Slacks/Work Pants

[scarlett09]

Not wanting to hijack the jeans thread, I thought I would start my own thread regarding work pants/slacks. Having dug these out of my closet recently to wear at a temp job that is business casual, I'm confused as to whether I have the proper quantity and enough variety. It's been 3 years since I've had to do this, lol.

I have 3 pairs of black slacks that fit, a pair of gray, and 3 pair of khaki. I also have a pair of black pinstripe that I currently can't fit into. I have that one pair of work jeans I mentioned in the other thread, but I don't think my other pairs are appropriate. So is that enough? Too much? Should I throw in some other colors? I only have black boots with a short heel and brown flats for work. How many pairs do you all have?

[SoonerTexan]

You have more than I do and I work in a business casual environment. I throw in a lot of skirts, too, though.

[Deebs]

I think because it sounds like you have some very basic colors going on, you'll be fine. As a total hijack - I once worked for a woman who owned one suit. It was pink. Everyone knew when she had anything really important going on (at times she wore it more than once a week, and I didn't work for Mary Kay or a Breast cancer org). Black and khaki are your friends!

[MrsK]

I think that's more than I had when I WOTH but I also had lots of skirts. My black, grey, and pinstriped pants got the most use and I wore lots of black skirts that were either a-line or pencil skirts.

[Michele]

I had 5 pairs of work pants....one for each day. Wash rinse repeat.

[oceanchild]

I have a ton of work slacks. A lot of them are dry clean only, so a big rotation helps keep those bills down. I think I have 4 black pairs, one black pinstripe, one gray houndstooth, 2 gray, one brown, one brown pinstripe. Lord. I have some skirts too.

I think 4 of those have matching jackets. Plus a skirt suit. I wear a lot of suits, especially this time of year.

Anyway, I think black, brown, gray is plenty sufficient. It sounds like you're doing fine.

[Vishenka69]

Back when I worked, I had 2-3 weeks of non-repeat outfits for each season. Most of the stuff was dry clean only and was out of rotation for at least a week until I could pick it back up.

[GreyhoundsRUs]

I don't believe in wearing pants/trousers. I think they are generally unflattering on nearly all women and don't understand why they're a go-to, in all honesty. Other than jeans I own exactly one pair of pants, which are skinny legged ankle-length and dark camel color. I wore them once, with a structured white button down and heels. In four years of working, I wore pants exactly one day and everyone was like, "What's going on? Why are you wearing pants?" It was actually noted in the meeting minutes for our team meeting!!!

So if the question is, are 3 pairs of pants/other seps okay for a 5 day a week job, I'd say no. I think you need at least 7-8 days of non-repeats (from a laundry perspective at the very least). Consider dresses that you can change the top look. For example, you can buy a dress with decoration on the collar or sleeves or torso. You can wear it as the dress it is one day, then wear it a few days later (if it's a basic color) with a sweater over the top to make it look like a skirt. You can also wear a cardi buttoned up and belted (if it's a longer cardi). You can wear it with a blazer/jacket with the sleeves pushed up as well. Change the shoes and you're good to go.

I have clothes in my closet I've never even worn. I have dresses I've worn once and many that are my go-to dresses, but I am a dedicated clothes horse and shopper. About 60 pairs of shoes and probably 6 weeks of non-repeat clothes would be a fair estimate for my closet. Again, I'm a nut job, so don't mind me. *blush*

I would LOVE to see a picture of your closet! Mine is full of pants, cardigans, and Old Navy long sleeved tees I'm totally doing a wardrobe overhaul come attending-hood!

[ladymoreta]

I would LOVE to see a picture of your closet! Mine is full of pants, cardigans, and Old Navy long sleeved tees I'm totally doing a wardrobe overhaul come attending-hood!

Me too! DH already knows I want a shopping trip with at least one iMSN fashion guru! My closet isn't remotely full, but what's in it is a bunch of stuff I found on sale that fits terribly and usually makes me look frumpy and/or fat.


Laurie

[Vishenka69]

Rule #1: Regardless of the price, never buy anything you have to thin into, that bunches somewhere, drapes wrong, or can't be fixed with minor tailoring (i.e. hemmed). Do not buy it. A garment should make you feel great when you look in the mirror in the dressing room. If it doesn't, don't buy it. Save the money for something else. Eventually, if you avoid buying enough ill-fitting clearance Old Navy items at, say, $10 a pop, you'll have $100 to spend on a quality piece that will last you for years.

Completely agree with this, which is why I have only a few dresses, it's almost impossible to find the ones that fit. I do disagree with you on pants though. I love pants and they require much less alterations than dresses.

[scarlett09]

Are there more rules? Would love to hear them!!!

It's a business casual environment, so I can get away with one pair of jeans in addition to the slacks I previously mentioned. I have enough pants for 7-8 days, although to send some of them to the dry cleaners, I'm stretching it a bit. I do have plenty of sweaters and tops to get me through essentially the whole 8 week assignment without a repeat.

I love dresses - I have a TON of summer dresses (fills 1/2 of another closet) but I'm not good with figuring out/putting together a winter dress look beyond a work suit. I always feel like, because of my shape, that I'm going to wind up looking lumpy.

[oceanchild]

I, too, really struggle with winter dresses, so I'm going to hijack your thread here. I have minimally defined hips. I would call my body type "plank". I think the dresses that look best on me tend to have empire waists or poofy skirts, neither of which are all that work-appropriate. Plus it's always so damn cold in my office that I need sleeves. Ideas?

[HouseofWool]

Julia, what about a wrap dress? It gives the impression of a waist, even if you plank shaped.

Me on the other hand, I am hourglass, where the top have is teeny and the bottom half has all of the excess.

[oceanchild]

The problem I seem to have with wrap dresses is that my boobs aren't big enough to keep them wrapped. I wonder if that's something that could be tailored away.

[MrsK]

A little velcro can hold a wrap dress closed. Or wear it with a camisole. They open on busty girls too.