Work Clothes

So, by far the people I see who would be most likely to actually notice my clothes are my co-workers.  I don't work in an extremely fashionable industry.  I work at a hospital and it just occurred to me that if I were to do this challenge 18 months from now I would probably be wearing scrubs (I'm in nursing school).  GAH! What was I thinking?  Should have started this challenge for 2015 and then for most the year I wouldn 't have to worry about clothes at all except on the weekends.  Sigh.  Well, too late now!  I don't have a huge budget so I don't have seasonal clothing, besides a few sweaters.  I also don't have much of a distinction between my work and play clothes.  For the most part all of my tops, jackets, etc work for the office and the weekend.  I didn't really plan it that way.  I'm kind of a snappy dresser in my non-work life so it just kind of happened.  Not that I'm opposed to my robot pants and a sweatshirt (as I proved last weekend).  But sporty clothes don't flatter me and I always like to look "put together" as a friend once called me.  My ideal outfit would be dark jeans, kitten heels, a cute cami (of course!!) and a jacket.  I love fall and winter because I love to layer and wear a lot of accessories like scarves.  Anyway...what was I saying.  Ah yes...work clothes!  I found a great article on www.learnvest.com that discusses budgeting for work clothes.  I won't be doing that this year, but next year I was thinking I should take a Visa gift card and put a certain amount on it for the year.  Like $500.  That's what I get...and that's it.  You know?  There have probably been years that I've spent less than that.  I have no way of knowing because I am so bad at budgeting for clothes!  Below are some of the tips for buying work clothes from the article. I added my comments too!

Clothing Is Not an Investment  (Emily says:  Yeah, I have no desire to pass my custom Halston gown down to my daughter.  This isn't Gossip Girl.)

“Our homes and retirements accounts are our investments,” says Horowitz, but shirts and shoes aren’t. Rather than buying expensive items you fantasize will last forever (they won’t), she recommends you shop regularly and slowly replace worn out basics each season, picking up just a few trendy-but-affordable pieces as you go.

Don’t Do Event Shopping (Emily says:  Oh, I do this!  Last summer I bought 4 dresses in like 20 minutes during a shopping spree with a friend who said everything looked fabulous on me.)

Horowitz warns that people overspend when they’re under pressure, whether it’s because they’re attending a wedding or going out of town. Instead of buying a new dress for your coworker’s wedding, could you borrow a dress from a friend? If you feel you must buy, start looking as soon as you get the invite in order to find something in your price range.

Accessories Make the Outfit, Anyway (Emily says:  So, true!  This shopping ban is really helping me to utilize my accessories!)

Stretch your wardrobe with accessories. Have a few good staple items, and then make them look different on a regular basis by mixing them up with simple accessories.

Shop for the Waist Up (Emily says:  A great tip.  But personally I love dresses.)

Horowitz counsels her clients to keep the “see level” in mind. Own two pencil skirts and two trousers, and wear them into the ground. Mix things up with jackets, shirts, jewelry, shoes, and bags.

Don’t Obsess Over Brand Names (Emily says:  I can't believe people care about brands.)

Don’t let yourself get emotional about labels. Horowitz loves lines like Forever 21, Club Monaco, and Zara for cute, on-trend, and affordable items.

Buy for Work and Weekend (Emily says:  That's what I just said!  YAY!)

If you work in a very formal environment, this rule may not apply, but try to buy separates that work for day and evening whenever possible. You’ll feel better going out after work, and you’ll get way more bang for your buck, too.

Know That Personal Shoppers Aren’t Just for the Mega Rich (Emily says:  I've never considered this.  I feel like I would be too nervous.)

Another awesome secret: Personal shoppers at Bloomingdale’s offer an array of services for free! These salaried employees don’t work on commission, so they’re not trying to push you into buying stuff you don’t need. They can help you get new pieces and even work with items you already have in your closet to build out your wardrobe. Our friends who’ve gone this route have been extremely happy.

I hope the above tips help you!  It's amazing how many sites and articles I'm finding on people who have issues with over shopping for clothes!  We're in this together!

Stay Houndy!

Em