The following is a post by MPFJ staff writer, CJ, who blogs at thesingledollar.com about personal finance, budgeting, frugality, and debt repayment.
When I got my first grown-up job, I was really excited; it was the middle of a recession and professional employment was pretty hard to come by. I wanted to do a good job and make a good impression on my new colleagues. Only problem: it had taken me several months to find the job and I was flat broke. What was I going to wear?
If you’re in a similar situation and your college wardrobe of jeans and tank tops isn’t going to cut it, you can still build a professional wardrobe on a budget. Here are some ideas to help you get started.
Thrift Stores
An oldie, but a goodie. Thrift stores are the basis of many a great budget wardrobe, because you can find quality name brands for only a few dollars. The clothing you buy should be cleaned already, but it can’t hurt to run it through the wash (or dry clean it) for good measure.
The cheapest clothes will be at places like Goodwill and the Salvation Army, but other options worth considering for professional used clothing have sprung up. Check to see if your area has a Clothes Mentor or Plato’s Closet branch. Both buy and sell used professional clothing.
Online Options
If the thrift stores in your area aren’t great, try going online. It can be a little tricky since it’s difficult or impossible to return used clothing that doesn’t fit, but especially if you know what brands you like, it can be really helpful. ThredUp carries high-quality and cheap used clothing, and searching for a brand on Ebay can also turn up some great and very inexpensive stuff.
Clothing Swaps
If you’ve got friends who’ve been in the working world for a while, they will probably already have some decent professional clothes. Organize a clothing swap (if you don’t have much to contribute yourself, you can always provide the snacks!) and you might pick up some great clothing. I’m still wearing a sweater and a pair of pants that I got at a swap ten years ago. And the only thing better than inexpensive professional clothing is free professional clothing!
Wear a Work “Uniform”
A lot’s been written in the last year about the virtues of having a professional “uniform” that you wear to work every day. Steve Jobs’s black turtlenecks are famous (and they were pretty expensive, being designed by Issey Miyake just for him) but you can do it too. Maybe your uniform is a white shirt and a black suit, or maybe it’s a blouse, cardigan, and skirt — it depends on what you like to wear and on your industry. Choose something durable, comfortable, simple, and classic, and then buy multiple versions of it. You never have to worry about what to wear, and since the work uniform cuts way down on impulse shopping, it will also save you a lot of money in the long term, though it does require some investment up front.
Work From Home
If you do that, you will have a very cheap professional wardrobe — because your pajamas will do double duty!
How about you all? How do you keep your costs for ‘work clothes’ down? Do you buy used?
Share your experiences by commenting below!
***Photo courtesy https://www.flickr.com/photos/barkbud/4171183856/
