5 Ways to Make Work Wear Work for You

Happy Tuesday, sweet friends! Somehow we are halfway through the month of September and I am seriously ready for Fall. We had a glimpse of cooler weather about two weeks ago but are back into the high 80s and low 90s. By now, I am just happy with any day under 85 degrees!

As you guys know, I have been sharing my #whatiworetowork looks and #wookootd on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram stories & the LikeToKnowIt app. Since then, I’ve gotten so many different questions around work wear, styling, picking pieces and more that I am always excited to answer. Today, I’m sharing all my tips for how to make your work wear work for you.

My first tip is to find what you like and buy it in every color. Legit every color, pattern or style they have. For me, Hunter pants from Old Navy have always worked to give me a structured trouser look and fall right at my ankles. When I”m wearing a fitted top or want to do a tucked top, these pants come in handy. I currently only have 4 colors and that’s probably because I ran so many other colors into the ground with wearing them multiple times a week. On average, I wear this style pant about once a week and style several different ways. These pants also stay in season all year long since new colors pop up when the seasons change.

Secondly, keep a running tab of your sizes in every story. This can be a little daunting in the beginning but it is seriously so worth it. Doing this makes tip 1 work so much better when you know exactly what size and cut you are in stores. For example, when I order petite anything at LOFT, I need to size up one. Their petites are perfect for length but tend to cut your body a little thinner. At Talbots, I know I can stay TTS to even size down on their non-fitted items since they cut a little larger. I do keep a note in my phone with sizes and tips for each store so when I’m shopping, I don’t feel like I have to try on everything. This is particularly helpful when you shop at department stores such as Nordstrom and Belk that sell hundreds of brands that don’t follow the same sizing.

Next, I keep a running tab of items I actually want and need. Just recently, I noticed that I didn’t have any black pants I wanted to wear. I donated several pair before moving and the one pair I did have left, I didn’t love the fit for casual office wear. So, I had a goal of getting two pair of black work pants in two styles. I found both styles I wanted and now can cross that off my list. Because I have this list going, whenever I end up at a store, I don’t shop aimlessly as much because I know what I need to be looking for. This saves me time, money and energy.

Second to last, set a budget. As a blogger and someone who just generally loves shopping, this is sometimes the hardest thing for me. When looking at your budget and how much “flex” money you have on average, I would set a budget based on your needs. On a low month, I spend about $100-$150 on clothing. On a high money, sometimes double…or more. Now, hear me out: I do take one item out for every item that I bring in. I also try to find pieces worth investing in so I can not buy crappy items over and over again. And I also, as part of my job, have/get to create style content which means adding in new pieces to mix to older pieces. I have friends who spend $50 or less or new clothes a month and other friends who spend over $500 a month. All of them have their budgets based on their income and what they like to buy. So, look at your current budget, figure out what you want or need then set aside fun money for the month.

And my last tip that you’ve probably read by now is to shop by the rule of 3. This means only buy items that you can wear 3 times or to 3 locations or in 3 ways. I stay away from items that are for one-time use only because I find it to be wasteful and then I am upset when I have to buy something else. So, follow this rule when shopping for work to weekend wear to make sure you are adding quality pieces that you actually like to wardrobe and will serve purpose. The only exception to this rule would be anything you have to buy that’s out of your control such as a bridesmaid dress or matching clothing for friends.

Well friends, that’s all that I have for today! I love sharing work style content with y’all and am always open to feedback or suggestions on what type of content you want to. In the comments, let me know what tips help you create a great work wardrobe. Can’t wait to talk to y’all soon! -xo, Azanique <3