A brief tutorial on dressing appropriately for the office environment.

1. Ready To Wear
Tips for building a
budget-friendly wardrobe for the
office environment

2. New Job…No Money…
No Problem
Okay so you’ve recently started a new job
after having been unemployed for a while
and your wardrobe isn’t exactly fresh…not to
worry. Today there are so many options out
there to make even the tired refreshed.
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Published by: Cynthia M. Tedder,
Administrative Professional

3. Business Casual, Business Professional,
Contemporary…Oh My!
There are a number of variations on office
attire and I urge you to check your
companies dress code policy before you
decide to go on a shopping spree. If you
haven’t officially started the job yet, your
best bet is to contact the hiring manager for
the policy so you can be ready.
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Published by: Cynthia M. Tedder,
Administrative Professional

4. • Business Casual – most companies today
have adopted this policy. It is a basic
‘slacks and nice top’ way of dressing.
– For men, typically Dockers pants and a button
down or polo shirt.
– For women, slacks or skirt (to the knee is
most accepted) with a flattering (although not
revealing) top. And, usually in crisp,
moderate colors, such as blacks, grays,
blues, and tans – however, pinks; purples and
greens are making their debut in certain
circles.
7/10/2014
Published by: Cynthia M. Tedder,
Administrative Professional
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5. • Business Professional – this is a more
formal style for more formal companies.
– For men, typically a suit with jacket and tie is
acceptable.
– For women, a suit with a jacket that buttons
and a collard blouse is most accepted.
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Published by: Cynthia M. Tedder,
Administrative Professional
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6. • Contemporary or Casual – this can be the
most comfortable, and not often seen,
style of dress code.
– For men, jeans, shorts (in the warmer
months); polo shirts; comfortable shoes is
more accepted
– For women, jeans or Capri's and coordinated
tops can be worn. Often accompanied by flip-
flops or open-toed sandals.
7/10/2014
Published by: Cynthia M. Tedder,
Administrative Professional
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7. • Start small
– You may already have some of the basics like
slacks, tops, but if not you can typically pick a few
at a time. Pick up a pair of black, grey and tan
pants and at least one pair of good, comfortable
(low-heeled for women) shoes and a few button
down shirts/blouses in corresponding colors: blue,
white, etc.
• Shop smart
– The best time to buy season specific clothing
(i.e.: spring dresses & skirts) would be at the end
of the season you want them for. I know this
sounds odd, but you’d be buying them for the
following year and buying them off-season means
savings.
• Save big
– Shop the clearance rack. Don’t let that shock you
– there are a ton of great deals to be had at a
good clearance rack. Kohl’s, JCPenny’s and
Sears often mark down their end of season goods
sometimes up to 60% (or higher)
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Published by: Cynthia M. Tedder,
Administrative Professional

8. Do
• Go shopping for your wardrobe alone…avoid
taking your children (if at all possible). Going
alone ensures you can pay attention to
you…taking your children ensures you spend
more time calming, cleaning, catching, feeding
or finding them.
• Check for on-line deals and coupons prior to
your shopping trip. Store like Kohl’s and K-
mart will advertise online any discounts going
on in-store and may even offer a printable
coupon for you.
• Dig out your rewards card. If you have one,
use it…store like Sears/K-mart often offer
extended discounts to customers through these
cards and every little bit helps.
• Try it on! Can’t stress this enough…you are
going to be wearing these clothes for up to 9
hours a day so take some time in the fitting
room to see how the pants feel to sit in, and
how long the sleeve length will be.
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Published by: Cynthia M. Tedder,
Administrative Professional

9. Don’t
• Fuss if you can’t get everything you see
yourself in…we are not made of money and no
one has a magic money tree in bloom…trust
me, there are plenty of other people at the
office not worrying if they’re wearing K-mart
shoes, or Wal-mart pants.
• Get crazy and wild patterns – at least until you
are more comfortable with the culture of your
new company…will they be (are they)
accepting of your wild & crazy personality and
would they think it wrong if you ‘spruced’ up
your wardrobe?
• Ladies, this one is for you…don’t wear shoes
with a heel height greater than 2 inches. By
the end of a nine hour day those shoes may
look pretty but they certainly won’t feel pretty
after having pinched, squeezed and contorted
your toes for the day.
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Published by: Cynthia M. Tedder,
Administrative Professional

10. Wardrobes By the Seasons
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Published by: Cynthia M. Tedder,
Administrative Professional
10
• For Women:
– Spring/Summer: light
and airy, colorful and
vibrant
– Fall/Winter: hushed
tones, warmer in
nature
• For Men:
– Spring/Summer: light
colors and fabrics,
subtly playful
– Fall/Winter: muted
tones, graduated
seriousness

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Published by: Cynthia M. Tedder,
Administrative Professional
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12. The Power of the Accessory!
Accessories can add a lot of voice to what you wear so
ensure you can coordinate what you may already have
so you don’t incur any additional expenses.
• Scarves are great – not only will they look fabulous but
they’ll add warmth in the colder months.
•Earrings & Other Jewelry – while pretty, if too big, or
vibrant they may just come off as gaudy. Stick with
standard hoops, studs or small dangling earrings and
basic necklaces/bracelets.
•Ties – yes, even a tie can be an accessory…but, guys,
really, no one wants to see you wearing the Santa Claus
tie in the middle of May so unless you’re having an office
party for ‘Christmas in May’ keep that one at home.
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Published by: Cynthia M. Tedder,
Administrative Professional