Hi ladies! I’m so excited to be here today to talk about how to start a career wardrobe on a budget! My name is Lee and my blog – LegalLee Blonde – provides content for women. From wear to work outfit ideas, to #RealTalk posts about issues facing women, to must-visit travel destinations, LLB is your source for content that fits your busy life. You can read more from me over on my blog here!
I know that many of you reading Kirsten’s blog are college students approaching graduation (yay you!) and recent grads. Getting into the work force for your first full time job is really exciting, but it can also be daunting when you realize you have to build up a wardrobe of clothes you can wear to work. So today I’m going to share with you some tips on building your wear to work wardrobe on a budget.
I definitely spent most of my college days wearing leggings and my University or Greek shirts to class; so I basically had to start from scratch in regards to building a wear to work wardrobe on a budget. I learned a lot while doing that, and learned even more these past few years working as a lawyer and having to wear office / courtroom appropriate clothes every single day. Here are some of the best tips I’ve learned:
How to Build a Wear to Work Wardrobe on a Budget:
1. Start with Classic Pieces
When you’re first starting out you’re going to be repeating pieces a lot throughout the week, so stick with basics that stand out too much, and are classic. These include:
- a well fitted black blazer
- a black pencil skirt
- a lightweight v-neck sweater
- a white button down (go for a non-iron like this one since you’ll be wearing it often!)
- black dress pants – skinny or straight leg
- black dress pants – looser fit
- a black shift dress
- a shift or short sleeve dress in navy or grey
2. Shop During Sales
Since you know ahead of time the types of items you’ll be needing (the classic pieces above and adding in more shirts, skirts, etc. as fits within your budget) unless you’re under a time crunch for when you start work, wait for sales!! Women’s work wear tends to go on sale with many sizes still in stock, so I would recommend avoiding paying full price and waiting for these sales!
3. Shop the Right Stores
Now that you have a game plan of what you want to buy, and you know you want a sale, you need to start stalking the stores you want to shop at. Since you’ll be wearing these items a lot at first, you want to shop stores with pieces that are good quality for the price. Below is a list of my favorite affordable work wear stores, where the quality is still good and my list of stores to avoid:
Affordable Stores to Shop At:
- Banana Republic – this will be your GO TO for work wear basics. They’ll have a few fabrics they use each season and make a number of pieces so you can easily mix and match for what you like whch is so important when you’re just starting to build your wear to work wardrobe on a budget.
- J Crew – J Crew pieces are not cheap, but, if you wait for a sale then you can get some really well made items at a great price. I especially recommend them for quality sheath dresses. The fabric they use holds up really well, doesn’t wrinkle easily and is flattering on everyone.
- Nordstrom – Every girl’s go to for pretty much everything; Nordstrom does not disappoint in the work wear department either. Plus, they have their anniversary sale which is amazing for getting new items at a sale price. Some of my favorite brands for building a wear to work wardrobe on a budget are Halogen and Vince Camuto. If you can get them on sale at a price in your budget than Theory and Smythe are amazing.
- Loft – Loft is great for wear to work tops and adding some colorful pieces to your wardrobe.
- RW & Co – I have found so many great blazers and dresses here! I love that they go beyond basic black for when you are expanding your work wear; you can usually get more unique fabrics and colors that are still work appropriate.
Stores to Avoid:
- J Crew Factory – This is sooo tempting when you’re looking for affordable work wear. What most people don’t realize though is that factory clothing isn’t just similar or sale designs, they actually use different fabrics, different production lines, etc. I’ve bought a number of suits and dresses here over the years and have always been disappointed by the quality. The fabric just doesn’t hold up – not what you want when
looking for items you’ll be in for long, busy work days! - Banana Republic Factory – Exact same reasoning as above. The quality just doesn’t seem to make spending the money worth it!
- Dynamite- I love dynamite. Love, love, love. I spend a lot of my money here lol. But, when it comes to starting out with work wear pieces this is an avoid for sure. The fabric in their suit separates and dresses is usually really thin and low quality. Totally fine when you’re looking for more trendy pieces to only wear for a season (my favorite pink suit is actually from here) but not a good choice for staple items!
4. Go with Expensive Shoes … But Treat Them with Love
Your heels are the one place you do not want to cheap out. No matter the price tag, the most important thing is being comfortable in what you’re wearing for 8+ hours a day. Try out a few pairs of heels and find what works for you. I’ve actually got to guides on my blog that you might find helpful: a guide to the most comfortable high heels & a guide on the 8 shoes every working woman should own.
Once you’ve got your go-to work day heels; Make. Them. Last!! Especially if the ones you decided on are on the pricey side. Shoes break down easily (duh) but you can help them out by not commuting to work in them. If you leave your heels at your desk and only wear them while at work (and out on lunch break) the wear and tear will be so much less than if you commute in them every day. So, wear a pair of flats to work and just switch when you get into the office!
And that’s it!! I hope you like the post guys, and if you have any questions feel free to ask me! The best way is probably to DM me on Instagram, but of course I try to respond to all emails and blog comments as well. Come head over to my blog and let me know you’re stopping by from this post! I’d love to connect with some new readers!
