Don’t forget about shoes. My kid realized that she would be standing a good chunk of the day…and needed good shoes to support that. I told her…wear something you think will work…then look at the feet of the people on your work place. Order those!
My kid got her first separates when she needed them her senior year of college for presentations and interviews. Black slacks, skirt, and jacket from Express. Dressed them up with various kinds of blouses and shirts. And some tasteful jewelry. Got a few pairs of slacks at gap or banana republic. Has some simple but comfortable dresses from Loft…all purchased on sale.
I highly doubt any tech office job would require pantyhose. Even attorneys do not wear it unless they have to go to court. However, dark tights or patterned tights or thin leggings that can be worn as tights is something a gal can invest in - if she she lives in a place where the weather gets chilly.
My daughter loves Loft, an Ann Taylor-related chain, for inexpensive professional wardrobe that isn’t super formal. They also have very aggressive sales.
Ann Taylor – which likewise has aggressive sales – is also terrific but tends to be more expensive (though also more ‘classic’ IMO.)
My STEM D and I shopped together for her first work clothes and most of what I bought for her ended up being donated, largely unworn, five years later. When she started she was the only woman in her group; there are three more now. Her peers were guys who wore old jeans and t-shirts, or maybe a polo shirt if a meeting was scheduled, and sneakers. Managers wore slacks and polos,while execs wore suits. D wears pants, leather flats or low heels, and nice tops Mon. - Thurs. and dark wash jeans on Fri. She keeps a jacket at work, too. She got teased about “dressing up” at first, but some people noticed she was often asked to attend client meetings even if her role on a project was a peripheral one. She looks young for her age and dressing up somewhat helps her look less like an undergrad.
My daughter got some beautiful black slacks ( Theory) at Off 5 th but they don’t have those everywhere. She got done blouses at Lord and Taylor. H and M also provided some inexpensive pieces.
Before my D started her post-college job, I took her to Nordstrom and we met with a consultant (personal stylist?) who helped her select some basics. She did end up getting a blazer and she already had one or two she had purchased for her interviews. She’s an engineer who works at a large firm and it turned out that blazers are too formal for her environment so that ended up not being a wise decision. The slacks, tops and tops all worked out. She filled out the rest of her wardrobe at stores others have mentioned above.