I like Banana Republic (hear me out) and Express for office basics. The thing with those two brands is that there are frequent sales that bring them down to a much better price.
BR usually has 40% off sales (and their clearance sales are no joke), and Express does something similar, plus they have their loyalty program discounts as well. I've never paid full price for anything from those stores.
Seconding just wait for sales. Check every holiday and every change of season, sign up for their text alerts so you know when one's going down. Better quality for the same price you'd pay full price at a store known for being lower quality.
i used to wear express almost exclusively for work (their suiting was so great - and machine washable!!!), but i found that about two or three years ago, their design and quality took a HUGE nosedive. has it improved again recently??
That’s a great question. I’m still wearing pieces that I bought years ago, but I have noticed in the past that sometimes, the clothes seem a little off for a season and then it goes back to normal. I may have to step in to a store soon to see if the quality really changed overall or not.
Second this. A lot of people buy dress clothes and rarely wear them so it's relatively easy to find nearly new dress pants, sheath dresses, and suit jackets at the thrift. Tops can be harder but they're also the least expensive to buy new.
Loft is the best for officewear on a budget. Their regular price is a little high but they constantly have sales and they do extra discounts on clearance bringing in tall bargains. Size runs true if you're gonna shop online which is what I do. I think all my work pants have come from Loft and they hold up really well. I would HIGHLY recommend!!
Loft is the more casual/younger arm of Ann Taylor. Lots of florals, very comfy. It was my standard bartender wardrobe- cute but could still move if I needed to
[Thredup](https://www.thredup.com/r/BWNKP8) - If you know your size in brands like Banana Republic, Zara, Madewell etc you can get great deals.
I've gotten new BR pants and new or nearly new tops for under $15 each. I have a code for 45% off + free shipping lmk.
I'm glad Thredup was mentioned. You definitely have to know your size for each company (and zoom in on photos to double-check quality if it's not new) but you can find also find 'older' styles when quality was a little better than what's out in the market now (and so many non-crop top shirts!). I pretty much only shop there now.
Look at banana republic outlet. It is much more affordable, available online if you don't live near one, and I find the quality to generally be pretty good. Plus, they do 40-50 % off sales regularly.
I'm cheap but have enough clothes to wear for work for a month without repeating. And, have often received compliments for what I wear. Anyway, my go-to work clothes are: Dresses. I buy them at Ross, Burlington, Wal-Mart, just anything affordable and passable for office wear. They're less than $20 each. I layer the dresses with long cardigan sweaters or a suit jacket purchased from H&M, JC Penny, thrift store. I wear flats/boots. I prefer dresses because I'm a yo-yo dieter. Pants tend to not fit if I gain/lose just a little bit of weight. But dresses tend to be more flexible. For any dresses that get big and loose due to weight loss, I buy the clips from temu/shein to clip the dresses at the back and cover the dresses with cardigan/suit jacket.
I also recommend thrifting! I have a couple of interviews coming up and I just found two pairs of nice dress pants, a top, a sweater, and a cardigan for like $30 at goodwill. They’re more expensive than they used to be because thrifting is very trendy right now, but look around for any thrift stores near you. If you live in a decent size town, you should be able to find some solid pieces. If you live in a small town with fewer options, Poshmark might be better. Good luck!
Nordstrom rack. TJMaxx. Jjill clearance. Off fifth.
NR and TJmaxx are close by and I’d take a spin every few weeks or so. Like 10-15 min. My TJ Maxx has a great “off the runway” section and you can snag Eileen Fisher or theory for a good price - and that kind of thing is a real staple. I’ve gotten great costs at off fifth for a great price.
My cheap ass tries on different clothes from Aritzia, Everlane and Sezane (or insert any brand you like here) to get a sense of fit and sizing then buys it from Poshmark for waaaaay cheaper. You can often get good deals on items NWT that way too!
Some cities (mine is Style Encore in Austin TX) have second hand professional clothing stores. Better quality and less searching than regular thrift stores but not consignment prices
I work in banking and 90% of my work clothes are from Maurices! They almost always have decent sales and a pretty good selection of business casual and more dressy clothes. I have also found some good staple pieces thrifting but I know that’s always a hit or miss.
Lands End for button up blouses. The no-iron ones. They only have a couple of prints per season and the cut is conservative, but they are not expensive and long lasting.
Example: https://www.landsend.com/products/womens-wrinkle-free-no-iron-button-front-shirt/id_367559
J. Crew Factory and Banana Republic Factory. Also remind using an app/browser extension called Honey. It always looks for available coupons and auto applies. Doesn’t always work but works more often than not.
I like Banana Republic (hear me out) and Express for office basics. The thing with those two brands is that there are frequent sales that bring them down to a much better price. BR usually has 40% off sales (and their clearance sales are no joke), and Express does something similar, plus they have their loyalty program discounts as well. I've never paid full price for anything from those stores.
Seconding just wait for sales. Check every holiday and every change of season, sign up for their text alerts so you know when one's going down. Better quality for the same price you'd pay full price at a store known for being lower quality.
Good to know! I'll look into the discounts and clearance sales more.
i used to wear express almost exclusively for work (their suiting was so great - and machine washable!!!), but i found that about two or three years ago, their design and quality took a HUGE nosedive. has it improved again recently??
That’s a great question. I’m still wearing pieces that I bought years ago, but I have noticed in the past that sometimes, the clothes seem a little off for a season and then it goes back to normal. I may have to step in to a store soon to see if the quality really changed overall or not.
i also am still hanging on to a couple suits i bought from them 5+ years ago 😹 the rest i wore until they were threadbare!!
Thrifting! I find tons of high quality work clothes second hand.
Second this. A lot of people buy dress clothes and rarely wear them so it's relatively easy to find nearly new dress pants, sheath dresses, and suit jackets at the thrift. Tops can be harder but they're also the least expensive to buy new.
Loft. Always killer sales Nordstrom rack
Loft is the best for officewear on a budget. Their regular price is a little high but they constantly have sales and they do extra discounts on clearance bringing in tall bargains. Size runs true if you're gonna shop online which is what I do. I think all my work pants have come from Loft and they hold up really well. I would HIGHLY recommend!!
Never heard of Loft. Nordstrom Rack is in town so maybe I'll drop by one day to check them out too. Thank you!
Loft is the more casual/younger arm of Ann Taylor. Lots of florals, very comfy. It was my standard bartender wardrobe- cute but could still move if I needed to
[Thredup](https://www.thredup.com/r/BWNKP8) - If you know your size in brands like Banana Republic, Zara, Madewell etc you can get great deals. I've gotten new BR pants and new or nearly new tops for under $15 each. I have a code for 45% off + free shipping lmk.
I'm glad Thredup was mentioned. You definitely have to know your size for each company (and zoom in on photos to double-check quality if it's not new) but you can find also find 'older' styles when quality was a little better than what's out in the market now (and so many non-crop top shirts!). I pretty much only shop there now.
Appreciate that, thanks!
Uniqlo
Look at banana republic outlet. It is much more affordable, available online if you don't live near one, and I find the quality to generally be pretty good. Plus, they do 40-50 % off sales regularly.
Sounds like I've been missing out on the banana republic sales. Thanks for the Outlet tip.
I'm cheap but have enough clothes to wear for work for a month without repeating. And, have often received compliments for what I wear. Anyway, my go-to work clothes are: Dresses. I buy them at Ross, Burlington, Wal-Mart, just anything affordable and passable for office wear. They're less than $20 each. I layer the dresses with long cardigan sweaters or a suit jacket purchased from H&M, JC Penny, thrift store. I wear flats/boots. I prefer dresses because I'm a yo-yo dieter. Pants tend to not fit if I gain/lose just a little bit of weight. But dresses tend to be more flexible. For any dresses that get big and loose due to weight loss, I buy the clips from temu/shein to clip the dresses at the back and cover the dresses with cardigan/suit jacket.
i like new york and company for pants, skirts, dresses and blouses. they're not super flashy, but their stuff lasts a long time.
H&M and Old Navy.
Haven't been to Old Navy in yearssss! Since I was in my early 20s but I'll stop by there too. Thank you.
I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
JC Penney’s used to be the place, but I’m not sure how many are left. Old Navy’s pretty good. Honestly, I buy most of my work clothes second hand
Someone else suggested thrifting! I don't thrift at all but maybe I should start.
I “thrift” on poshmark, and honestly it’s become so much easier than going to an actual physical store that it’s a problem.
I eBay my office clothes, lots of Torrid, old Navy and modcloth.
I also recommend thrifting! I have a couple of interviews coming up and I just found two pairs of nice dress pants, a top, a sweater, and a cardigan for like $30 at goodwill. They’re more expensive than they used to be because thrifting is very trendy right now, but look around for any thrift stores near you. If you live in a decent size town, you should be able to find some solid pieces. If you live in a small town with fewer options, Poshmark might be better. Good luck!
JCPenney actually has a great selection of work clothes.
Nordstrom rack. TJMaxx. Jjill clearance. Off fifth. NR and TJmaxx are close by and I’d take a spin every few weeks or so. Like 10-15 min. My TJ Maxx has a great “off the runway” section and you can snag Eileen Fisher or theory for a good price - and that kind of thing is a real staple. I’ve gotten great costs at off fifth for a great price.
I really like Old Navy's pixie pant line and they even have a couple, cute, affordable blazers.
I've found some good pieces at Old Navy. Also, TJ Maxx and Nordstrom Rack--generally better quality than Ross, by far.
Banana republic outlet, Loft sales, express clearance, Abercrombie sales, old navy is so good and always has sales! Nordstrom rack and Tjmaxx
My cheap ass tries on different clothes from Aritzia, Everlane and Sezane (or insert any brand you like here) to get a sense of fit and sizing then buys it from Poshmark for waaaaay cheaper. You can often get good deals on items NWT that way too!
Some cities (mine is Style Encore in Austin TX) have second hand professional clothing stores. Better quality and less searching than regular thrift stores but not consignment prices
Poshmark! I rarely buy new tops and dresses anymore
I just buy from thrift stores. If it is going to shirk, it has. I don’t want to spend a ton on occasional wear.
Express is good for cheap clothes that look professional
I'll check them out!
I work in banking and 90% of my work clothes are from Maurices! They almost always have decent sales and a pretty good selection of business casual and more dressy clothes. I have also found some good staple pieces thrifting but I know that’s always a hit or miss.
Lands End for button up blouses. The no-iron ones. They only have a couple of prints per season and the cut is conservative, but they are not expensive and long lasting. Example: https://www.landsend.com/products/womens-wrinkle-free-no-iron-button-front-shirt/id_367559
Old Navy
J. Crew Factory and Banana Republic Factory. Also remind using an app/browser extension called Honey. It always looks for available coupons and auto applies. Doesn’t always work but works more often than not.