business casual – PhD in Clothes

Work outfits lately plus some Friday links

Here’s what I’ve worn to work lately! Plus what I’ve been reading.

Cyber Monday: In search of work shirts

I got a request to post some good shirts that go under blazers–a topic that I think is always a problem for me (I’ve already ranted about it here). In the spirit of Cyber Monday, here are some nice work shirts at good prices!

Shawl color shell by Ann Taylor (which is 50% off everything through Monday, $30)

Shopping for business clothes using Black Friday sales

We’re all friends here, right? Can I just share that my shopping victory of the weekend was finding a suit I want and will actually wear, in a tall size, for $115?! I know that’s steep, but it’s hard to find anything cheaper when it comes to suiting unless you are lucky enough to find one second hand.

I accomplished this by using Black Friday sales to finally get some business clothes I’ve been eyeing. Yes, I know, the season of giving gifts to others, etc etc…but this is also a really good time to find business casual clothes at more affordable prices.

Here are some picks from the J. Crew sale, which is 50% off almost everything. That makes J. Crew almost affordable! Above, the suit I bought (jacket $75, pants $40). Below, some other good choices:

Conference Packing List

I just got back from 6 DAYS of conferencing–definitely my longest conference to date. So, if you’re in need of business packing that can last you all week, here’s my packing list!

What I packed:

A week of outfits: Transitioning from grad school to 9-to-5

Today, my friend Sue, who graduated with her MA last year, talks about dressing for your first adult job!

Hi y’all! I’m Rebecca’s friend Sue. I just graduated and I’m back in the working world. Before I got my MA I worked at a Fortune 500 company, so I had to adjust my wardrobe for grad school (the West, a more casual vibe). I moved back to the East Coast this fall and started a new job so I had to adjust my wardrobe again.

Monday
I typically start the week in a dark dress – I think because it’s easy to roll out of bed Monday morning, put on a dress and not worry about mixing and matching. I typically pair with a cardigan or (maybe) a blazer. My office is business casual, leaning more towards the business than the casual…no casual Friday’s here! I had a few staple dresses from grad school but definitely have been in a bit of a buying frenzy and utilizing Rent the Runway Update!

What I wore: Fall conference edition

I’m sitting in Newark (drinking rosé, eating fries!) after a successful 3 days of conferencing. It turns out that being on the job market DOES suck some of the fun out of conferences because it amps up all nerves I’ve been harboring as-is. This conference was specifically for doctoral candidates on the job market to be seen by established professors in the same field, so as you might imagine, the pressure felt real.

Anyway. On to clothes. This was a fall conference, which is the best time to dress for because business casual is no longer too warm! Here’s what I wore…

Target? For business wear? Groundbreaking.

an unsponsored adventure in which I tried on every item in Target’s new Prologue line

I’ve definitely bought teaching clothes at Target before, but I wouldn’t exactly go there for a suit. But their new line of minimalist business clothes, Prologue, definitely caught my eye, in an Ann Taylor/Everlane sort of way. So today, after I got my flu shot, I decided I deserved a Target trip.

Target trips usually end in new Method cleaning products and desk decor for me, but today I filled my cart with all the REALLY GOOD Prologue stuff and went to try it all on. Here are some of my favorites.

Round-up: Blazers for Fall

I recently had a friend ask me about colorful/statement blazers she could rock for Fall (hiii Amy!). So I thought I would do a round up here.

1) Nerd chic.

Corduroy AND double breasted? This is an academic YES. $56 at ASOS.

What do I wear to grad orientation?

Grad orientation may be the most stressful outfit choice you make all year–because you’ve never met your department before, so you have no idea what the norms are (unless you can rack your brain about visit weekend). Also, it’s realllly hot out right now, which led to me choosing shorts for day 1 of my MA orientation. And then we took a department picture. And I was front and center on the website. And my mom has never let me forget it.

There’s nothing wrong with shorts, I was just the only person in them. So here are some other outfit combos that can keep you cool while being a step above that, just to make sure the first day goes smoothly:

1) Semi-businessy dresses

Basically the only thing I want to wear right now are dresses that are ambiguous enough to go anywhere. Here are a few good ones.

J. Crew Factory is making some really pretty printed wrap dresses right now. I just bought this one in this color.

What I’m packing for a summer conference

Professionalism is hard enough without it being 90 degrees with 80% humidity, but that’s exactly what I’m facing next week at a Nashville conference I’m attending. Here’s what I’m packing and what’s on the agenda: