I don’t know about you, but when I started needing professional clothes, I was SO lost. I didn’t know where to start! First of all, it’s difficult finding professional AND stylish clothing. I felt like everything I tried on either looked like I was a little kid playing dress-up, or didn’t fit well, or didn’t look professional enough. Second of all, professional clothing is freaking expensive! So today I wanted to spill all of the tea and share with you all how exactly to build a professional wardrobe when you’re on a budget. I’m going to share exactly HOW to build a professional wardrobe, WHERE the best places are to shop on a budget, and which pieces are worth investing in!
#1 – Know which pieces are worth the investment
My number one rule is knowing which pieces are worth the investment, and which pieces you can spend less on. This will be a little different for everyone, but for me, I like to invest in Blazers, Pants, and shoes. Items like tops are easy to find at lower prices. Spending a little extra when you purchase a staple item will be worth it when it lasts for a decade and fits you well.
#2 – Stick to neutrals
I know, I know, how boring! I love adding color to my professional wardrobe, but trends change so quickly. This is why all of my investment pieces are neutrals. Brighter-colored items can of course be added, but I like to find these items at stores like H&M.
#3 – Focus on pieces that you can easily mix & match
This is crucial! When shopping, try to choose pieces that could be styled in many different ways. This is the key concept of the “capsule wardrobe.”
The Essentials:
- Black/Navy Blazer
- Neutral Pencil Skirt
- Neutral Pants
- The Classic Black Dress
- Black and Nude Heels
- Tops to Mix & Match
Professional Wardrobe Must-Haves
Blazers:
Blazers are essential to a professional wardrobe, and can easily be mixed and matched when you stick to neutrals. I suggest finding the blazer that fits your body the best and getting one in black, navy, and beige/tan/or white. For me, I’ve actually found that H&M’s blazers look the best on me, and they’re super affordable. Below are my favorites. All of them are under $50 too!
If you want to also buy a more “fun” blazer, I would recommend spending less because trends change so easily. Here are a few of my favorite ones:
Neutral Tops
Affordable tops are the easiest to find! I love to get tops that are easy to mix & match, and my favorite places to find them are ASOS, Lulu’s, H&M, and Amazon!
More “Fun” Tops
Neutral Pants/ Skirts
My FAVORITE work pants are the Spanx Perfect Pants, and they are 1000% worth every penny. These are my favorites:
I also love to wear “fun” pants to spice up work outfits a bit. I’m currently loving these:
I really don’t like pencil skirts and tend to avoid them, but it’s a good idea to have a good Black or Navy pencil skirt in your wardrobe, and some colorful skirts if you like them! Here are some examples:
Dresses
I love wearing dresses to work because it’s an excuse not to wear pants, and who doesn’t love that? I usually stick to neutrals so that I get the most use out of them. Here are some dresses I love!
Shoes:
Shoes are worth investing in! You will be miserable if you don’t invest in good quality shoes because you will get blisters and your feet will be killing you. This is why I tend to stick to neutrals for shoes, to minimize cost.
I swear by the Banana Republic Madison 12-hour pump because they are so comfortable and I can wear them all day. They make a classic pump, as well as a low pump. They also have sales all of the time, and anytime I’ve bought these I’ve gotten some sort of discount!
For other work shoes, I like to save money, especially if they’re more trendy or non-staple items.
Accessories
As far as accessories go, I like to keep it simple. You really only need a neutral work bag!
I like to keep my jewelry really simple and don’t spend much money on jewelry pieces. I like simple gold hoops and dainty necklaces like these below. And I wear my Apple Watch every day religiously.
I hope you found this post helpful! Be sure to follow me on social media so you never miss an update!
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