What are your favorite, most affordable office clothes for women? Whether your weight is changing, you’re just starting out, or you’re on a tight budget for other reasons, let’s discuss!
To kick off discussion, here’s a template for you — what is the cheapest item in each category that you own and would recommend to a friend that is reliably available on the rack (not just a great clearance find)…
- pants
- blazers
- suits
- tops
- dresses
- office shoes
I’ll give my own answers below; I can’t wait to see what everyone says! (If you can only think of items for a few categories, that’s fine too!)
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The Most Affordable Office Clothes for Women: Kat’s List
Pants. I think my top pick for this category would be Uniqlo — they’re under $50 and come in petite, regular, and tall sizes. I know readers have spoken highly of Old Navy’s Pixie pants over the years, as well.
Blazers. The spots I would check first would be Quince ($69), Amazon, and H&M almost always has a single-breasted blazer available for around $50 in different fits and colors.
Suits. Banana Republic Factory would probably be my first stop here. Department stores also carry a lot more “suiting separates” for affordable prices these days than there have been in the past — e.g., Macy’s carries suiting separates for Kasper’s and Tahari.
(Suiting separates are better because you can buy a different size pant than jacket, and often there are several different cuts of pants and cuts of blazers available so you can buy the ones that you personally like, or buy several options to have a mix and match wardrobe.)
If you’re ok with a single suit (both pieces purchased together), this Anne Klein Executive one is a good option, or you might want to try this affordable suit at Amazon (often under $75!).
A few things to note if you’re buying suits on a budget: look for as seasonless a fabric that you can find — 4-season wool is the ideal. Cotton and linen will only be able to be worn in summer, and tweed or corduroy could only be worn in the winter.
{related: the best suits for women this year}
Tops. I’m curious to see what people say here — I think in general there are going to be a lot of good options at fast fashion places, from H&M to Zara to Old Navy to Loft. The big trick is to make sure that it’s washable — and I’d also try to avoid trendy shapes and go for the most basic cuts.
Dresses. There are so many options here, but I’d head to Nordstrom Rack or the like and take a look at the options from Eliza J, Maggy London, Donna Ricco, and Calvin Klein— they’ve all had nice options for work-appropriate dresses in the past for around $50. (We’ve also rounded up a ton of really affordable, reader-approved Amazon dresses!)
{related: what to buy at Amazon for work outfits}
Office Shoes. DSW and Target both have a bunch of options in general. For a comfortable flat, I’d suggest the Skechers Cleo, usually under $50. For a comfortable heel, I’d suggest the New Day heels at Target.
Readers, how about you — what are your favorite budget workwear pieces? Where would you start first if you needed an entirely new wardrobe, or a workable wardrobe while you’re losing weight or whatnot?
Stock photo via Pexels / Karolina Grabowska.