We’ve been talking about how to build an office-friendly wardrobe that will also work for those hours and days when you are NOT at the office. The goal, of course, is to have a closet full of basics that you can mix and match and wear for years to come. The place to start any wardrobe overhaul is by assessing your existing wardrobe, which includes making a list of pieces that you are missing.

As you go through your closet and try on everything that has survived the purge (pieces that fit AND are in good condition AND are classic enough not to reflect a specific trend or moment that has long passed), you need to take note of what you DON’T have. While you might easily identify gaps in your basic pieces — no trench coat, for example, or no office-appropriate jeans — you also need to think about the details: Do you have the right undergarments for every piece in your closet? The right shoes for every outfit? The right accessories for every look?

That fabulous white shirt won’t look so fabulous if you’re wearing it with a green bra, trust me. Or even with a white bra that shows RIGHT through.

Make two lists as you clean your closet: one list of Big Pieces (trousers, skirts, blouses, dresses) and a second list of Foundations and Accessories (lingerie, jewelry, bags, shoes). These are the things you need to shop for, because these are the things you actually NEED. Nothing else, at least for right now.

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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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I love jewelry; I love how easy it is to take a basic jeans-and-tee outfit and dress it up with the right pieces. But it is also easy to fall into a rut with your jewelry. Ever notice how every time you get dressed up, you put on the same earrings and necklace?

Next time you go somewhere, try something different. Try adding a pin. You heard me! PIN. Brooch. Something sparkly and shiny and exotic.

It’s easy.

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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.

There are a lot of great perks to working from home; this morning, I am counting among them easy access to the leftover Boston Cream Pie my mother-in-law made this weekend. But unlike an office, which often has specific rules about what is and is not appropriate work attire, the home office has no rules. That sounds so great, doesn’t it, until you’re putting on your yoga pants for the umpteenth day in a row and feeling less like a contributing member of society and more like a housekeeper with a laptop.

Working at home is a truly remarkable opportunity, one that most of our mothers didn’t have. Being a WAHM gives you the best of both worlds, and while I would never go so far as to say that working at home is EASIER than going to an office, it certainly has its advantages, like the flexibility to manage sick kids and household chores, and the option to NEVER EVER WEAR PANTY HOSE AGAIN. Thank god.

But once you strip away the panty hose and suits, and add in the housework and kids, what exactly DO you wear to work at home? And how do you keep from falling into the I-don’t-really-need-nice-things trap that seems to come with the virtual office?

Let’s start with this: what do YOU wear when you are working at home? Are you happy with your current work-at-home wardrobe? Why or why not?

On Friday, we’ll talk about what to wear to the virtual office. Hint: there won’t be ANY pantyhose on this list.

Charlene wants to know about what to wear on a business trip:

I do at least one business trip a year and I always struggle with what to take and how not to take too much stuff. The company I work for is very casual so I like to look professional but maintain the casual feel. Also, keep in mind with what I do I have to wear a closed toe shoe at all times.

There are three simple strategies for packing, no matter where you are going.

Pack only things that you REALLY wear. A business trip is not the time to test out a new skirt or jacket; you want clothes that you will be comfortable and confident in.

Pack basic pieces. Think both in terms of shape and color; neutral pieces in classic shapes are your best bet (black pencil skirt, brown wool trousers).

Pack pieces that work together. Choose one color palette for your trip, to guarantee that the things you pack will do multiple duty. Neutral basics plus a pop of color, in a blouse or sweater, keep your look fresh and flexible.

MICHAEL Michael Kors trench coat, Nordstrom, $128.00

So what actually goes in the suitcase?

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Is there anything better than the work conference, the kind that takes place somewhere cool and includes social functions like cocktails or dinner? It’s kind of like a vacation, but without the kids!

But it’s NOT a vacation, and you should not pack the same things you would pack for a vacation. This is work, and you need to dress like you are working.

Even for cocktails and dinner.

Ann Taylor Loft V-neck contrast stitch dress, $69.00

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We’ve talked about suits and what to wear under them, but what about your feet? When you’re going to a job interview, you want to be sure that from head to toe, you look professional and capable, which means that you want to choose shoes that are the right heel height and style for your suit AND are appropriate for the office and the job.

A couple of general guidelines: interview shoes should not be too sexy, nor should they be too flashy. Toe cleavage and fabulous embellishment are both completely appropriate in a work shoe, but not in an interview shoe. The idea is not to draw attention to your shoes but to create an overall impression of competence and professionalism. For this reason, your shoes should be clean and polished; this is a good time to take are of any repairs that you have been putting off, like new soles or heels or a good cleaning.

Beyond that, you have four basic choices; go with the one that fits both your style and the office’s style, and that works best with your interview suit.

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Hello, and welcome to Part Three of what may very well be a never ending series on suits! Which will be useful come fall when the Casual Friday look is replaced by the sheath dress and her cousin, the suit.

I can’t tell you how happy that makes me.

Stara started this whole thing with a question about what kind of suit to buy for a job interview, specifically an interview for a fairly conservative office; she also asked what she might wear UNDER the suit. She specifically wanted options that were NOT a button front shirt, and I have to agree that the button up shirt, while always appropriate, isn’t very exciting.

So let’s talk about what the other options are!

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Stara has a question about suiting:

As you may have noticed (not at all due to my incessant mentioning of this fact), I am an attorney. And I have been informed by an inside contact that I will likely soon be contacted by an ultra conservative employer regarding an interview. For which I honestly need a new suit. The last “interview” suit I bought was nearly 6 years ago, and it is showing it’s age.

My query is this- I am 27. How do I buy an interview suit that is both job appropriate and does not betray my age? I don’t particularly want to plop down $400 on a suit I will never want to wear again. I’m willing to spend a fair amount of cash so long as it is on something I actually like, and not something I feel forced into buying.

I think Stara has exactly the right attitude here: she wants a suit that will make her look professional and competent, but she doesn’t want to go into the interview pretending to be someone she’s not. And she absolutely wants to come out of this with a new job AND a suit that she can actually WEAR to the new job, something that will work with her current closet.

That sounds like a big request, but it’s actually fairly simple, as long as she keeps a few things in mind as she shops.

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