Welcome to your ultimate guide to building a work wardrobe that will never go out of style. This ultimate guide to building your work wardrobe can be done on any budget. These tips can be applied to the staple brands as well as those found at your local budget stores. Whether you’re searching for quality, affordability, or both, you can’t go wrong with this guide. And the best part about it is you don’t need to be a fashionista. It’s a work wardrobe so it’s okay to keep it simple.
One thing to remember when going through this guide is there are levels to this, and the key is to shoot for a CLASSIC wardrobe. Yea, trendy is fun, but it won’t stand the test of time, especially when it comes to work wear. The goal is to be able to make those pieces hit over and over again. I’ve never really been a wear it once kind of girl anyway.
So, I wasn’t planning on getting deep into the workings to make this guide just yet, but I had a birthday and all of a sudden, like a week before, I realized I was a little bigger than I use to be. I promise it wasn’t until then that I noticed it, but my intelligence is telling me that it had been in the works for a while but that I wasn’t trying on swimsuits, so I didn’t notice it. But anywho, I now have to get rid of pieces I’ve been wearing since pharmacy school (sad face), which means we’re talking about pieces I’ve been wearing since like 2013. Oh, and let’s not forget some of the pieces I got before the pandemic hit that I’m just starting to get into and finding out they don’t fit. So, why not bring you ladies along on the journey. So be on the lookout for some new things to be added to the Poshmark page that you may be able to add to your work wardrobe.
I first started building my work wardrobe in 2010. I learned that I would have to dress in business professional attire once a week for Forum in the pre-pharmacy program and everyday in the actual pharmacy program. I used a few of these tips and went from nothing (unless you count the blouses and slacks I wore to church that aligned with business professional) to pieces that lasted me up until now.
But anywho, let’s get into it!
THINGS TO CONSIDER
Before we jump into it, there are a couple of things to consider. One is body type. You want clothes that will flatter you and that you’re comfortable in. One style of tops I never really was a fan of is a “high low” top. But now that my body has changed a little, and I’d rather not draw attention to my backside, I definitely can appreciate them. I still won’t add them to my work wardrobe or any for that matter, but I do notice when a top is slightly longer in the back. Bustier women may want to avoid v-neck tops. I think drop waist dresses are the cutest things, but between me being bowlegged and my long torso, I just don’t like them on me… even though I still continue to try and buy them lol.
Another factor to consider is your method. You can go about building a classic work wardrobe in two different ways. One way is to focus on price. With this method, you’ll end up with a lot for your money, but the quality might not be the best causing pieces to not last as long. However, if you didn’t spend much on them anyway, it won’t be an issue to toss a few and buy a few more. Longevity is not the focus here. Even though there are some items you’ll luck up with that will last if they’re handled with extra care. And a low price doesn’t always equate to poor quality as you’ll see soon if you’re following TheLuxeDocs on Instagram. The other method is to focus on quality. If you’re dealing with a budget, it’ll take you longer to build your wardrobe, but the pieces will last. I started with the price focused method to build up quick. Now I implement both because I know it’s very possible to find both at one of my favorite places.
HOW TO START
How do you start building your classic work wardrobe? If you know me, you know it’s the same way you start everything, with the basics. Below are some categories to consider:
- Colors
As far as colors go, keep in mind what we discussed in “How to: Business Formal vs Business Professional”. It’s best to keep rules for business formal at the forefront. That way you’re able to transition through the various dress codes by dressing business formal down and building it back up if need be. We’ll dive into that a little more in the next point. But the takeaway here is to start with pieces that follow the color rules of a business formal dress code.
- Articles of clothing
Once again, the trick is to keep business formal at the fore front remembering that we want to be able to break it down and build it back up depending on the dress code of the work environment. Building off of the category above, this means brown, black, gray, and navy-blue dress skirts and slacks. Blouses pretty much remain constant through all the categories of professional attire, so the only tip here is to stick to low patterned solid color shirts. This makes it easier to mix and match your selection of tops with bottoms. You also want to start off with at least on white button-down shirt.
Lets get a little more basic. People often miss the category of clothing termed “basics” when disscusing a work wardrobe. But let me tell you, there’s nothing easier when you’re waking up early in the morning or running late than throwing on a white, mock neck bodysuit with a pair of high waist pants. And mock necks are my fave because fabric on your neck is my preference in a suit (remember, we’re keeping business formal at the forefront), and they come sleeveless. But the same can be done in camisoles. Basics are also easy to throw a cardigan over top of. Basics also include tees and turtlenecks. I’m more of a fan of the bodysuits and fitted tees and camisoles because they give a smoother appearance when tucked in.
- Footwear
Okay so shoes are my thing. And just like with any other style of shoe, there is a large variety of work shoes with many colors, patterns, and styles. It’s hard for me to stick to this now. I own a pair of cute black flats, but I don’t wear them because they hurt the back of my heels. So obviously I need another pair, but I continue to buy every other color shoe there is and then look crazy when I don’t have a pair of black loafers or flats (I prefer loafers). Who doesn’t own a pair of black flats, right? So, with that being said, start with the traditional colors: black and brown. And this isn’t limited to flats. If heels are your thing, go for those. Both are acceptable no matter what dress code your workplace falls in.
TIPS
- Build a strong foundation. Think of your work wardrobe as a house. You can keep a home for a long time and redecorate it over and over again as long as it was built on a strong foundation. Remember the wolf huffed and puffed but couldn’t blow down the house built of bricks.
- If you’re in the beginning stages, stay focused! Yes, those patterned shoes are cute, but you are not there yet. Start off with the solid-colored ones. They’ll go with more. Remember it’s levels to this.
- A full pant or skirt suit may seem like its not a basic, but it is. No matter what type of dress code your work environment has, interview attire never changes. Don’t be so concerned about buying it as a set. It may be more affordable to purchase them as separates as you may be able to find the pieces at different places with better prices.
TAKE AWAYS
- Handle the basics firsts, especially if you’re working on a budget. As long as you have the basics covered, your outfit combinations are endless.
- Keep business formal at the forefront of acquiring the basics so that you’re able to break down to business professional and casual or build your way back up to business formal. This will allow you purchase more classic pieces and get more wear out of your work wardrobe. Like work pants that you can pair with a summer top for brunch.
- Stay focused. It’s easy to get distracted any time you’re shopping
We’ve only covered the basics so far, but no worries. I’ll continue to update the guide and keep you ladies posted so that you’re able to get that work wardrobe together.
And remember…
Latest posts by Dalin (see all)
- 3 Things to do to Close Out the Year 2022 - December 21, 2022
- Becoming Her: How to Become THAT Girl - December 15, 2021
- 3 Things to do to Close Out the Year - November 26, 2021
