J Crew is a great idea. They carry very small sizes.

Go old school. Dark blue denim skirt that hits right above the knee, and a button down shirt with a blazer or cardigan/sweater over it.

Try Uniqlo

Dress + Cardigan or slacks + shirt (can be buttoned or not) + Cardigan is pretty much the standard uniform for "business" for girls this age.

OP here, thanks, a cardigan + dress is a great idea.

Anonymous wrote:Pretty much any dress with a cardigan would work for this. Crewcuts, Gap, or Vineyard Vines come to mind, but I bet you could also find something she likes at a department store like Macy's or Nordstrom.

This is what I would do. Put a cardigan, buttoned up at least partially, over just about any dress with a skirt she likes. Or get some dress pants and pair it with a cardigan or button down.

Thrift or consignment store

Black long sleeve dress over black leggings

Can you give us an idea of her size? Height/weight/waist size for instance?

Pretty much any dress with a cardigan would work for this. Crewcuts, Gap, or Vineyard Vines come to mind, but I bet you could also find something she likes at a department store like Macy's or Nordstrom.

J Crew usually has good business attire for teens. It's where I bought my speech-and-debate wardrobe back in the day.

Button down shirt and basic skirt or black pants. They have these types of clothing in kids sizes

A few times a year my tween needs to attend events where a no-frills modest dress with long or 3/4 sleeves would be ideal. She is small for her age and hasn’t developed yet, so the adult petite probably wouldn’t work. Besides, sheath dresses look ridiculous on her. But she doesn’t want anything “childish” either. She thinks she needs a dress because it’s an outfit in itself.

Where should we look?