How to Start Building Your Professional Wardrobe
The goal isn’t more clothes for your new job, it’s the right ones.
Starting a new role and tempted to buy an entirely new wardrobe overnight? Take a breath. Natalie breaks down what actually matters, what to buy first, and how to build a professional wardrobe that fits your environment and still feels like you.
Episode Notes & Resources:
Read more on the BU Style website: "How to Navigate Dress Codes at the Office: A Personal Stylist’s Guide"
Join BU Style Circle to get more style resources, live Q&A sessions with Natalie, and more
Submit your style questions to be answered in a future Nat Chat
Read the full& Raw Episode transcript:
[00:00]
Hello, hello, it’s another Nat Chat and Wear Who You Are Wednesday. I am always thrilled to be here, and I’m always thrilled to see your questions and answer them like we’re friends in a living room, talking it through together. So thank you, this has been such a fun re-engagement of the podcast, and it’s really fun to get your questions and feel like I’m supporting you. So with that…
[00:30]
Let’s hear from Sophie K. in Michigan. Sophie asked a great question, and I have a wonderful story to go with it. She asked, “I am starting my first job. How can I start building my professional wardrobe? What should I buy to get started?”
[00:47]
When I hear “professional wardrobe,” that can mean a few different things. Is it business professional, smart casual, business casual, what is it? So that gives me my first tip: ask specifically about the dress guidelines, dress level, or dress code at the office. This is absolutely something you can and should ask.
[01:08]
A lot of offices may say something like, “Just dress for your day.” You don’t have to accept that as the final answer. You can say, “That’s helpful, thank you, and what would someone typically wear to a meeting? What would you wear on a Friday? Is there a casual Friday, and what does that actually mean?” You can ask specific follow-up questions.
[01:28]
This only helps you, and businesses need to understand that there are still judgments made about how people dress at work, even when dress codes are loose. I’ve seen this over and over again. Your style is communicating things about you, your goals, and how you show up.
[01:48]
So ask specifically. And I would also suggest that you don’t go out and buy your entire professional wardrobe before you start. Even once you get those answers, there are observations you can make once you’re in the workplace.
[02:04]
Be curious. Observe what people are wearing to important meetings, internal meetings, with clients, off-site, and on Fridays. Pay attention to people you admire and respect, not to copy them, but to understand the unspoken dress levels, or even the spoken ones, and see how that translates for you.
[02:25]
Now let’s bring it back to you. If you’re starting from scratch for a business professional environment, think suiting, skirts, and more polished pieces. Jeans would typically not be allowed unless there’s a casual Friday, and even then, they’d be a clean, dark wash.
[02:43]
I always reference what I call adult Garanimals. If you don’t know what Garanimals are, they were kids’ clothes that matched by symbol, so everything coordinated easily. I want you to create your own version of that for your wardrobe, pieces that mix and match effortlessly.
[03:03]
I was working with one of my favorite brands, DALYA, and we had a young woman come in who was starting a new job. She said, “I don’t want to be too loud, but I want to feel like me.” So first, we picked her neutral, navy, black, gray, or a combination. That’s step one.
[03:21]
Then we built from there. We chose a navy suit with subtle texture so it wasn’t flat, added a coordinating skirt, a pair of pumps, maybe some loafers, and a few blouses that all mixed and matched. The idea was that this one suit and skirt combination could carry her through a full week with the right styling.
[03:44]
Think of it like building a puzzle. Start with your outer edges, your foundation pieces, and then fill in from there. What are your corner pieces? If you’re in a business casual environment, that might look different, maybe great trousers, a couple of blazers, or even dresses that you can style multiple ways.
[04:05]
The goal is to start with five to seven core pieces that mix and match. Then go into the office, observe, and adjust. That way you’re not over-investing upfront and realizing later you bought the wrong things.
[04:22]
Be smart, be strategic. Build slowly, repeat often, and understand what works for you in your specific work environment so it supports your professional goals.
[04:36]
I hope this helps. Good luck with your first job, Sophie, this is so exciting. And I wish everyone a great Wear Who You Are Wednesday.