My recent college grad daughter just got her first job!
I am not a shopper but would like to treat her to a few basic pieces. Her setting will be in a science and technology office, not a lab and not a business/law office.
I would like suggestions for stores to try. Thank you.
Congrats!!! My kid got a job in a similar setting and had a good luck with finding her wardrobe at the Rack.
Ann Taylor and Loft have frequent 40% off everything sales where my D was able to put together a work wardrobe of simple dresses and trousers, pencil skirts, and blouses inexpensively.
My DD needed business casual clothes too. She had good luck at Express and Banana Republic getting separates.
She is also a small size and has gotten some fabulous high end clothes at a consignment shop.
She also has some things from the Rack.
Yes to those. She should check Express for trousers and blouses and wrinkle-resistant shirts. They are surprisingly well made. Not like the flashy stuff they sell.
Also, H&M has some basics.
+1 to Ann Taylor.
Presumably, she observed during the interview how people dress at that office and can tell you what makes sense for that office?
What about Steinmart? I’ve never shopped there, but a friend of mine who works in an office said she likes to shop there.
^video interview, but she has some idea.
Thanks for the help everyone!
My advice would be to pick up only a,few versatile basics (the sale section in banana Republic is great for this as well as j. Crew,) and to wait until she has seen what the norm is in her office. AND tell her to get things she thinks she could use outside work -just in case.
Give her some money for the new wardrobe and tell her to go shopping.
Let her pick her clothes.
And congrats to her!
I just recently had fun taking my D for her first job wardrobe shopping. This is where we had the most luck
Banana Republic for a couple of really good basics that we found on sale rack, including a blazer with a couple of fun details for younger figure
Her first Little Black Dress found Banana Republic sale rack (I insisted…just in case there is a business event. She said she didn’t need it, has already needed it twice)
A couple of fun things suitable for office found at Anthropologie sale rack
Shirts, blouses and a couple of skirts and casual pants filled in at H&M
Flats and one pair comfortable office heels found at Macy’s shoe area (or DSW if you have one near you)
My one rule was “you have to know how this is going to fit in an entire outfit”. It doesn’t do any good to buy the crazy fun pants if you have no idea what shirt or shoes are going to be worn with them. Been there, done that. Still sitting in the closet
My daughter bought a few basics at Banana Republic, Nordstrom’s and Rack when she got her first job. She worked for a environmental consulting firm where the dress code was business casual.
Son got Burberry suit at consignment shop for 80 bucks. It’s gorgeous.
Thank you! This is all really really helpful.
My daughter did well getting work trousers at Kohls (this was a few years ago). She wears ballet flats to work but did buy a pair of low heeled classic pumps for dressier occasions at work (try DSW?) Her shirts have come from everywhere - H&M, NY & co., Forever 21, Dress Barn, Macys, etc. Don’t buy too much - after she is there a while she will know what others wear and how the office climate is (some places are kept just too cold or too hot and you need to dress accordingly).
Clothing that can be layered is always handy!
I don’t think you should leave it to your kid to buy work clothes for the first time. For both of my girls, I took them shopping after they got their first job. I had to say no to quite a few of their choices.
I like to mix and match expensive well tailored suits with some less expensive shirts or dresses. We live in NYC, so we have more options. I would get Boss/Tahari suits and DVF dresses at Saks when they are 50%+ off, and get some basics at Zara or Massimo Dutti. I think J Crew also has some nice stuff. Lord & Taylor and Macy’s have good sales too.
I encourage my kids to invest in few nice pieces each year and buy some fashionable throw aways to build up their wardrobe.
For a kid just starting out I would suggest you read labels carefully - they won’t be able to afford to dry clean stuff so make sure things are machine or hand washable.
The other thing we did when shopping for a starter work wardrobe was stick to one color scheme. My daughter chose black/grey - bought only pants/skirts in these colors. She did buy colorful shirts to go with them (pink, red, etc.) This way everything was mix and match (and she only needed one color work shoes - in her case black). Also, bought pants that could be worn all year round (a medium weight material).