Note: Today’s post, about How to Rebuild a Work Wardrobe, is currently available on FIT4MOM DC and Something Good.
It’s finally happened, the moment you’re dreading: going back to the office in person after being at home. Whether you’re going back after maternity leave or your company has decided to leave remote work behind, going back to the office can be a difficult transition. Especially once you realize that your wardrobe is now primarily sweats and leggings. While it can be difficult to remember how to get dressed for in-person work (what is business casual again?), it doesn’t need to be a painful process! Below are a few tips you can use to easily rebuild your work wardrobe and put together some go-to outfits!
How to Rebuild a Work Wardrobe
Find a piece of the process to be excited about.
Are you excited about the chance to dress up again? Maybe you love the excuse to shop for new clothes. Or maybe you’re excited to find new ways to style the pieces you already own. No matter what your reason is for being excited, focus on that! It’ll make the whole process easier when you have that part to look forward to.
Figure out if the dress code has changed
This step is more applicable to those who are switching back from remote work to in office. Odds are that if you’re coming back from maternity leave, the dress code hasn’t changed while you were out. But if you’re coming back from remote work, check in with your boss or other colleagues. After the pandemic, some offices came back a little more casual after the pandemic, while others stuck to their earlier dress codes. There might be a little trial and error, but don’t worry! You’ll figure out the best return to office fashion!
Look at what you already own
For some people, you’ll already have most of the items you need and may just need a few filler pieces. Others may only need to acquire quite a few new pieces. When I came back from maternity leave, I didn’t fit into any of my old work clothes, but my shoes still worked. Trust me, you’ll have something in your closet that you can use. Maybe it’s a purse or your favorite piece of jewelry, but that’s still a starting point.
Start Small with a Capsule Wardrobe
You don’t need to replenish your entire work wardrobe at once! And please don’t because you’ll probably spend more money than you should. Instead, you want to build your “capsule wardrobe for working moms” that focuses on two things: what season is it and what size are you at this moment? And then only focus on buying clothes that match those two things. Why am I suggesting this? First, if you’re figuring out what to wear after maternity leave, your body is still changing (and will keep changing). Second, If it’s winter, you don’t want to buy work clothes for summer and then have nothing fit properly when summer comes along. Now, I’m not saying you’ll need to buy new clothes every three months for the rest of your life. This is just a temporary phase until you hit your stride. You’ll eventually have a good work wardrobe that doesn’t need to be continually replaced. It will happen, you just need to be patient.
If you aren’t postpartum and you’re heading back to the office from remote work, you still want to start small with a capsule wardrobe. Why? Well, even if your work dress code hasn’t changed, your personal style might have (being remote can do that). You don’t want to buy this big new back to work wardrobe and then two weeks in realize that nothing makes sense for you anymore. It’s more important to get a few key pieces that can make multiple outfits for the season and slowly build from there.
Hire a personal stylist!
Chances are that if you’re reading this, you’re a busy mom and you don’t have the time to spend shopping and putting outfits together. Working with a personal stylist gives you the opportunity to sit back and let someone else do the work. And as a mom, that’s the best gift that you can give to yourself.
Remember, figuring out how to rebuild a work wardrobe can feel overwhelming at first, but if you follow the wardrobe tips for working moms above, it’ll make the whole experience much easier.
Are you interested in working with a personal stylist? If so, click here to set up a free 15 minute consultation call or email me at Dana@SomethingGoodBlog.com.
