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I'm a single mom so I understand.....
Though my job is not "customer facing" I have recently updated my wardrobe when I lost weight and I had to be frugal about it. I have found great success at Goodwills in upscale areas, and Marshall's. I've gotten Ann Taylor, J Crew, Ralph Lauren work clothes for less than $5 a piece. I focused on mainly business suits and classic pieces that could be interchanged (nice dress pants, dress shirts, couple of blazers etc) with a few color "pop" pieces. I got nice shoes and jewelry at Marshall's and Ross and I feel much more put together now. I think a combo of the boost in self confidence and the appearance has helped me at work and I have gotten a lot of comments about it.
Also, when my daughter was still in a stroller I would usually use the handicapped dressing stall (room for the stroller) and plan the shopping trips around her naps.
Do you have any "upper scale" consignment/thrift stores near you? Some are better than others, but I've found some nice gently used pieces for a few bucks less than retail. If you can afford it, look for nicer brand names and better craftsmanship.
I think dressing well is extremely important for your career. Dressing clean with nice clothes says a lot about you, however there are shortcuts with money. I'm not sure exactly what your budget is, but a lot of the time Banana Republic and The Limited (along with others) will offer 50% off sales. I think investing in a few GOOD shirts/pieces is much better than opting to buy cheaper clothing. It looks better and will last you twice as long.
Also, stay away from buying "trendy" or limit it to one or two fun pieces per season. I look back at some of my trendy stuff and wonder what the hell I was thinking.
i also am a big fan of Goodwill because I can find good quality items at goodwills in wealthier neighborhoods . I have found brand names at goodwills just by taking the time to look through the racks . I found a jcrew top at goodwill for .99 cents and wow what a buy and that has been two years ago and it is still wearable and looks really good . I have been asked at work many times where i get my clothes and i tell the girls at goodwill and they are like , No you did not . I tell them yes I did . I spend maybe 20.00 on clothes once a year at the goodwill and im set for the year .
It's difficult to have my husband watch her so I can sneak out as he gets irritated that I want to "stick him" with the baby. I think he sees it as me trying to go out and have some sort of rip roaring good time while gets stuck at home?
I find the above very, very sad.
To address your question -- there is nothing wrong with having a "uniform" type of clothing for work. I have always worked professional jobs and finally got tired of the closets full of clothes but nothing to wear syndrome.
So I decided to pick a main color and only buy things in that color (black and white). I can get dressed in the dark and in 3 minutes, knowing everything in my closet will go together. It doesn't matter if one piece is in the wash or dry cleaners -- there is another piece that will match. If on a whim, I see something cheap and colorful -- I can pick it up knowing it will go with my black and white color scheme.
As far as thrift store shopping -- take a tape measure and measure the clothes you have that fit you good. Write those numbers down. Then take your tape measure to the thrift store with you and you can quickly see if the clothes on the rack will come close to fitting. Cuts down on wasted time trying things on.
Basic colors and accessorize, accessorize, accessorize. A scarf here, a belt there, DSW for shoes, and you'll be faaabulous.
...I swear there are times when I wish I was gay.
If it were that easy. My friend (friend of a friend) is quite the girly girl and always looks a thousand times better than I do. :::sigh:::
I shop everywhere and have found terrific clothing pieces for very low prices at... the Salvation Army store, yard sales, consignment shops, Walmart, off price places like Marshalls and department store sales. If you're familiar with a brand and its fit, you can also buy good pieces at low prices online.
Be very aware of fit, quality of fabric and construction. You don't want to buy anything that's going to look worn after just one season of wear. You'll just have to shop again.
I work in a semi-professional office place, it's obvious people have a clothing budget. I'm starting to feel weird wearing the same black tights and skirt everyday, and rotating through my shirts.
Keep your wardobe very basic, as you're already doing. If you need a change, buy a navy or khaki skirt.
Heck, that's what men do, and nobody even notices.
I work in a very relaxed workplace, and could get away with jeans and sneakers every day if I wanted to. My uniform is chinos and cardigans. If I'm in the mood to get flashy , I add a scarf or some jewelry above and beyond pearl earrings.
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How important is it to look "good" at an office? What about a pilled sweater? Or short pants? Or shirts getting threadbare at the elbows? Just how much wear can you get out of an item before you need to retire it?
Unfortunately, first impressions count, and people do judge you on how you look. Pilled sweaters, short pants and threadbare shirts are what I wear to clean the house or weed the garden.
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Originally Posted by TimeMachine
I keep putting every spare penny into Roth accounts and dept reduction and have left nothing in my budget to maintenance myself (clothes / shoes / body care). So when I think about buying a new shirt (or even a thrift store one) I feel guilty like I'm stealing from our other needs or whiling our money away on something silly like clothing.
You're doing the right thing, emphasizing your retirement. But in order to earn money for your retirement, you need to have a decent work wardrobe so you can keep your job!
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It's difficult to have my husband watch her so I can sneak out as he gets irritated that I want to "stick him" with the baby. I think he sees it as me trying to go out and have some sort of rip roaring good time while gets stuck at home? When I mention wanting to pick up a few items for work he asks if I really "NEEEEEEEED" them. So I try to convince myself I don't need new stuff, though it can get hard at work as I feel like I stick out like a frumpy soar thumb. I've got the misfitting, pilling outfit, the puffy unstyled hair, the old pair of shoes I wear day after day. Maybe it's just me but I feel like it could impact my work relations if I don't spiff it up a bit.
I don't think you're out of line at all, in asking your husband for a little "me time" to go shopping (and giving him some one-on-one time with his child), in expecting to be able to spend some of the money you earned on yourself, and in the feeling that you need to dress like the people around you.
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