Where to Shop for an Affordable Business Casual Wardrobe

One of the biggest requests I consistently get on my social media platforms is to share more about work wear and business casual outfits! Y’all are women with jobs who are on a mission to show up and show out at work. In this post, I’m going to share where to buy work wear, and affordable places to find it. This is my post about Where to Shop for an Affordable Business Casual Wardrobe and all items listed are under $50.

I’ve had to wear professional dress (and business casual work wear) so many times in my life that I can’t even count. My last semester of college I bought a black work blazer and a pair of slim black dress pants and seriously have not gone back since. They come in handy so often and are the perfect office wear essentials!

Today on the blog I have rounded up eight stores that I have found some amazing essential work wardrobe pieces from! I slowly have started to gather the perfect business casual wardrobe that worked for my professional internship with Disney (read more here) AND my current full time job. Keep reading to find out all the places I go to look for the best business casual work wear!

Where to Shop for an Affordable Business Casual Wardrobe

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1. Target

The first place I’ve been able to find affordable work wear is Target! Not only is this my favorite place to shop in general, but they also have great office wardrobe basics for a great price. While I was in college, I was always looking for quality clothing for less. Now as a millennial in the work force, my taste hasn’t changed all that much!

Target is always my go to place to shop for a basic business casual wardrobe because they have such a variety of pieces. They’re also the one place I’ve noticed that has cheap plus size work pants and blazers as well! All of the pieces I found below are under $50 and will work on so many body types. Shop my picks below:

2. Old Navy

Old Navy is another place where I’ve found quality work wear! On Black Friday I actually scored a pair of their pixie polka dot pants for just $14! They retail at $30; however, Old Navy often has sales so be sure to bookmark (this link) so you can check up on them periodically!

The thing that I love most about Old Navy is that they really have a wide selection of office wardrobe essentials. If you need inexpensive work pants, they’ll have a pair in 5 styles at 5 different price points! This is the main reason I love going to them for business casual work wear (the other is that there’s always an awesome sale going on)! I linked a super similar pair of my fav pants below as well as other closet staples:

3. Ann Taylor LOFT

Y’all already know that LOFT is my go-to place for almost anything. While working there, I was able to score SO MANY cheap work dresses. Now I go there for blazers, dress pants, and blouses for work too! I have a white blazer from LOFT that’s not only chic, but it’s also lightweight which is great for people living in warmer states (like me).

The thing that I love most about LOFT is that they generally have at least a 40% off sale! If any of the prices below look a little alarming, just know that this is why. They also do a 50% off + free shipping sale for most holidays too! Be sure to check back (on a sale weekend especially) because their clearance often has a ton of work wear staples at a fraction of the price. Shop some other work wear below:

4. J.Crew Factory

Now you’re probably like “uhhhh J.Crew Factory is still kinda expensive.” However, don’t be alarmed! I found some items on sale for under $50 and you have to always make sure to check because they have crazy good deals! Right now everything is 50% off and they generally have a sale similar if not better!

My favorite item to find at J.Crew Factory is just a classic business casual blazer. They’re wardrobe essentials that you will always need and that ALWAYS look professional. My favorite piece that I found below is their open front sweater blazer because it’s cozy for cold offices (which mine for sure is). Shop some work wear picks below:

5. ASOS

ASOS is a place I’ve been shopping from for a while. They’re almost like a marketplace because they sell items from a bunch of different companies! I’ve even seen Abercrombie and Hollister sold through them before. That being said, they also have exclusive items that are more unique and more exciting to have in your wardrobe!

ASOS is my favorite place to look for unique work essentials! I love the patterns that they offer because they’re unique and stand out from most other brands. I’d liken them to a more affordable version of Anthropologie and/or ModCloth!  I found a bunch of adorable professional items linked below:

6. Nordstrom Rack

Nordstrom is a favorite of mine and I know a lot of other bloggers love shopping there too! Nordstrom Rack is basically just the overstocked items from Nordstrom so they’re name brand, but much cheaper. Their work wear items are from top designers and are under $50 too!

My favorite things to find at Nordstrom Rack are business casual dress shirts and work wear shoes! They have such a wide variety of items that it’s easy to find anything you might be looking for. The best part is that most of the time anything you loved in the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale will appear here around 5 months after it’s over! Be sure to shop some professional picks of mine below:

7. Forever 21

Now if you told me that Forever 21 had substantial work wear, I don’t know if I’d believe you. That being said, they really have some quality work wear items that are very affordable too! The coolest part is that if you go to their website they have an entire tab dedicated to work wear (find that here).

The piece that I was really excited to find at Forever 21 was a classic work wear jacket! These can be a really expensive investment and being able to find one under $50 is nearly impossible. The fact that I was able to find at least two to include was so exciting! I linked a black and tan option, plus more work wear ideas below:

8. H&M

I’m not a huge proponent of fast fashion, but H&M has made quite a few strides in transparency recently. The blazer and dress pants I mentioned at the beginning of this post are ones that I bought from here! I got both of them for less than $80 total which, for professional wear, is pretty decent.

For H&M, I decided to round up work wear from several categories! There were just SO MANY affordable options that were also too cute to pass up. I found some blazers, dress pants, blouses, dresses, and shoes that are great for the work place!

I also thought I would add some tips into this section too on what type of items to buy. Be sure to look through some of them below:

Blazers:
When it comes to finding the perfect business casual blazer, it’s all about balance. If you’re wearing a skinny jean or pant, I would opt for an oversized blazer! It creates the balance that you want and you’ll still look professional. If you’re wearing wide leg pants, I suggest a cropped blazer (I featured one below that’s just $17)!

Pants:
When it comes to dress pants, there’s really so many different kinds. My favorites are high waisted dress pants, but there’s also slim fit dress pants, wide leg dress pants, and a plethora of other styles too! The key here is to also focus on balance. If you’re wearing a wide leg pant, you always want to balance it with a shirt/sweater that is tucked in! This will give you a waist and really define your shape.

Blouses:
When it comes to work wear shirts, the main thing you want to worry about here is coverage. There’s nothing worse than getting to work and realizing your shirt is see-through! The next thing you want to worry about is to make sure that you have it styled properly. Make sure all the buttons are buttoned up the front, make sure it’s tucked in if you want it to be, and make sure it is not wrinkled!

Dresses:
I love me a good midi dress! Dresses are my favorite work wear staple to throw on during the spring and summer. It’s always dreadfully hot in Georgia so it’s honestly the only way to go! H&M offers an amazing selection of cheap work dresses that are perfect for any time of the year and I purchase from them religiously.

Shoes:
We’ve now gotten to the best part…SHOES! Shoes are my favorite part of my outfit because they really determine what you’re telling people. If you’re wearing sequined shoes it’s likely they think you’re a bright and exciting person (or maybe a Disney princess). Choose a solid black ballet flat and you mean business.

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Other Work Related Tips and Tricks

There’s nothing worse than trying to get wrinkles out of a shirt. The best thing that I learned to use is just a simple little clothing steamer! They’re less than $20, you fill them with water, and it only takes a couple minutes to get wrinkles out of ANY clothing item you own. Pick up the one that I use (here).

If you’re now inspired to incorporate more work wear into your wardrobe, be sure to check out my How to Build a Business Casual Capsule Wardrobe post (here) and my How to Build a Fall/Winter Business Casual Capsule Wardrobe post (here)! I wanted to do one specific to colder weather because it’s hard to look for winter work clothes. These posts give you two ways to spend less, and still get the work wear wardrobe you want.

I also love to write about more professional development posts! If you are currently looking for a job/internship and know you’ll need business casual clothing, I have tips on interviewing, how to build a killer resume and so much more listed below. These are tips that I’ve used to score two full-time (PAID) internships and a full-time job!

How to Ace Your Interview and Get the Job

How to Create a Killer Resume (With No Experience)

How to Make the Most Out of LinkedIn (In 10 Easy Steps)

As I mentioned at the top of my post briefly, I was a professional intern with Walt Disney World! This was one of the full-time paid internships I spoke to. It was an intense process, but such a fun experience once I was there. If you’re looking for a full-time internship, be sure to check out my post all about the Disney Professional Internship Application and Interview Process (here). It’s every tip I have to help you get the position you want!

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I hope you guys enjoyed this professional work wear post! If you didn’t know before, these eight places are Where to Shop for an Affordable Business Casual Wardrobe. All the items I rounded up in this post today are under $50 and still great quality! I shop at these places religiously for my wardrobe and stand by them as places to go.

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