I prefer to have: 2 pairs of black slacks, + 3 other pairs. A few dresses (I actually have like 8 because I prefer dresses since I live in a hot climate) 2-3 skirts. 5-7 blouses. 1 blazer.

I actually have 2 sets of clothes, one for spring/summer and 1 for fall/winter, and this is per season. I like clothes and don't like to feel like I'm wearing the same thing over and over.

Don’t feel like you have to buy it all at once. Clothes are expensive. Look at thrift stores! Now that you’ve lost weight there will be more options at lower sizes. The larger you are, the less options at thrift stores. But now, the world opens up for thrifting and you can find lots of cute stuff!

For shirts, I just thrifted a Kirkland Signature dress shirt and I adore it: https://www.costco.com/mens-shirts.html?refine=%7C%7CBrand_attr-Kirkland%2BSignature

They come in basic patterns, they're $25 each, and they're made with extra-long staple cotton (the product page says "pima cotton," which by definition has extra-long fibers) which appears to mean that they last forever. Like I said, I thrifted mine and I sincerely thought it was barely-worn until I realized the tag on the left side seam was practically disintegrating because it had been washed so many times. Depending on your budget, $25 might be a stretch, but if the fit works for you, the shirts will keep looking smooth and crisp for a very long time.

Your local thrift store almost certainly has some good options that are very reasonably priced, but I don't know how much time you have to look through their offerings. You can always wear what you have (or buy one additional shirt) the first week, and then go shopping over the weekend. One or two more pairs of black slacks wouldn't hurt, either, but you could wear the same pair all week and people would just think "that guy has very consistent taste in pants," or even "that guy was smart and bought multiple pairs of his favorite slacks," rather than thinking you only have one pair of work pants.

What kind of professional job are we talking? Business casual?

If you're talking business casual, then get white and light blue dress shirts without pockets (not oxford cloth) in either solid colors or light stripes. Black shirts are not appropriate for business. Get light and/or mid grey and navy wool dress pants. Cowboy boots are a no-go: too casual unless you live in Texas and that's what people wear at the office. For shoes, 1 pair black and 1 pair mid-brown or burgundy oxford (or derby) dress shoes, with mid-brown/burgundy being more versatile. Get matching colored belts. Might be boring, but you can easily mix and match.

As for brands, I recommend Charles Tyrwhitt. They have good deals on shirts and pants, and have a reasonable selection of sizes and patterns. I like Allen Edmond's for shoes, but if you're on a budget try Cole Haan or Johnston and Murphy

Are you in Houston? I have a few pants and shirts that I don't wear anymore; they're yours if we can figure out how to get them to you (and if they fit)

A versatile professional starter pack should include: White and or light blue button down shirts. Khaki/brown, navy or grey chinos. One pack white socks to be worn with lighter pants and one pack black for darker. Brown leather shoes. *As basic as possible. You're not trying to draw attention to your feet.

*Unless you're told otherwise, save the suit and dryclean only stuff for later. You'll be mixing, matching and probably re-wearing clothes from day to day. As long as it looks like you respect your clients and colleges, you'll be fine.

In a hurry? Department store and mall brands like Banana Republic and J Crew are fine. *No one will look at your shirt tag but you want what fits best. If you have Prime, Amazon Basics are great but you'll want to order a few sizes and return what doesn't fit. If you have time to wait for a package- LL Bean and Lands End is better quality for the price. They'll stay looking good after being washed and worn more frequently and for longer.

Above all, you'll want to style yourself after your new coworkers. You'll want to look good but not like you're trying to stand out from your teammates.

Thrifting. Its very easy to find formal wear (suits) at local thrift stores, its a bit of an art but you can for sure dress down some of that formal wear into business casual.

I've been going through the same thing but a few years ago I realized that I don't need to replace my whole wardrobe at once, so that took a lot of stress off! Now I can slowly shop for higher quality pieces at the right price and the perfect fit. They should last me a long time unless I lose/gain weight lol

I think best place to start is to know your sizing and measurements. Take a piece of clothing that fits you perfectly and take measurements, keep that in your notes on your phone so you'll always know what fits. Now you know your sizing, so you can shop online with less of a hassle.

If you're focused on pricing then I would still stick with second hand stores, thrift stores, ebay, grailed, etc. Sure you can go into retail stores and find things that you like and buy them online for cheaper too! But slightly used will be a lot cheaper.

There's also a lot of decent brands that sell for pretty cheap. I like Uniqlo for basics. Everything else I buy from either clearance sales but mostly online sales. Lots of good sites with steep discounts like Yoox & Farfetch for starters, but then you're getting into designer clothing. Still at 90% off it can be worth it!

Clothing hasn't actually gotten more expensive. If anything, prices haven't kept up with inflation. What has happened is that clothing has gotten worse.

I'll be honest: you need to change your mindset around clothing prices. Quality clothes are expensive. Finding actually good deals (sales and secondhand) is time-consuming and requires knowledge--and may still be more expensive than you expect.

Some suggestions (always look for 100% natural fibers except for underwear/socks/athletic gear).

- J. Crew (not Factory - wait for sales)

- Gap (not Factory)

- Uniqlo

- Target Goodfellow & Co. line (I don't love em but they're cheap and decently stylish. I would strongly urge you not to look for anything cheaper as it's going to be trash)

I’m a big proponent of Nordstrom rack. They carry some good brands at significant discounts. They also carry some overpriced garbage so you just need to sort through it.

I don’t think buying cheap brands is a good idea unless you financially just can’t do more premium stuff. Get clothes that really look nice and will last.

I starting re building about a year ago after I realized I wasn’t happy with my entire wardrobe. It’s been a process. I’m focusing on higher quality stuff. It’s expensive lol.

I have casual stuff from Levi’s, Patagonia, Todd Snyder, Uniqlo, Ralph Lauren, carhartt, to name a few.

Business stuff is from Suitsupply, spier and mackay, the armoury in nyc and custom made dress shirts by a local tailor.

Outerwear from spier and mackay and Patagonia.

Shoes from Allen Edmonds and grant stone.

I feel like I’m about half way there.

You could try SuitShop, they offer well-priced, high-quality suits that are a great value for the money. Their suits are modern, come in a range of fits, and don't require expensive tailoring if you get the right size. A blazer and slacks from them would look sharp for your conference without breaking the bank. Plus, their customer service is solid if you need sizing help.

Search Google for "capsule wardrobe". It's the idea that you get a few pieces of clothing that are all interchangeable, so they all match and can make many combinations.

If you still have a student id, the JCrew factory studentbeans code will often stack with sales.

So check out Macy’s, here in south County St. Louis they’re closing so everything that was already 70 to 80% has another 20% off. Check the malls around your area. There might be some Macy’s closing as well. My daughter got two pants that were $80 for $7.50.

My advice has already been covered by others with one exception, I think. The suit/blazer, slacks, and shirt are relatively easy to do right even with little experience. but shoes in my experience are difficult.

For a conference where you'll be on your feet a lot, typically, so comfort is more important than when you're in an office setting. Luckily, there are a lot of options with current styles where dressy leather uppers are paired with soles resembling athletic shoes.

When I was in my 20s and 30s, I read "Dress For Success" (DFS), which was released as a 2nd edition a few years after the original. Both are dated by today's standards, but the general advice is solid.

The portion of DFS that stuck with me even now, 30-40 years later is this... very paraphrased, the author, Molloy, and his partner were professional consultants. They did experiments where they presented receptionists with people, applying for a job, or maybe just requesting a meeting with someone. They presented themselves with nearly identical fake credentials, background, personality, etc. BUT each person would change wardrobe in ways to ensure, as much as reasonable, that the only thing different about them was the way they were dressed.

The results showed that how they were treated was very highly correlated to how professional the person was dressed. If they LOOKED like a boss, they were treated like one. In my own experience, this has held true. I worked for a health insurance carrier for 7 years, and there were a large number of people I saw regularly without knowing who they were. One day, I was talking to one of these people. When I told them my job, they looked confused and told me they always thought I was upper management because of how I was dressed.

Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s have plus size that is professional and you can do well on sales.

My experience with career clothes is to spend more on quality and not quantity. A really good pair of black pants can be worn multiple times with a different top. A good blazer or jacket elevates most looks into a more professional style. Same thing wouid be true if a basic black skirt but pants tend to be trickier to look well

If I found a good pair of black pants I wouid buy multiples

I didn’t get anything that didn’t go with my black pants 🤷‍♀️

Elloquii!

Universal Standard is great for basics. They are having a huge sale right now too.

There’s an Australian company called City Chic and they have lovely plus sized clothes.

I'm here for the retailer suggestions as well! But I wanted to mention using Pinterest or Google to get ideas for a professional capsule wardrobe. That way you can mix and match to create lots of looks with the same few basic pieces. Great way to start if you're rebuilding your wardrobe and need to save $. However, don't let your frugality get the best of you when something out of the ordinary and magical presents itself (you'll regret not getting that purple dress I know from experience)

Cheaper option: decide if you’re a pants or dress girl. Get 2-3 neutrals in that thing, accessories for the rest. For example…

I’m a pants girl. I have 2 perfect pair of black jeans and one black suit. I have a ton of cream, navy, black, burgundy, and tan tops. Blazers in black, grey, and tan.

Boom. Mix and match. Add personality after you master the basics.

Nordstrom has personal shoppers who will curate a wardrobe for you and tailors to make it all fit.

Go to Neimans or Nordstrom or something similar, they have personal shoppers and in store tailors. Tell them what you need, and your budget, and they can help you out.

Goodwill is soooo underrated for business attire

MM LaFleur

I like vinted for office wear but also M&S for trousers/suits and also Next for blouses and suits. Shoes are something very personal to taste but buy cheap buy twice... I quite like M&S ballet flats and Schuh loafers but you can usually find brand new ones cheaper on vinted or depop

Eta - I've assumed you're a woman, apologies if I am incorrect! Muted colours, nothing too low cut. Mix up your textures. No open toed shoes. You can usually get away with a couple of trousers but more tops so you can switch them out day to day

If you’re a guy and the office is “smart casual” Brooks Taverner chinos (might be able to get some on Vinted or their sale is good) are better than many 4 times the price in my opinion.

For shirts M&S or the Charles Tyrwhitt sale if you can stretch to it. Avoid TM Lewin, not as good as M&S

I would recommend searching online for ClubClass Corporate Wear

It is affordable, smart, hard-wearing, and I think all of their ranges are machine washable.

Ranges for men and women.

Depop and Vinted. It’s not always second hand if that’s an issue for you and you can get good deals

Assuming you are female - Vinted - try things from Hobbs / Reiss etc. River Island can be good for tailoring too.

I would prioritise well cut black trousers. I’d buy a boulce blazer / jacket and that way it will match or pair with any pair of trousers/ skirt. Get some plain smart tops in a variety of colours, nothing low cut and make sure the trousers aren’t too tight. The little structured cardigans are handy to look pulled together but not too stuffy. I’d also buy a knee length smart black dress - that can double duty at work or if you get invited to a client function.

My rule of thumb is to splurge on shoes and suits, and save on shirts, socks, and slacks! Many of my blouses come from goodwill, and I found some affordable, basic work pants at Old Navy and Shein. The most expensive item I’ve spent money on is one nice suit for interviews, which I purchased at H&M for $100. I’ve heard advice that you should buy a suit every semester so you have 6 suits by the end of law school, but I am aware this is not feasible for everyone.

It’s incredibly hard to see other law students with such extensive wardrobes early in law school, and it seems like they never repeat an outfit in a semester — trust me, I am right there with you. But for the average student, building a professional wardrobe takes time, and that’s totally okay! Do not feel pressured to shell out dollars on new clothes all at once. If you buy pieces periodically through the year, you’ll have some great mix-and-match options in no time!

I'm also a woman and Goodwill. Work dresses and coordinating blazers are much easier to find than well-fitting separates.

Tailoring a suit or blazer is a lot cheaper than you’d think. Find one that relatively fits at a Good Will or other thrift store and spend a little to tailor it to your size.

Pro tip: go to Ann Taylor to try on suits and figure out your size. Then, go on Poshmark and filter by Ann Taylor and see if you can find anything. (Try filtering by lowest price too). You may have to check back frequently, but I got a beautiful navy suit a size off from mine for $20. Paid like another $20 to get it altered. Also Ann Taylor has pretty good sales. I got my second suit on Black Friday there for about a hundred bucks.

TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, and Nordstrom Rack have been huge for me

Def. I got an entire collection of vintage wool blazers for $20-30 each. I live in the desert but that high quality wool transitions from sunny day to classroom to a cold night out.

Goodwill and eBay! I hate going shopping. If I know my size in a brand, I set up an alert for that item on eBay. There are shipping fees but I got most of my professional wardrobe this way.