Looking professional and put together for work on a minimal budget

[That Is Nice]

I would love to hear from working mothers who have managed to look professional and put together at work on a low- to no budget for clothing and accessories.

I have a bit of a challenge:

I gained weight during pregnancy (only time in life, really) and so most of my pre-baby clothes are just a wee bit tight and too tight to wear in a professional setting.

I don't want (and really can't) spend any money on new clothes for work.

I don't have many accessories or jewelry (either costume or fine) to dress things up. I own 4 pair of earrings total and 3 necklaces total and two belts so I do try to use those to add a bit of style.

I am lucky that I get by in jeans at work most days when there are no meetings, but at least once a week I'm scraping together a cobbled outfit that sometimes is ok for an important meeting.

It's a challenge.

What have others found? I hit the thrift stores a while back with not much luck. I've had luck in the past as most of my pre-baby work clothes were thrifted, but with work, kid, home responsibilities I don't have a lot of time to look at thrift stores anymore (too time consuming).

Any ideas??

[Gimme Pineapple]

I just got an e-mail the other day from Old Navy. They are having a huge sale right now (work tops and trousers for $9.99). The only advice I have is shopping sales for one piece at a time until you have a little wardrobe built up.

[asoulunbound]

I don't really have any tips, just wanted you to know I totally understand. I'm trying to lose baby weight (sigh) and get a new job. My current job is Starbucks so I have a uniform and an apron to cover up my tummy. But I'm trying to get a more "adult"/"professional" job like office work, etc, which means I can't hide behind a bright green apron anymore. Good luck, and let us know if you come up with anything.

[That Is Nice]

Originally Posted by asoulunbound

I don't really have any tips, just wanted you to know I totally understand. I'm trying to lose baby weight (sigh) and get a new job. My current job is Starbucks so I have a uniform and an apron to cover up my tummy. But I'm trying to get a more "adult"/"professional" job like office work, etc, which means I can't hide behind a bright green apron anymore. Good luck, and let us know if you come up with anything.

Man, I wish I could wear a green apron. That would be nice to have a uniform for work.

I basically have a uniform - my own - and that is jeans on the days I can get away with it, and then dressing it up a bit as much as I can on the days I have meetings.

I look much the same as when I was a stay-at-home mom most days, but I just can't reinvest in clothes. Oh well. They pay me for my mind, I hope!

[Carita]

My advice - its hit and miss with thrift stores, so keep trying them out. And try stuff on you wouldn't normally. I have a nice wool red skirt for $2 at SA, but I wouldn't have picked it out myself if my mom hadn't made me try it on, LOL. Try also some clearance racks at TJMaxx, Marshalls and department stores. Some department stores I know have 75% off sale racks often. And often you can combine them with a coupon from the circular. It takes more time to build a wardrobe that way, but its usually good quality.

Also, I know some of my moms circles have considered clothing swaps, for moms and babies - maybe you could see if anyone is interested in something like that...

The other thing is that maybe spending a little extra time on hair (and makeup if you wear it) can give you that extra confidence boost when you feel like your wardrobe isn't up to par.

[Caneel]

Things I do:

I buy nothing that doesn't match at least a few things in my closet. No exceptions (anymore)

I stay very neutral, sort of tying into above. Almost everything I have is black, brown, navy, tan, cream, white - you get the picture. IMO a $50 pair of black pants that you can wear two days a week is worth much more than something memorable from the clearance rack that you can only wear once in a while.

JJill has a great line called Wearever. The quality is really good. I am wearing pants today that I bought two years ago and they still look great. I wear them all the time, for work and on the weekends. Seasonally, certain colors go on clearance. I wear the pieces year round. The fabric has a drape to it so it is comfortable and forgiving.

Lands End Overstocks page has great deals. I recently got two pairs crops in a blend that are sharp looking (don't wrinkle) and I can dress them up for work or down on the weekend. $9.99 per pair.

Anything I buy has to do double duty - home/play and work. Luckily, I don't work in the type of corporate environment that I did before where suits, heels, etc were expected.

[Rowansmama]

My biggest advice is to go to Gap when they have a sale. Buy several of their button down ladies dress shirts in different colors - white, black, maybe gray. IRON until there isn't a wrinkle in sight. Seriously. Having well pressed clothes makes a world of difference in looking professional. I like the gap shirts because they're flattering and hold up well.

Also try to find one good quality three piece suit (jacket, pants, and skirt). These can be worn together or broken up in a million ways. Pants or skirt can go with the button down shirts, jacket can go with different pants, etc.

Also keep in mind that as long as you are well groomed (tidy hair, nails, and polished shoes) most people don't even notice what you're wearing, as long as it's clean and pressed!

[Caneel]

Button ladies dress shirts are most definately part of my "uniform" Again, LE has great deals on clearance.

[handsandfeet]

You might also try Ebay -- I have had luck finding a "lot" in my size -- meaning multiple pieces all in the same size. One time I got a lot of pants that were all from Banana, Ann Taylor, etc -- great quality and barely used -- 6 pair for like $25.

One other suggestion is to make some scarves from scrap fabrics at fabric stores. They are super easy/cheap, and can be used in many ways to "accessorize" an outfit -- worn as a headband, around the neck, over one shoulder, or as a belt, to name a few.

And I agree completely that ironing/pressing goes a long way for maintaining a professional appearance.

[Alyantavid]

Check craigslist too.

I wear jeans to work everyday, but you can dress those up too. I love tank tops I can get on clearance for really cheap. I usually get the ones with the lacy hems and layer a shirt or two over those. And shoes make a big difference too. As far as acessories, I wear small silver hoop earrings and that's about it.

Other than that, I just buy a piece or two at a time. Anytime we need to go to the mall or a few other stores, I check the clearance racks. The past few weeks, I've found several shirts for under $2. Fitted, plain t-shirts always look good and you can put a tank under them or a sweater/jacket over the top and look pretty good.

[emilysmama]

Previous poster is correct. It is very hit and miss at the thrift stores. If you don't see anything you like, come back a few weeks or a month later. I found that gradually I found one piece of apparel at a time, but they will be timeless, and very well made to last a long time.

I really hit the jack pot at the rummage sale for a private school. I found some very high quality business clothes there. So if you live in a lower income city, I would seriously consider going to garage sales of a higher income city.

[emilysmama]

Previous poster is correct. It is very hit and miss at the thrift stores. If you don't see anything you like, come back a few weeks or a month later. I found that gradually I found one piece of apparel at a time, but they will be timeless, and very well made to last a long time.

I really hit the jack pot at the rummage sale for a private school. I found some very high quality business clothes there. So if you live in a lower income city, I would seriously consider going to garage sales of a higher income city.

[pinksprklybarefoot]

Try Old Navy when they are having their 50% off of all clearance. I bought a new wardrobe last week for $30. I also in the shedding baby weight phase of life so I didn't want to invest in anything too expensive. Hopefully I won't be wearing this stuff for long!

[Girlprof]

Do they have freecycle in your area? You can just type freecycle into google and it will explain everything. On our group you can do both offers and requests. I was able to off-load a sizable wardrobe in a size I had shrunk out off. Good luck!

[Quinalla]

I have good luck with department stores shopping their sales racks and hopefully I have a coupon too, JC Penney is one of my favorites for this as they send out coupons quite often and you can sign up for the e-mails which will get you more and they don't pester you. I also find clothes I really like that fit in the store and then wait for it to go on clearance online and order several, I do this with Eddie Bauer all the time and their clothes hold up really well too. Outlet stores are good too, though it is harder to find the more "common" sizes at them, so depending on your size that can be better or worse for you.

But yeah, sales racks are awesome, I cannot stand to buy clothing full price even though I can afford it, it's such a ripoff And I usually don't do thrift/consignment stores as I find the clothes already have so much wear in them that it ends up being more worthwhile for me to buy new, but I did do most of my maternity shopping and a lot of my new baby clothes shopping there since I don't need the clothes to hold up for very long.

[Ola_]

I also can wear jeans to work so that's what I usually do. I stick to dark-wash jeans as they look more dressy and I don't go for anything with embellishments. I change when I get home from work so that my nice jeans don't get covered in dog hair or food stains.

I've also found that sticking to a "formula" makes it easier to get dressed, as well as being more versatile. So I do the jeans or another pair of dark pants, a basic colour tank/cami/tshirt (white, black, red, pink, green) along with something on top (either a cardigan or casual jacket). This gives me lots of mixing and matching potential, without (hopefully) looking like I'm wearing the same thing every day.

Another tip I've found is to use a "signature piece", either a necklace, earrings, or a bracelet, that really stands out and will go with many things. This way you don't need to have a whole bunch of different jewellery. It doesn't need to be expensive either, and you may already have something that will work.

[JessieBird]

Clothing swaps are really popular (and fun!) in my neck of the woods. Send an email to all the women you know telling them to bring anything they want to get rid of over to your place (along with a potluck dish) and then jump in. If you google you'll find different ways of organizing it (taking turns, etc) if you're afraid that it could get out of control but in my experience this has never been necessary - we just dump all our bags on the floor and have a free-for-all. The best part is that everyone wants to get rid of stuff so you don't have to feel like you need to give something in trade. Everyone just takes what they like and that fits and donate all the leftovers to a local shelter. It is amazing what great things people want to give up. As hostess, and if your friends know that you are in need, they will probably be kind enough to give you "first dibs" and help you pick things. I'd suggest that for your first swap, you tell people that the theme is work wear so that's what people bring. It is also a great way to get kids' clothes, etc, but focus on your immediate goal first.

[shayinme]

My experience has been that in order to build a wardrobe with thrift/consignment shops requires going to them all the time. Its rare that you walk in a thrift store and find all you need in one visit. I lost almost 50 lbs over a year ago and tried going the thrift shop route. It just didn't happen.

What I did was hit places like TJ Maxx and Marshalls where you can generally catch good deals. I generally stay away from Old Navy because I find after a few washings their stuff falls apart. What I did after getting a few good pieces as the discount places was then hit the consignment shops where I have been able to add a skirt or pants here and there.

The folks I have known who have entire wardrobes that came from a thrift store and looked professional were generally folks who can go every week and really look through the racks. If you are like me that is not always feasible.

I have tried clothing swaps but they seem better in my area for kids clothes or casual stuff not professional clothes.

Shay

[That Is Nice]

Originally Posted by Ola_

I also can wear jeans to work so that's what I usually do. I stick to dark-wash jeans as they look more dressy and I don't go for anything with embellishments. I change when I get home from work so that my nice jeans don't get covered in dog hair or food stains.

I've also found that sticking to a "formula" makes it easier to get dressed, as well as being more versatile. So I do the jeans or another pair of dark pants, a basic colour tank/cami/tshirt (white, black, red, pink, green) along with something on top (either a cardigan or casual jacket). This gives me lots of mixing and matching potential, without (hopefully) looking like I'm wearing the same thing every day.

Another tip I've found is to use a "signature piece", either a necklace, earrings, or a bracelet, that really stands out and will go with many things. This way you don't need to have a whole bunch of different jewellery. It doesn't need to be expensive either, and you may already have something that will work.

Thanks everyone for all the great ideas! It's been fun reading and thinking about options.

Even though I mostly wear jeans (due to budget and what I have on hand) I think I probably still look ok. I'm clean, well groomed, and I put together colors pretty well. So it might not be fancy or professional in a suit sense, but it still looks ok. And I have to remember they pay me for my mind, right??

I just have had a whole lot of meetings lately where the women are all in an apparently different stage of life than me with very nice suits, jewelry, and just looking at the top of their game. Of course, they are probably spending more on dry cleaning alone than I want to spend on clothes!

Part of it is that I just can't (and don't want to) put priority on clothing...so many other things need the money. But sometimes image does play a role at work, unfortunately.

But then there's always the old addage that the people who really dress up every day are compensating for something else!

Like everything else, I'm just aiming for balance. I want to look nice most days, and put together, but don't want to break the bank.

So very good tips, everyone! Thanks!

[GuildJenn]

I have a few thoughts too. Besides ask your similarly-sized friends!

One, pick your palette. I am a black/grey/white + accent colour girl, but I admire the brown/taupe/cream/white women too. The thing about this is once you pick, you only need black or brown shoes, which simplifies a lot.

Two, pick very classic, simple lines - fortunately these are in this season anyway.

Three, rather than throwing money around, throw your time: Try things on. Try a size up and a size down. Take your time to pick things that really flatter you and that you feel good in. I think sometimes when we're on a budget and rush around the clearance racks and "settle" for something a little off, we end up spending more or at least feeling poor.

I would get a sheath or wrap dress or similar (depending on your body type) for meetings, neutral if possible, with coordinating tights and shoes (in my palette). The advantages of the dress are:

- no matching piece (except sweater or blazer if you're cold; look for wrap sweaters or short cardingans at thrift stores), so as long as it's clean-enough and hanging up in your closet, it's ready to go.
- tights don't run like hose
- you'll probably remember to take it off when you get home
- it's easily dressed up or down

This is not the sheath shape but it's a good price from J. Crew: http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Browse/Wome...~~~~/15340.jsp and I think this weekend they have an extra 20% off code.

For winter too I think a sweater dress is often good looking and sooooo comfy (it's like wearing a hug) but the downside is they can wear out. But because of that they're often on sale - Old Navy had a good set near me about two weeks ago.

Next, depending on your ironing skill set (I have none) I would take some time and hit the mall and look for either a) white tailored shirts (if you iron and like to) or b) knit, quality turtlenecks or, if you're further south, mock turtleneck short sleeve tops, black and grey if you're like me and a spill magnet if wearing white, or white and light grey if you're not. If you want to be trendy this year you can pick one up in plum too.

I have had good luck at thrift stores with the black/grey sweater in classic shapes (turtleneck, v-neck IF you have something to wear under or with it, mockneck, and rarely scoop neck). But I have had to pick through the "fuzzies" quite a bit. I have only rarely found white things that aren't stained.

These will up your jeans (jeans + turtleneck + boots = hot!!) and also go fine with dress pants.

Now... dressy pants. Really this is the holy grail of the clearance rack hunt. I personally don't find Old Navy, etc., pants last well in terms of looking good but YMMV. Still I would look for crepe, wool-bland, or other "dressy" fabric dress pants (bonus if they are light enough to go 3 seasons). This is where I would throw most of my effort and money. One hint: Minimal or no pockets on the back is better for wear and on most women.

I'm Canadian so I don't have a Target but from what I hear I might start there for pants.