Nobody wants to spend tons of money on workplace attire, especially in light of how single-purpose it ends up being. If you're starting a new job, use strategies like future boss analysis to get your wardrobe up to speed cheaply.
Photo by harrykeely.
Set to enter their first professional job after college, a woman wrote into personal finance blog The Simple Dollar, wanting to look the part without spending thousands on attire. They offered her some excellent advice, including:
Your best bet would be to dress at a level similarly to your boss, but not in a way that's miles beyond the workers at your level. In most workplaces, you're better off overdressing a bit than underdressing. The problem is that each workplace has something of a different definition of what "overdressing" and "underdressing" is and by finding out what your coworkers wear, you can get a bead on that right off the bat.
Indeed, it is far better to overdress and have your boss jokingly ask you if you're going to a formal dinner than to have him ask if you just got back from a rough camping trip. Check out the full article for more advice and stocking your wardrobe inexpensively.
Send an email to Jason Fitzpatrick, the author of this post, at jason@lifehacker.com.
