Well do I know that feeling of being overwhelmed in a department store! Sometimes it can help to go with a shopping savvy friend (if you have one) -- or maybe with a specific item that you need in mind.
Angie always says to start your style journey with a hair and specs and underwear update -- that is a terrific, confidence-boosting first step.
Next, maybe consider what you would like to wear. You mentioned that jeans and tees are not what you want to wear every day. What WOULD you like? Angie's MOTG or casual ensembles (on the blog) offer lots of options. Her latest is just one example.
Like you, I live a fairly casual lifestyle -- although my preference is actually for more polished looks, I can't get too dressy for my work-from-home life. My climate is quite different from yours (I live in Canada) but over the last two years, I've built a very workable closet of items mostly from: Nordstrom's, the Bay, Banana Republic, J. Crew., Club Monaco, and Zara. I do wear a lot of denim, but not every day, and my regular rotation of clothing includes casual skirts/ dresses, different kinds of pants and shorts, and non-t-shirt tops.
One thing that helps is trying stuff on. Going into the stores and just bringing a pile of things to see which manufacturers cut their clothes for your type of body.
You might also want to start with a body type identification here, and then read Angie's body type guidelines.
Good luck, and we are here to help!
