5 Tips for Dressing Professionally on a Budget

Last month, one of the styling story requests I received was about dressing professionally on a budget. This, my friends, is a fantastic question. I have to admit that I’ve never officially had to dress “professionally.” The majority of my internships took place either online (pajamas required), or in some fashion-related environment, in which the kookier you dressed, the more respected you were. One summer however, with no internship prospects in sight, my dad graciously hired me as an intern at his investor relations firm. On my second day, I wore hot pink chinos, and on my second day, I quit (partly because no one complimented or respected my awesome pants – a very novel feeling).

That discouraging professional-dress-history aside, I still have some professional dress suggestions thanks to my good friend Olivia Pope. The vote is in and everyone agrees – Olivia Pope is the baddest bitch in the world of professional dress. The actual clothing pieces she wears are designer-made, but simply shopping for work clothes or getting dressed with her style in mind will put you leagues ahead of everyone.

Tip 1. Uniform. Find a professional uniform that works for you. Don’t wear skirts often to work? Don’t buy them anymore! It’s more important to have a smaller selection of high quality things that you wear at least once a week, than an expansive closet full of things you rarely wear. While Olivia has a team of stylists behind the scenes dressing her in beautiful pieces, she definitely has a uniform, and it involves a lot of wide-leg pants and blanket coats.

Tip 2. Color. I realize that not everyone loves neutrals as much as I do, but sticking with clothing in a small range of colors makes it much easier to arrange new outfits. If you do as I do and lean towards black, gray, navy, white, and cream, don’t feel as though the tones need to match. Take a hint from the J.Crew lookbook and pair together stark white pants, an off-white sweater, and a cream jacket. That sort of tonal mix and match works, and in fact looks chic, but a mix and match of red, black, and blue will have you looking like a mess.

Tip 3. Classic Structure. One of the largest lessons in dressing professionally is buying classic things to build your uniform. If you’re considering buying a $40 peplum blouse vs. a simple $60 blouse – go for the simple one, you’ll thank yourself later. Believe me, you won’t want to be wearing a painfully trendy shirt in ten years. As my other good friend Karl Lagerfeld said, “Trendy is the last stage before tacky.”

Tip 4. Tailoring. Some of the best money you’ll spend on clothing is having it tailored. This goes back to the few expensive things vs. more inexpensive things – you get what you pay for. If you find a pair of nice pants on the Neiman’s sale rack, but they are a bit too baggy in the butt and too long at the bottom, but have a nice overall shape and high-quality fabric, buy them and take them to the tailor. Your tailor will be able to make the pants look perfect on you in a way that you’ll never be able to buy right off the rack, regardless of where you shop or how much you spend. With a high quality fabric, the piece of clothing will last forever if you treat it right – think of it as an investment.

Tip 5. Prioritize. There’s no way around it – high quality clothing is expensive. To avoid the fast-fashion rut (those times you go into H&M, blow $80 on seven things, and then have to replace those seven things two months later when they fall apart), you must prioritize – something I find nearly impossible. If you know you’re in need of a new handbag, keep in mind that every time you give into your baser instinct and go wild at H&M, you’re that much further away from buying that beautiful satchel you’ve been eyeing. So prioritize – set a goal for what you want and when you want to make your big purchase, and don’t let any quick buys distract you.

I’ve probably just given you the exact advice you didn’t want to hear – buy less at more expensive prices – but thus is the motto of adulthood. However as much as I’ve come to love neutral colors and classic shapes in my clothing, I can’t seem to leave the house without a touch of something accidentally ridiculous in my outfit. So what are the approved fun work buys to balance out the rule following? Shoes, knit shirts, and scarves.

Fun Buys: Shoes are like cars, the second you take them out for a spin, their value decreases. I love beautiful, expensive shoes, but the truth is, they are touching the ground everyday, all day long. Buy shoes from a brand that produces a reliable product that will get you through a year or two, but there’s no need to go designer on them if you can’t afford it. As for knit shirts, in my experience, the shirts I get at Gap hold up much better than the knits at higher-end stores. If you can get a Breton stripe at Old Navy for $10, and a shirt with the exact same look from Vince for $120 – the choice seems obvious. Save that extra money and put it towards that beautiful handbag we were talking about. Lastly, scarves. Scarves are a must-have for any work outfit especially in the cooler months. You don’t have to have an Hèrmes scarf (though you should eventually save up for one!) to look like a stylish Parisian. Sometimes vintage clothing stores have a whole basket full of vintage silk scarves for next to nothing. If you’re unsure about wearing a completely black outfit for instance, tying a vibrant scarf around your neck will quell that fear. For an added dose of fun, don’t forget a swipe of bold lipstick, and a trendy hairdo.

Stay tuned for Part II of Dressing Professionally on a Budget, which will include shoppable links!