If you’re like me, you’re probably living on leftovers from high school and college fashion staples—leggings, boots, and long v-neck t-shirts. For the first three years of college, the only clothes I ended up buying were exclusively from Forever 21 and H&M. However, when I hit senior year, I realized I needed to start buying clothes for a work environment. My high school clothes weren’t going to cut it, and my college clothes were, ahem, a little too revealing.
I turned to the mall, and found that clothes I wanted were simply too expensive and clothes that weren’t too expensive made me look like I was 40.
So, here is my guide to creating a professional work wardrobe for less money.
1. A Great Suit
The first suit I bought was a black skirt suit that still makes me look feminine but is boring enough for interviews. I got it for $70 at Loehmann’s. If you haven’t taken a trip to Friendship Heights to shop, you need to go, like yesterday.
My second suit is a pantsuit from Macy’s that was also conservatively priced at $100. Both were Tahari, which is a brand I recommend to any petite woman. They are cut in a way that accentuates curves without making you look stuffed in a jacket or drowning in a pencil skirt.
Tahari Suit from Macy’s, $139
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2. Button Down Heaven
The next thing I focus on are button downs exclusively from H&M, where you can find virtually the same top or variations of the same top in 10 different colors, normally priced at $34.95 or less.
H&M Blouse, $34.95
They do have more professional and fitted button down blouses, as well as camisoles to wear underneath. I don’t suggest buying bottoms from H&M because they normally shrink and aren’t the best quality.
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3. Versatile Pants
When buying a suit, make sure the pants look good enough that you can wear them without the blazer. That way, you immediately start off by having a pair of work pants. My favorite store for pants shopping is New York & Company, which offers work pants in petite, average and tall. They have a wide variety of slacks and almost always have some type of sale going on. The last time I went, there was a buy one, get one 50% off sale, and I ended up picking up a beautiful skirt as well.
New York & Company, 7th Avenue City Stretch Bootcut Pant, $34.95
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4. Blouses
This is the one I always forget about. I end up with a plethora of pants, button downs, and skirts and realize I have nothing to wear on top but a ratty old t-shirt. It’s not necessary to wear a button down top every day to work, and there are a lot of great options for blouses that don’t look as conservative as a button down.
My favorite store for blouses is a resale shop in Bethesda called Reddz Trading. They buy clothes and sort them according to brand and size, and they only buy and sell clothes that are for the current season. You can find a classic, slightly worn Chanel suit less than 10 feet away from a Michael Kors blouse and Banana Republic blazer. I also find blouses at Target, Zara, Banana Republic and Express.
Banana Republic, Gia printed cowlneck tunic, $24.99
Once you have a wardrobe, remember these key things: Don’t be afraid to be yourself, and don’t hide your personality underneath black and grey. If you don’t think of yourself as a banker type who wears pearls and black pantsuits, then don’t. Most job environments that have professional dress codes do not require you to wear a suit every day, and accessorizing your outfits can be a great way to show your playful side (but leave the studded belts at home, please). There are plenty of professional clothes that can bring out your personality—you just have to know where to look.