Clothing rut and new job

[Anonymous]

I am in a clothing rut. I am in my late twenties and work in education. I just received a promotion where I am supervising many people senior to me (age-wise).

I have been shopping at H & M, occasional Target trendy stuff and Old Navy. Clearly that won't cut it anymore. I have a 1 and 3 year old so for the last four years my weight has gone up and down and my clothing is constantly revolving and cheap because of the pregnancy, post pregnancy cycle twice.

Please help me figure out how the hell to dress myself! Once upon a time I knew how to do this...now I am just out of step and feel my clothing ages me in a bad, not mature way.

Please help!

[Anonymous]

I have been advised to always dress like your supervisor or - better - their supervisor. For you that could mean ajump from Old Navy straight to a business suit, therefore I think you should start by deciding how business or how business casual you want to be.

Next decide which of your current clothes you will simply never wear to work again. After that, decide what are the gaps in your wardrobe (tailored pants? A jacket you can throw over various skirts or pants? Blouses?) and based on your budget, go out shopping, making sure to hit many different stores rather than only one or two (which in part is what got you into your current rut).

Finally, don't underestimate what a good haircut and a pair of very high quality shoes can do for a look.

[Anonymous]

And don't forget what a great bra can do for all of it! No tired out, pre-preggo bras. They call them foundation garments for a reason- they are the foundation of good looks.
Once your undergarments are under control then go out shopping for a suit. I find that well structured suit jackets look very unflattering if I don't have solid bra to keep the mommy chest where it *should* be.

[Anonymous]

What are some snappy shoes?

[Anonymous]

I am going through the same thing, and I have found very good pieces in the sale racks of Ann Taylor Loft. Peruse online to make sure the styles fit what you're looking for.

[Anonymous]

buy for quality - not quantity.

It was hard for me to make this change but just b/c it is a great deal, if it is not your color / make you look great, it is not a deal.

I love wearing dresses. With these , I find it easy to get dressed in the morning (I also have 2 young children) and I know time is of the essence.

From a budget POV, maybe you shoot for buying 1 new work outfit every / every other month and by the end of the year you will have a great set of clothes that you will feel confident in every day.

[Anonymous]

OP here

Thank you PPs! I am in a rut because I always shop at the same places. I also like the tip about dressing like my boss or my boss's boss.

New goal, move from a size ten to a size eight and let the shopping begin!

[Anonymous]

I am youngish like you, get a lot of pieces at Loft, and, I know people will flame this, Talbots. The stuff works well for me in my line of work (education related, suits would be overkill). I wear jackets with pants in winter, lots of skirts and tops in summer. I look polished, not stodgy, and I like Talbots stuff (some of it) because the cut tends to be more conservative, which works on me in part because I am young. Ann Taylor gets a lot of good press but some of the cuts make a 20 something look 15.

[Anonymous]

when you do go shopping, go for seasonless fabrics as much as possible. Very light weight wool suit gets a lot of use in DC. And the jacket can be worn with other items.

And if you lose weight, many items can be taken in by a tailor to fit your new size.