Where to buy office clothes

[monsterpup]

I've got my first big girl office job and need to turn to the oracle that is Mumsnet for help!

Where do you buy nice office clothes that aren't ridiculously expensive and are nice?

And what to wear??

I went to Tesco today and picked up a black dress, a blouse/T-shirt type top and some black wide legged trousers. Is this along the right lines?? I'm trying to look professional but not like I've raided my mums wardrobe in an effort to look too professional

I'll need at least 5 outfits to rotate but I really can't afford to spend a lot of money on it

I'm in my 20s if that's relevant at all

@Thewheelsfalloffthebus

Backpack is fine. Definitely easier if your commute involves any walking and if you need to cart around anything heavy. Start with whatever you own already and worry about a nice leather one or whatever when it’s time to replace it. Leather bags are great and can last for years but they are quite expensive. Pleather/fake/vegan leather can be much cheaper and looks good for around 3 years and then starts to flake off everywhere. Of course it doesn’t matter if the leather is real or not of the zip breaks after 12 months. So it can be worth investing in a good quality real leather backpack with good hardwear if you want to use it for the next 10 years. If you like to change things more often or you’re on a tight budget then the quality is less important.

I actually echo what @Thewheelsfalloffthebus says - a few years ago I bought a pleather/suede mix burgundy rucksack from Urban Outfitters - it was mostly to save my back, be easy to cart around on a packed commute.

I got loads of use out of it (didn't use it every day though), though the inside lining has gone a bit tatty now. Got lots of compliments on it too.

But if you can get a good leather bag and it's well made then that's good.

OP - meant to say - if you see sample sales for brands you like e.g. Hush etc or have any factory shops near you (for brands like clothes etc) they can be great places to find clothes/bags at great prices. Especially sample sales as they're often one offs but just as nice as what the brand would otherwise sell.

Backpack is fine. I have used a backpack for over 20 years. I'm management grade.

[quote tigerbear]@Noodlekugel you can type into the ‘search’ bar as to what kind of fabric you want, eg ‘silk blouse’[/quote]
Ah ok - thanks again!

The update no one asked for! Had my first day on Monday and went for a black dress and tights. I was slightly overdressed but nothing embarrassing but most people were jeans/T-shirt's and some of the guys were even wearing shorts and trainers! Varying degrees of casual but I'm happier than being suited and booted! (Also the first few days have gone well)