Remember going back-to-school shopping? So many options! So few things your mom really thought you needed! SO much angst!

Or was that just me?

Shopping for new ventures — new school year, new job — can be overwhelming, because how do you know what you will REALLY need before you start the new thing? What if all the OTHER girls are wearing skinny jeans and you are wearing boot cut jeans? HOW WILL YOU EVER SURVIVE?

You laugh, but you know it’s true, and it is still true when we talk about shopping for a new job. You don’t want to be the only one in the office who wears a dress (or maybe you do, in which case more power to you! wear that dress! seriously) but you also don’t want to dumb down your style just to fit in. Instead, you want to find pieces that are appropriate for the specific environment of your office AND reflective of your personal style.

Yeah, it’s not any easier now than it was in high school.

No matter what your style or the office culture, there are five things you really ought to have before you head back to work.

Kate Spade Tarrytown - Quinn handheld tote, Nordstrom, $395.00
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We’re talking about what to wear when you start a new job, particularly one where the office dress code is casual but professional. Whether you are moving from a corporate environment or from your kitchen table, you will most likely need a few new things to wear to work.

But BEFORE you run to the mall and start buying things willy nilly, let’s talk about how you can make your existing wardrobe work for this new job.
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Yesterday we talked about strategies for getting dressed for a new job; let’s talk today about what to actually WEAR. I have three suggestions, each tailored for a different type of office dress code (get it? TAILORED?!? I’m so funny).

Option one: No suits, but no jeans either
Many offices have relaxed the rules about suits but have NOT embraced full business casual, for what I think are obvious reasons. If your new job is one of these offices, consider mixing and matching your existing suit pieces with more casual but still tailored separates. Pair the skirt or trousers from your suit with a twin set or blouse; wear a sheath dress with a cardigan and ballet flats. Keep your look simple and professional, and keep the lines tailored and clean.

Option two: Jeans, but no shorts
This is the typical business casual office, the one where the men come in every day in khakis and a golf shirt. This is actually my favorite kind of office, because it allows you to dress up or down (and by DRESS DOWN I do NOT mean either yoga pants or flip flops). Wear your suit jacket with mid-rise, dark rinse jeans and great shoes, or the skirt from your suit with a really lovely t-shirt or crew neck sweater and flats. Don’t toss your suits just because the office is casual; mix and match them with your more casual pieces.

Option three: Anything goes
This is the hardest office to dress for, honestly, because the temptation to show up in your shorts and a t-shirt will be almost overwhelming. But I really believe that no matter WHAT your coworkers are wearing, you owe it to yourself to put a little effort into your outfit. Pair your jeans (dark rinse! mid rise!) with a cool graphic tee and bright driving mocs, or wear a funky cotton skirt and a cardigan. Be creative with your outfits, but don’t just toss on whatever it was you wore to work in the garden the day before. And for god’s sake put some real shoes on — save the flip flops for the weekend.

Coming Friday: what to buy, and how to budget for it.

Congratulations! You have a new job! New things are always fun, because change brings challenges and opportunities. But change is also scary because what on earth do you WEAR to the new job?!?

Moving from one office to another — or from your kitchen table to an office — can be daunting for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is the whole idea of what’s appropriate attire for your new work environment. You don’t want to overdress, but you certainly don’t want to UNDERdress, and either way you want to make a good first impression on your new coworkers.

And all that is before you even start doing the work you are getting paid to do.

So what DO you wear to a new job? Do you dress up, dress down, try to wear what everyone else is wearing?

A little bit of all of those, actually.
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Marthena wants some shopping help — some SERIOUS shopping help:

What do you think about personal shoppers? Is it possible to find one for a regular, work-from-home mother of twin toddlers who needs a wardrobe overhaul without an extravagant budget? I don’t particularly like shopping, and I can’t think of any friends with good style who could focus on my wardrobe needs for as long as it would take. So I’m willing to pay for some professional advice. But is it realistic for me to think I’ll find someone who can help me find classic but stylish clothes that fit? Any suggestions for finding a personal shopper?

I love the idea of a personal shopper, someone who can step back and give you advice that is not based on any desire to be your friend or get invited to dinner. But I am also someone who likes realtors and interior decorators for the same reason.

There are a few strategies for making a personal shopper work for you; let’s start with how to find one.

J. Crew

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It’s Monday, and I’m trying to finish my taxes and get the laundry caught up and find my husband’s passport (don’t ask). In other words, I’m having one of those days where I have precisely five minutes to get ready and not a single second after that to do so much as check my lip gloss.

Sound familiar?

Today I have a random assortment of tips and tricks for you, for days just like today, plus some great news about things you can win.

Tips
I learned something interesting recently, about how to find the Perfect Jeans, that pair that makes everyone say, “Have you lost weight?” and “Wow your butt looks FANTASTIC.” And honestly, it’s so simple that it makes me want to cry, because how did I not realize this before?!?

When you are shopping for jeans, look for three things: fit, length and rise. Yes yes, you say, we knew all that — but wait! There’s a strategy here.
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The jeans-and-tee wardrobe is a staple of moms who spend a majority of their time at home, and with good reason: tees are comfy and machine washable and inexpensive. But tees are also super casual, so much so that it can be hard to feel really professional and smart when you’re sporting one.

Dressing up your jeans and a tee uniform can be as simple as adding a jacket. Putting something with some structure over your tee gives your whole outfit some shape. Go as formal or casual as you like — a suit jacket can do double-duty with a pair of jeans and a tee, while a jean jacket gives your chinos a little edge. The easiest way to up the wow factor of your basic tee and jeans is a trench coat, which is the perfect spring outerwear, but think also about structured sweater jackets, which are a little more flexible than a traditional blazer but can look equally professional and polished.

A jacket is a terrific way to bridge being at home with your kids and being out and about during the work day; take the jacket off to load the dishwasher or make lunches, then toss it on for the school run or a client meeting. Having one piece that has some structure and shape to it gives your outfit a pulled-together look that bridges work and home, but without leaving you feeling like you need two different wardrobes just to get through your day.

Outfits pictured here are all available at Ann Taylor Loft.

At the beginning of this series, I asked what you all wear to work at home. Selene had this to say:

I’ve been thinking I need a change. I want to step my going out wardrobe up a notch… I’m feeling the need to feel “prettier” than just my standard same-ole jeans and t-shirt type of thing. I actually had my first hair cut in months yesterday (YIKES!) and am feeling good! I’ve been putting myself second for so long (probably since I had my daughter 2 years ago and she became #1, LOL)

I get up so early in the morning though (4am) that I can’t see getting up even earlier (3:30am) to shower and look nice just to pad on over to the office 20 feet away.

BUT, it would be nice to maybe use my current “out” wardrobe (jeans) at home, and get something nicer for when we go out.

I think we all know what Selene is talking about; at some point, we’ve been so focused on our kids that we have lost sight of ourselves; we stop getting haircuts (I once went almost an ENTIRE YEAR without a cut), we stop buying clothes, we stop getting dressed for anything that’s not a special occasion. It’s inevitable, I think, but it’s not necessarily desirable. And it’s easy to change.

Jeans are a fine wardrobing piece for a day at home, whether you’re working for pay or working for love. What you put on TOP of the jeans, though, can make a huge difference in both your look and your attitude. The key is to find tops that are more stylish than a basic tee but are ALSO machine washable AND affordable.

Thank god for Old Navy.
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In the comments on the first post in this series, quite a few of you said that when you are working at home, you still try to look nice, because there is always a chance that you will see people during your work-at-home day. I was impressed by how many of you said, “Of course I get dressed — I have to take my child to school, after all!” Because frankly, carpool moms are frequently the WORST fashion offenders.

Before we get to what you SHOULD be wearing during your WAHM day, let’s run down the list of things you should NOT be wearing:

Sweatpants with elastic at the ankles. Get some yoga pants instead.

Spirit tees. You know the ones, with the school’s name and mascot on them. Buy one for your kid, but not for you. If your child is involved in some kind of extracurricular activity that REQUIRES you to wear the spirit tee, save it for those specific events. And even then, think twice about it.

Battered tennis shoes. Honestly, put some real shoes on. It won’t kill you.

So what is the alternative? Let’s start with pants, shall we?

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There are a very few things that every woman really needs in her closet: mid-rise, dark wash jeans, a white shirt, a basic black dress, and a cashmere sweater. If you ONLY had those four pieces, you could go pretty much anywhere.

The part that always makes people nervous is the cashmere sweater. Let’s dispel some myths about cashmere.

Cashmere is expensive.
Yes and no. You’re not going to find a great cashmere sweater for $19.99. Cheap cashmere is just that — cheap; it won’t wear well, and it is often itchy. Good cashmere doesn’t itch — it is soft and silky and delightful to wear. But having a good cashmere sweater doesn’t mean spending a fortune. There are lots of places that carry beautiful, classic cashmere sweaters for around $100. My favorites are J. Crew (watch the end-of-season sales), Lands’ End, and Garnet Hill.

Cashmere has to be dry cleaned.
No. No no NO. Do NOT dry clean cashmere, ever. Hand wash in cold water and baby shampoo. The chemicals in dry cleaning fluid will cause the fibers in your cashmere sweater to become dry and brittle, which reduces both the silky softness and the life of the garment. Don’t EVER dry clean cashmere.

Cashmere is impractical.
A beautiful cashmere sweater — a basic cardigan, say, or crew or V neck pullover — goes with everything. Wear it with a skirt or wool trousers for work, or with jeans or yoga pants on the weekend. Choose a flattering cut and a color you love and a classic silhouette and make the cashmere sweater work for you. Lightweight cashmere can be layered in the dead of winter and tossed over a tank for all but the hottest days.

I hear from lots of moms who say, “When my kids are older, I’ll think about it, but right now I’m a walking Kleenex and it’s not worth it.” You would be surprised at the things you can wash out of cashmere. Blood, dirt, fish sticks that someone gagged on at dinner and threw up all over you — not that I have ever had to wash any of those things out of a cashmere sweater (okay, yes I have). Once upon a time, people wore cashmere sweaters for warmth, not for fashion, and the heartiness of the knit was part of what made them such great layering pieces. Wear the sweater, and then wash it after playgroup.

The bottom line is this: when you have great pieces in your closet — well made, beautiful, practical pieces — you can easily look pulled together, even on the days when you are scrambling to get out of the house. Toss a cashmere cardigan over a pair of jeans and a white tee and suddenly you look more professional, more reliable, more chic. A cashmere sweater is an investment; you will be able to wear it for years, to all sorts of venues and functions.

It’s okay to spend money on classic pieces, like a cashmere sweater. In fact, in the long run, it’s a good choice, because you will have that piece forever. And wouldn’t it be nice to know that you have one really practical, incredibly beautiful thing in your closet, something that you can and will wear all the time?

Yes it would.