Clothes Shopping: Needs for Going Back to Work

Here's the scoop. I got a new job in March 2020 and promptly went to work-from-home and I never really worried much about getting an office appropriate wardrobe for a five day a week gig. I purchased some basic tops in red and black, some dress pant yoga pants, and just kept on keeping on.  No one needed to know I was wearing the same pants three times a week and no one seemed to care that I pretty much wore the same three tops in all our meetings. To be fair, I don't notice what other people are wearing on Zoom calls, either.

But now I'm fully vaccinated and I think I'm going to start heading into the office once or twice a week. I'm more productive at the office, I like being around my co-workers to bounce ideas off of them, and I want to leave the house.  I can sort of make my own schedule, which is delightful, and I think a combo of time at the office and WFH will suit me nicely.

Anyway.  That means I should probably think harder about my work wardrobe and invest in some quality basic pieces.  That also brings up all the ethical issues involved in clothing purchasing.  1) Do the workers who helped make the garment make a living wage? 2) What is the environmental impact of the garment? 3) What is the reparability of the garment? 

I'm going to offer to you a couple of resources that you might find useful if you, like me, gnash your teeth and worry about your ethical and moral responsibilities whenever you buy a shirt.  

EcoStylist is a website that focuses on the environmental side of things.  If a brand meets their standards for sustainability, fair labor, and transparency, the website will recommend the brand. That means less work for you in researching brands.

The website Good On You has a searchable directory, so you can actually just type in a brand and it will give you a rating of all the things I care about in a brand.  I typed in "Everlane," which is a brand that actually has a tagline about fair labor and its transparency and Good On You gives it a 2/5 on each of its criteria, which is hugely disappointing.

Now, you might be thinking that it would be expensive to meet all those criteria and clothing is so cheap. Why spend so much money?  And the answer is that clothing is one of the few things that has not kept up with inflation and since it hasn't, manufacturers keep cutting corners. Those corners end up with polluted rivers, unsafe working conditions that lead to deaths in factories, burning of tons of unsold clothing, and human rights violations. I spend a lot more per item of clothing than my peers, but I buy quality clothing, so the price per wear is generally quite low. I buy classic pieces and am thoughtful in my purchases and so my wardrobe serves me well and I rarely feel guilt about my purchases. I wear clothes for years and years, too, which is why the ability to repair a garment is important to me.

Okay, enough of that.  Here's what I need/want for going back to work.

1. One or two more office-appropriate dresses. I'd prefer these dresses to be long-sleeved with pockets and about knee length.  I'd really prefer a wrap dress, but will accept most dresses with a defined waistline. I'd really, really prefer natural fabrics, but that feels like a pipe dream these days.  I can find no dresses on EcoStylist that fit my dream, but we're going into the summer season so sleeves aren't a priority right now.

Example of a brand I'd never buy, but the aesthetic is exactly what I'm looking for. 

2. A non-frumpy lightweight sweater/open faced cardigan for leaving in my office. I just know that as soon as the AC is turned on, I'm going to need more layers. If I were a normal person, I would just go get a cardigan from Banana Republic and I would be done shopping, but BR doesn't pay its workers, so...

$55 at Banana Republic, as well as the guilt that someone slaved over it for peanuts.

3. Structured work pants. I think maybe two or three pairs. I can't keep wearing dressy yoga pants forever, can I? I honestly don't even know where to get started with this.  

4. Long-sleeved shirts that aren't transparent. No buttons.  Natural fabrics.  Two or three of these in neutral colors and I'd feel like a rock star.

Available at KOTN for $42. Maybe? It's got buttons and a deep v, though.

5. Absolutely a desire and not a necessity, but a pair of t-strap heels. There's a pair from Brooks Brothers that I adore, but they're not the best brand in the world and that's the problem with most things I stumble upon that I enjoy.

I'm not even going to link to it because it's so adorable I might cave and buy it despite my misgivings.

6. Jacket - I currently have a velvet silver jacket and a burnt orange jacket. They're both gorgeous, but limited in their use at the office. I'd like a jacket in a cream and a black.  But I don't truly know what I want since I can't really give you fabric choices or whatever, so this is a constant search for me.

So that's that.  My list of shopping for the house is long, my list of shopping for clothes is long, and chances are pretty good none of it will ever get done because I'm too frugal for such things. I will keep you updated if anything gets purchased.