We all know the feeling; you’ve just finished college or university and have landed a spiffy new job at a top firm. Perfect, or so you think until you realize you have absolutely nothing to wear. As if a limited budget wasn’t bad enough you also have no idea what a suitable wardrobe is. Don’t worry, starting a new job is the ideal opportunity to start learning how to get the most out of your new budget and one way to get noticed by your bosses and colleagues too. Dressing well says you know who you are, what you want and where you’re going - all qualities sure to get you that promotion in future. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to build a solid wardrobe for your new job (of course you can apply these principles to a casual wardrobe too!).
Step 1 - Understand Dress Codes
Even though business and professional dressing is a lot more flexible today that it was when our grandparents and parents were first starting out there are some principles that haven’t changed. Dressing appropriately for your environment is one of them. If you are unsure of what is appropriate dress for your new job look at what our boss and other staff members wear to get an idea of what the accepted dress code is.
Don’t be shy to ask your new employers what the dress code is and find out if employees tend to dress more casually on Fridays and wear slightly more professional clothes for client meetings.
Step 2 - Buy Only The Clothes You Really Need
Now its time to build a solid wardrobe based on your office dress code. On your shopping trip lean towards basic and conservative items and leave the accents to the accessories like belts and ties.
Obviously it’s not very realistic to buy two weeks of office wear on a limited budget. However, if you buy good basic items and learn how to mix and match items and colors you can get away with relatively few items.
