Price of a New Job: Clothing
A new job should be all about new income but often new expenditures come too. There are changes in transportation, clothing, dinging, and social environment — each of these can take a bite out of the to-be-received paycheck.
Clothing: Will your new position require a change in your clothing style? Is it casual, business casual, or formal? Will you be working in an environment where clothing matters (i.e. The Devil Wears Prada)? As much as I deplore keeping up with the Jones, you will probably want to make a good impression and fit in at work — this may mean buying new clothes.
My new position is with a highly respected national organization. I converse primarily with presidents of colleges and universities across the country and will eventually attending meetings with these people. Additionally, my position is in Washington, D.C. and there is a certain dress code or fashion culture present. In short, my wardrobe is insufficient for this office.
I recently spent $150 on new clothing at a local, lower-cost clothing store. I know that the quality of this store is not the greatest, but I needed enough variety to get me through the upcoming weeks and I hate to spend money. My penny pinching on clothing has already resulted in a pair of pants that look like they will barely last 2 months. Sigh. I still need to purchase more clothing.
I frequent thrift stores for clothing but rarely find good buys. I am not sure where to shop because I am not a shopper and am not fashion conscious. I want clothes that can go through the wash and look fine. I also want clothes that are going to last because I’m not interested in matching the latest fashion style, I want to buy it once and never again.
So, on my current shopping list is:
- 3 pairs of pants — must wash and dry well, ironing is a pain (est. $100-120)
- 1 or 2 pairs of shoes — something that is both comfortable and will go with all of the pants (est. $60 – 100)
- 3 tops — this is to supplement the five tops I recently purchased (est. $60-100)
- 2 bras — I simply need new undergarments and they need to not be black (est. $80)
- 10 pairs dress socks – I want two weeks worth of socks, but I also need a variety to match shoes/pants (est. $20-30)
- accessories — watch, necklaces, bracelets (est. $100)
The accessories are to help add variety to the wardrobe. The above purchases, along with what is in my closet, will give me about 2 weeks worth of office clothes. This means I will need to change the looks with small accessory changes to help reduce the redundancy. I am not an accessories person, but it is a step to help fit in and limit my clothing purchases.
I will see what I can find at the local thrift stores this week. However, I will buy quality clothing if I go to another clothing store — no more buying pants that last only a couple weeks before showing wear.
I must state that I hate spending money on clothing. I tend to go shopping with the intent to buy and come home with nothing. Here is one area where childhood has a strong influence on my shopping habits. As a child, my mom would take me shopping and allow me to pick out many things. Then, after we’d settled on which items I wanted, she’d suddenly decide that we could only afford to buy two or three items. As an adult, if I ever end up with more than an item or two I start panicking over the cost and end up leaving the store empty-handed — or, I simply rationalize that it is all too expensive and don’t bother picking anything out.
Price of a New Job Series: Clothing, Transportation, Food, Professional Fees