In Which I Request Fashion Advice from My Vast Readership

I am a regular offender in the eyes of the fashion police. I did not grow up in a family where personal appearance was highly valued. Intelligence and good behavior were paramount; personal appearance was insignificant. Consequently, I did not consider matching my socks with my outfit until I was well into high school, and did not learn how to apply makeup until the ripe old age of 27.

While I still think that my actions are more important than my appearance, I see that a nice appearance has its uses. It makes it easier for people to look at you long enough to consider your actions, for one. Secondly, it can help people to take you more seriously. This is why I tend to dress a little bit nicer than most of my (male) colleagues. I've noticed that the men I work with tend to wear jeans and t-shirts, while the women tend to dress in more business casual attire.

I got some money from Dad and Marvis for Christmas, to be spent on clothing. My question for you, my vast audience, is what to do with this money. I plan to buy some nice clothes for work, and I'd like to know what you all would recommend.

Let me tell you about my shape and my tastes. First, I am very tall, particularly from the waist up. So I think I will need to buy tall sizes in tops, but I can probably get away with normal sized pants. A colleague of mine, who has the opposite problem, told me that Eddie Bauer and The Gap carry tall sizes. Are there any other places I might try?

Second, I have only twenty more pounds to lose before I reach my pre-pregnancy weight. That weight is mostly lingering around my waistline. Do you have any suggestions for cuts or styles that might camouflage that bulge, or at least not draw attention to it?

Finally, I would prefer to invest in clothes that I will be able to wear for several years. I'd rather not buy the kinds of things where you look back at pictures of yourself from that era and think, "What was I thinking?" Also, I am supremely lazy, so anything involving dry cleaning or hand washing is right out. I don't mind hanging things to dry, and in fact I do that with most of the clothes I currently have. Mostly I wear solid colors: black pants, with tops in red, periwinkle, blue, green, yellow, etc. Does anyone have any ideas of things I should look for?

Oh, also: shoes. I am tall so I really don't need heels. (They're uncomfortable anyhow.) Does anyone have any suggestions for shoes with low heels and where I might buy them? I'm willing to pay for something nice, especially if they're both cute and comfortable.