: Everlane’s silk popover. Quince has a silk popover for less, with long sleeves and a collar.
(Irrelevant to this post, but: guys, they’re showing sheer tights with shorts again. Whoa.)
Kobi Halperin
Another luxe option: this lovely stretch silk blouse from Kobi Halperin.
The top comes in four colors, sizes XS-XXL, for $298. The silk georgette blouse is 95% silk and 5% elastane, with directions to “dry clean,” which means you can give it a go on the delicate cycle if you dare.
Like this feature? Check out other recent installments!