Look Like You Have Your Ish Together

Here’s the dilemma. You’re fresh out of college, where your wardrobe consisted of free college Tees, shorts, yoga pants and going out dresses. You *maybe* have a couple outfits from your time as an intern—the rare blazer and conservative heel. But yeah. Ultimately, yours is a pretty casual closet.

Then REJOICE! You got the job. And it not only requires you to abandon your current job of Netflix binge watching and napping all day, but also asks you to dress like a non-slobbish adult for five days of the week (four if you have a gracious employer who honors #casualfriday).

Well, crap.

So now, you have to buy—on a limited budget, btw—a whole new wardrobe. Eesh….. This is the story of me and my friends’ lives right now. Here’s how I’m doing it.

Skip the beauty and make up splurging for a bit

Avoid Sephora and Ulta like the plague. They are such money sucks! Unless your concealer is bone dry and your eye pencil is just a nubbin, stop buying cosmetics for now, use the Bath and Body Works lotions you’ve stockpiled from Christmas and, if you really need to, pony up $10 for a Birchbox subscription so you do feel a little pampered. Seriously, with my Birchbox, I have JUST the right amount of fun beauty products each month!

Assess the sitch

“UGH I HAVE NO CLOTHES” is a daily utterance. But take a day to go through your closet. Try things on. Make piles. Create outfits—complete with shoes and accessories. Make a list. DONATE (or sell to Plato’s). It’s boring, but necessary before you shop and buy black pants, only to find you have three pairs already.

Do your homework

Remember all those “7 things every woman needs in her closet” or “20 essential items for your wardrobe” articles in EVERY magazine or blog that inevitably gets pinned and re-pinned on pinterest? Yeah, read those. Know exactly what you need for the basics of a normal adult, woman closet.

But omg where do I shop?

Everyone has their own priorities. Some people love to splurge on shoes and bags, others like the finest threads (gag, I just said that). But you get it. Here’s how I prioritize.

Shoes: Flats at Payless, heels/boots at DSW. Shoes get dirty, yo.

Slacks: Express or Gap or Banana Republic, because good pants will last you forever.

Tops and sweaters: Forever 21, H&M, boutiques, Target, pretty much anywhere. I like variety, so the more the merrier. And I would be broke if I didn’t shop tops wisely.

Blazers:  Express. They are comfy as hell. Note: You only need one of these! No one will tell if you wore your black blazer twice in one week. Black things are black things (they are never gold) and n o  o n e  c a n  t e l l .

Dresses: Day to day—maybe Forever 21 or Old Navy. But for the classy dresses, I would want to splurge on—WHBM, Loft, Etc. This is such a stressful clothing for me because I’m a dress person. I would live and die in them always. I hate pants. But I’m tall and all the cute dresses hit me mid-thigh. NSFW. I’m always on the hunt for stores that stock longer dresses.

Jewelry: Forever 21 for statement pieces and cheap earrings and rings. I would save the nicer pieces of jewelry for gifts! That way the pieces mean more.

I hope this helps… but know I am BY FAR the least experienced person to talk on this matter. I’m just learning as I go. ALL SUGGESTIONS WELCOME. AKA:  TELL ME WHERE YOU SHOP!