After living in a beach town for a couple of years, my wardrobe had seemingly been filled with crop tops, rompers, and floral disco pants. All traditionally articles of clothing you wouldn’t want to show up in for the first day of your shiny new adult job. Unfortunately, being fresh out of college on a tight budget does not translate to a shopping spree at Barneys. Which is why, after years of online shopping and drooling on Pinterest, i’ve put together an affordable, yet chic, list of all your wardrobe must-haves when you transition into your new boss lifestyle.
1. The Blazer
I cannot stress ENOUGH the importance of one, classic, blazer. When you want to make the switch from day clothes to business casual, the first, and I really do mean first thing you want to purchase is a solid blazer to throw on everyday. Regardless of what you’re wearing under, a blazer is the perfect guise of pristine professional attire.
2. The Midi Skirt
Tired of squeezing into skinny jeans or those slim cut pants? The midi skirt is the perfect way to give your look a chic edge while avoid suffocating your legs for eight hours
3. The 9-5 to Happy Hour Blouse
The main reason adulthood isn’t so bad is the rise of the acceptance of drinking right after work at 5 pm. But the biggest hurdle of this is figuring out how to successfully transition from a meeting with your boss to downing some half priced cocktails. In comes what I like to call the “9-5 to happy hour blouse.”
4. If the shoe fits
The icing on the cake of any outfit is the glass slipper that tops off the entire look. Now personally, no part of me wants to squeeze into an uncomfortable stiletto for hours, especially as im constantly running in between meetings. So these shoes are a mix of comfort, style, and won’t break the bank.
5. The Corporate Dress
As my final pop culture reference for this post, this one is for all of you Royal Watchers that used to keep up with Meghan Markle when she was a paralegal on her show SUITS. I used to envy her fitted and gorgeous office dresses, so this last style is in her honor.