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Building a wardrobe....

soexcited317soexcited317 member
in Working Moms
I'll be transitioning to full time work after being home for the better part tof two years! What are your easy go to wardrobe essentials for casual business casual? Specifically I'll be doing community based social service work. Thanks!
"When I saw you I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew." -Shakespere
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Re: Building a wardrobe....

  • soexcited317soexcited317 member
    I should add that I literally have two pairs of dress pants and 2-3 work appropriate tops:( two babies have drastically changed my body since I last worked full time!
    "When I saw you I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew." -Shakespere
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  • jf198400jf198400 member
    I love pants from express there are going to be some good sales next week. I shop at express, the limited, Ny&Co, and loft.
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  • AgoAgo member
    Community-based social service work can be pretty relaxed.  I would take a cue from your new co-workers, but for most in-the-field workers it has been jeans.  I'm in a higher position, so if I wear jeans (on Friday), I try to make it denim trousers.  Khakis and inexpensive trousers are great!  If you might be getting into dirty work, I wouldn't spend too much on the clothes.  I found some great skinny pants at Gap recently.
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  • sdlaurasdlaura member
    Most of my work wardrobe is from the Banana Republic Factory Store and Ann Taylor Loft.
    BFP #1 9/2010 (lost our baby at 21 weeks) BFP #2 8/2011 (ectopic pregnancy) BFP #3 10/2011 (chemical pregnancy) BFP #4 12/2011 (Abigail born 8/15/12) BFP #5 5/2013 (Griffin born 1/23/14 with heart defects, now repaired!)

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  • nosoup4unosoup4u member
    I teach, so I can wear "fancy" t-shirts. I love the scoop neck ones from Target, Merona brand. The neckline has a bit of gathering. They hold up pretty well (I air dry them), and they have some spandex so they don't get stretched out.
    DS1 - Feb 2008

    DS2 - Oct 2010 (my VBAC baby!)

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  • emberlee3emberlee3 member
    nosoup4u said:

    I teach, so I can wear "fancy" t-shirts. I love the scoop neck ones from Target, Merona brand. The neckline has a bit of gathering. They hold up pretty well (I air dry them), and they have some spandex so they don't get stretched out.

    I like Merona stuff in general. It's inexpensive and usually machine washable. A few accessories make the clothes more professional, but as PP mentioned, sometimes it's better to look "relatable." I'm a physician but many of my patients are indigent, and I like to keep my work clothes low-key.
    DS born 8/8/09 and DD born 6/12/12.
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  • soexcited317soexcited317 member
    I agree with needing to look relatable, though jeans are only allowed Fridays. Thanks for the input! I'm going to check out Target and NY and Co this week.
    "When I saw you I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew." -Shakespere
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  • diamondduck13diamondduck13 member
    NY&Co is great - I just got some new work clothes there for my return to work after leave. And Target is a mainstay of my clothes shopping. Ann Taylor Loft is good too, but pricier than I like, at least when I'm hopeful I'll be changing sizes before too long... I also like Nordstrom Rack and H&M
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  • thedashthedash member
    Try on work pants at a few different stores to see which have the best fit for you and then buy them in a bunch of colors!
    DS: 2/17/11          DD: 9/4/13
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  • soexcited317soexcited317 member
    Just curious, are dressy cords, and straight leg pants typically ok? Or too casual? I was thinking with flats or boots....
    "When I saw you I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew." -Shakespere
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  • diamondduck13diamondduck13 member
    soexcited317 said:

    Just curious, are dressy cords, and straight leg pants typically ok? Or too casual? I was thinking with flats or boots....

    Depends on your office environment and the external folks you interact with. You may need to check things out for the first couple days before going crazy getting a bunch of clothes that may be too casual, or more dressy than necessary (the latter sounds like a potential concern in your field from what PPs wrote)
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  • k1dubk1dub member
    Throw in 1 blazer, 2 cardigans and a 3 button ups in basic colors as well as at least a neutral shift dress and at least 2 skirt options and you'll have enough to mix and match for a month or more. I love hitting up TJ Maxx/Marshalls since they usu. have great prices and basics.
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