50 Dollar Work Clothes Challenge Update

The challenge has been successful so far!

Thanks to a serendipitous yard sale find, the thrift store, and E-bay, I am now the proud owner of three new work shirts and four skirts (two skirts are new with tags). I have spent 38.20, including shipping for the E-bay items. I have decided that I don't really need another jacket, as while I need to be professionally dressed, it does not have to be as formal as say, banking. I may still get one if I find one I like for an unbeatable price.

I was a little nervous about shopping for clothes on E-bay. I have a hard time fitting into clothes. I'm pretty tall for a woman, and while I'm not quite overweight, but I am not rail thin either. I almost always have to buy clothes a little too big, because the size smaller is too small. I also tend to have a hard time fitting into button up shirts because I'm a rather...abundant...woman in that area.

It finally occurred to me (duh!) to look up only brands I know I fit in! So I was able to order some shirts that I know I fit into, and some skirts I know I will fit into. I also sometimes work clothes tailored if they're a little to big in some areas. This may cost a little bit in the short term, but you can't beat how great it looks when it is done, and if you only spent five dollars on the item used, even tailored it's still often cheaper than new. Everything I got fits fine, so I won't need to do that this time around, but I've done it in the past with great success. My next frugal thing to learn is how to tailor my own clothes.

I still would like to get a new pair of shoes. I agree with those who have commented in earlier posts that quality shoes are a must if you're going to be on your feet all day. I often see quality shoes used, but not so often in my size (9 or 9.5, depending on the brand.) I'm going to hold out for awhile to see if I can find a pair for under 12 dollars. It is possible, if you know when to look. (Full disclosure: My sister is a manager at a major high end department store, so having her letting me know when the super clearance sales are helps a lot.) E-bay could also be a good source here. Wichita recently opened a Plato's Closet, and I've had a lot of luck in the past finding great condition, quality shoes at the one in Fort Collins,Colorado. In the meantime, I can do with what I have. A coat of good polish will keep them going a little longer!

50 Dollar Work Clothes Challenge

So as I mentioned earlier, I need new work worthy clothes. This also comes at a time when our budget is pretty small, because we are buying the house. (Sept 29th! I'm so excited!) I never have really built up a good work wardrobe. I did work in a bank, and have some clothes from there, but the items I have are either too formal for teaching (although I'm sure I'll wear them anyway sometimes!) or no longer fit.

Awhile ago, I saw a post on a blog somewhere talking about how much the blogger spent on clothes for work. It was something like 200 dollars A MONTH. It was just clothes, not manicures or hair or anything like that. She wanted to know how much other people spent, so I commented saying that I spent about 200 dollars on my entire bank wardrobe- and that lasted over a year. I got many comments after that, saying that it was impossible for a woman to spend so little on work clothes. I wish I remembered which blog it was, so I could link it. The conversation that followed was very interesting, and people spend a lot of money on work clothes it seems, and several people doubted that I could have spent so little and had an appropriate wardrobe.

I need dressy clothes for teaching. It does not have to be as formal as my bank suits, but it can't be jeans either. I follow the Tightwad Gazette formula for dress clothes. Basically, you have several pieces that can be mixed with each other. I find this easy and inexpensive. The items can be dressed up with cute accessories.

Here's the formula:

You need nine pieces. Two blazers, three tops, and four bottoms. Make sure that all these items will coordinate with each other! I generally choose basic solid colors for the blazers and pants, like black or khaki.


By doing this, you create 24 possible combinations of things to wear!

You match:

Blazer # 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Top # 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3
Bottom # 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4


I know that I can have nice clothes for well under 200 dollars a month. It may take some digging, but it is possible! Today I saw a pair of Steve Madden shoes for 1.95 at a thrift store. Too bad they were not in my size! I want to show others that it can be done. My challenge to myself is to find quality clothes an inexpensively as possible. I need 3 tops, 2 bottoms, and one jacket to complete the formula. I have a few other things. I also need another pair of sturdy but dressy shoes. I'm setting a limit of 50 dollars or all these items, but hope to spend much less. We'll see how I do! Check back for periodic updates.