Buying work clothing en masse!

[Elmhurst]

Hi, I'm about to start a new job and need advice buying a whole wardrobe of work outfits. My current job has a work provided uniform but this new job is office based with a smart/casual dress code.
I'm quite a casual dresser and I don't enjoy clothes shopping at my current size 16 so I have practically nothing to start me off bar a black skirt and one blouse I wore to my interview
I'm pretty poor at the moment so thinking along the lines of one step up from primark! Good quality and reasonable prices.
Any tips for good stores/ staple items etc? Thanks in advance!

Asda for trousers and blouses
eBay for blazers and dresses

H&M, New Look, Zara, Mango

H&M is good as they stock so many different styles - some you will hate but if you try on a lot of things you are likely to find something that works for your shape and style. Also H&M is cheap.

In Zara you may find some styles that don't fit well if you're a 16, but as it's a relatively inexpensive brand their sizing isn't completely consistent so do give it a try. Take a measuring tape to save you time trying on things that won't fit.

Honestly primark is great for basics

I wear their £5 work trousers and £10 blouses to work and always look smart and professional

Add some smart decent shoes, a good scarf or necklace and a nice handbag and you are fine

Get a couple of jersey blazers in block colours to mix and match and you'll look fine for a smart casual office

I had to do this recently, got a while work wardrobe from Debenhams Collection. I am 16-18, it was very good value I tbh j, and a lot of the things coordinated with each other, so trousers, tops, jackets, dresses, all in similar colour ways, which makes it easy to mix and match. I love being smart at work after so long wearing any old crap

Sainsbury's tu

Buy a skirt in a plain colour and 5 tops.
Mix and match with what you already have until you get an idea of what you like. H&M in my local high street has loads of simple dresses for about £12 each.

Sainsbury's has 25% off until tomorrow and have some nice workwear. Asda has some nice bits as well, also don't rule out Primark for some bits and pieces.

Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins and Matalan are good as well.

I would buy as little as possible until you've been there a few weeks and sussed out what 'smart-casual' means, not only in the office as a whole but in your section. My workplace has the same dress code but each team interprets it very differently - in some sections, anything goes but others, e.g. HR and Finance, are still pretty corporate.

So I'd start off with a couple of tops to go with your interview skirt and build from there. If it's within your budget, I'd say Uniqlo is about the best balance of price and quality that I know. That's not to say you can't get some decent stuff in cheaper places but there's normally a lot of time and rummaging involved to find them.

I've just done this too...I'm holding back a little till I start so I can gauge the feel a bit more, but for now I've got a couple of tops to go with the Navy Interview trousers I wore, some black trousers and tops and 2 dresses...I'm only part time.

I got cigarette trousers in Dorothy Perkins and tops in H&M, Zara, Asda and F&F in Tesco.

Asos, Next and H&M should do for now. Next have some sales on and there is 20% off everything at the other two.

My winter work wardrobe is a line skirts in black, berry and navy, thermal vests and then various coordinating wool crew neck jumpers. Thermal tights and black boots. I also have the odd jersey shift dress - H&M have some great ones with pockets at the moment.

Just think about winter for now. You can get an idea of what others will wear, plus start picking up spring stuff in the sales.

I just bought a load of stuff from Sainsbury’s. Lots of things that go with each other. Fairly nice quality, pretty plain but nice colours and cheap. Would recommend

I’d wait until you start, and can gauge then what everyone else is wearing. I bought a load of stuff before I started my job and don’t wear most of it. In my case dresscode is much more casual than I thought it would be.

Thanks so much! I definitely wont write off primark straight away then.
I love some of the things in h&m but usually feel like a hippo squeezing into a tutu whenever I've tried clothes on in there
I hadn't thought of the supermarkets. Brilliant.
Yes, thanks for the tip about not buying too much until I've fully sussed the dress code in each department. Thinking about it, one manager I spotted was in jeans while another was extremely smartly dressed.

I'm a big fan of Catalan for work tops - they usually have a good range of reasonably priced options. I have also had good trousers and cardigans from there. Agree with Primark - I have some shell tops from there that I wear with cardis. And Sainsburys as others have mentioned

Sorry, stupid autocorrect - that should of course be Matalan!