Spring Work Wardrobe on a Budget

I usually buy my work clothes from ThredUp, an online thrift store, or Marshalls. Occasionally, I’ll order a curated shopping kit from Stitch Fix, and they’ll have some work appropriate items for me. With the use of ThredUp, I can get blazers, dress pants, and various blouses for cheap, which I really like. As Spring approaches, I want to increase my options for work wear, but like many people, I can’t always afford to buy new clothes. Clothing is very expensive, and when I’m on a budget I need to maximize my options while lowering my costs. With a few changes, I can turn one outfit into two or three, and so can you. Simply removing a top layer (blazer, jackets, sweater, etc.) or even changing out the style of the layer gives me many options for dressing up. Check out the video below!

True Blue Blazers

In the first picture I have on blue dress pants, a white blouse with cutouts at the neckline, and an Appleseeds blue blazer ($12). When it’s cold in the office, the blazer really comes in handy. Now that it’s warmer, I want to keep a blazer over my white shirt because I’m likely to mess up my white clothing if left completely uncovered. I switched this outfit up by changing the top layer to a Kari New York blue blazer with gold details ($8). Changing out a layer is so useful! One those days when it’s colder in the office or a little too breezy outside, I can use the blazer with long sleeves. When it’s hot, I can use the blazer with short sleeves. I kept the same blouse and dress pants, even the same shoes, but I now have two different outfits. In fact, should I choose to lose the blazers and just wear the blouse and pants then I have a third option.  Slide the bar to compare the two outfits!

Neutral Yet Bold Jackets

In the first picture, I decided to pair this outfit with a green East5th casual dress ($12). The dress was one that I really liked, but it was too small and tight in some areas. I bought it from ThredUp anyway because I knew that I could still use it, and I didn’t want to miss out on it. I simply decided to utilize it as a jacket. It was very bold and sassy yet classy. I wanted to switch this outfit up by keeping the same colors but transitioning from dark to light. In the second picture I’m wearing a green, belted Worthington jacket ($11) with a brown tank top and beige Talbots dress pants ($11). The outfit overall is fairly neutral, but the jacket was really giving me bold and adventurous vibes. With this change, I kept the under layers the same but I now have more options for how to wear them. I also like that I kept with the green and browns, and I feel like I have a day and night look, even though these are work clothes. Slide the bar to compare the two outfits!

Instead of buying all new blouses and slacks for work, I like to purchase inexpensive top layers that I can switch out to create more outfits. I get more use, more options, and I save more money. How do you switch up your wardrobe? Where are your favorite places to shop, either in-store or online? If anyone has any tips, let me know in the comments below. Also, tell me which outfit you liked the best. Am I getting the hang of this “thing” called fashion?