So my new job has me working in an office so I will be needing business casual clothing. I've never worked in an office setting so I have no idea what to wear. Right now I've been wearing yoga pants to work lol what are some staples that I must have??
I already have a couple of black cardigans and some.khaki pants. But most of my tops are too casual. Will my awesome B's help me out??
Kohls is my go to also for cheap but nice work clothes. I wear black pants or gray pants with nice dressy tops (NY and Co is great for inexpensive dressy work tops) and I wear a lot of dresses with opaque tights and flats or boots. For my days when I have meetings or interviews I have a couple of nice suits from Ann Taylor. I need to wear petites so this is a factor in where I shop. Also half my wardrobe is from NY and Co because my sister was a buyer for them for about 5 years and I was sample size (freebies!) but I ended up loving their stuff and always get compliments.
Thanks guys! I was going to check kohls and pennys to get the basics. Black and grey pants and a couple tops. I'm excited to have a reason to look nice every day lol
I buy a lot from TJ Maxx and Marshalls. Do not buy pants and tops from the Juniors Section. Stick with pants that aren't too tight and skirts/dresses that hit the knee at least (so you don't flash anyone when sitting down). I prefer dresses so I just have one thing to put on. I also buy a lot from Target and Old Navy.
I think I'm the only one who really hates Kohl's, JCP, and Macys. I just don't like big department stores and they aren't very curated I feel so there's a lot of ugly stuff to sift through. I've gotten lazy as I've gotten older.
My favorite office-appropriate stores are probably Loft and Limited, and I've found good pants at Gap. Check them frequently - there are always good deals happening online, especially now. (And if you can make it to a Banana Republic outlet store to shop, I highly recommend doing so. Their regular store prices are too high for me, but their factory prices are great).
Check out Limited sweaters right now, basic V-necks are $15. Remember that you'll need a camisole or some tanktop underneath for many v-necks.
Make sure to check the care label of all clothes -- many business-y clothes are hand wash or dry clean only. If it's a blazer, you probably don't need to wash it often and so it's not a big deal (I think almost all blazers are dry clean), but if you're like me, you don't want to have to dry clean your sweaters and blouses.
I recommend coming up with a starter business casual capsule wardrobe - decide what you want to look for (like, 2 pairs of slacks, 2 cardigans, 2 blouses, a skirt, a sweater, a dress), pick out a color scheme that goes together (or be like Olivia Pope and wear all creams/grays/tans/neutrals) and then look for good quality pieces at the best prices you can find. You'll wear the these staple pieces a LOT so you'll want them to last.
I bought it awhile ago when it wasn't nearly this marked down, and it's a great blazer that isn't dry clean (although I don't recommend drying it in the dryer and I'd wash it on gentle or hand wash). $38 is hard to beat for a good blazer!!!
ETA: Never mind, the flash sale expired 3 min before I was going to purchase something No longer 60% but still 50% off so it's $47.50 now.
I always bought stuff from Loft when I was working (still do, actually) they almost always have great online sales and if you can get to an outlet, you can get quite a lot for a decent price.
I second Target and Old Navy for some decent tops. Payless for now if you need shoes--just until you figure out how much you'll be on your feet, etc.
Congratulations on the new job, by the way!
I am definitely good on shoes
Thank you everyone for the awesome advice!! I'm going shopping Saturday so hopefully I can find things that fit my new body (hips)
My basic suit pieces came from Express. They fit me the nicest of all the places I looked and were reasonably priced. I also have some really beautiful blouses from there.
I have a number of nice slacks from Victoria's Secret, and my favorite dress tops are ones I snagged from sales at Anthropologie.
Another kohls shopper here. Tj maxx is a great place too. Loft and loft outlets if you have one near you is great for work clothes and I usually find stuff on their sales racks more than buying any regular price item. I loved Macy's before but I never get a chance to shop there anymore.
Also, check out Jane.com. SIL introduced me to this site and they some cute tops, fleece leggings etc that I've been buying
I was kind of disappointed with kohls yesterday. I got a couple of things from there but there wasn't really a whole lot to choose from that was work appropriate.
@ColieAnn31 The Loft has everything 40% off right now, and they have $25 off if you spend $50 with a cash card code that you can stack (except on sale items which don't count). They have great business casual wear. I have the cash code on a card I was sent I can give you if you know you want to buy anything from there.
Re: Office Attire
Thank you everyone for the awesome advice!! I'm going shopping Saturday so hopefully I can find things that fit my new body (hips)
You all are seriously the best!
DS born 6/2013
Also, check out Jane.com. SIL introduced me to this site and they some cute tops, fleece leggings etc that I've been buying