Throughout your time in the military, you were told what to wear from head to toe every day. Uniform was expected, no more thought about it necessary.
Every covert operation, mission, assignment, or duty required the same utilitarian look. However, as you transition into the civilian world, you will face one of your greatest missions yet: the daunting task of preparing a different professional outfit for work each day. It is safe to say that you may be at a loss for where to begin. Let us help simplify the process. In this first installation of Outfit of the Month, you’ll find some tips on how to cleanse your current wardrobe and start creating your new professional wardrobe with a clean slate.
The Great Cleanse:
- Start Digging
Odds are that you have some items in your closet that have seen better days. The first thing to do is take all the questionable items from your closet, dresser, or that heap on the floor and try things on to see which items are keepers and what things should be laid to rest for good. Make a list of what you have and this will help when it comes time to buy new clothes. If you have holes in your socks, yellow armpits on your t-shirts, BBQ stain on your shirt collar, or pilling on your sweaters, it’s time to say goodbye. If your shoes no longer fit or have major scuff marks, add “need new shoes” to your list. If your pants have now become high-water pants that would put you on the cover of your parents’ high school yearbook, add “need new pants” to your list….ASAP.
- Find the Treasure
Just because you are cleansing the unnecessary items from your life, don’t deprive yourself of holding on to an item or two that brings back fond memories. Do you have a pair of lucky socks from your winning basketball season of high school? The t-shirt you were wearing when you met your sweetheart? Allow yourself to hold on to a few memorable items, and this whole cleansing process will be a lot less intrusive to your life.
- Give Away the Rest
There are two options for getting rid of old clothing items. The yellow t-shirt and holey socks should be tossed in the trash. However, for the clothes that just don’t fit anymore, or shouldn’t ever have fit in the first place, there is the option of give-away. There are many people in need out there that could use your old clothes. Do some good for yourself and others and find the nearest drop-off location to you here: Find-a-Bin
- T-shirt Dilemma
As a newly transitioned veteran, you may not have had any sort of “put-together” wardrobe before your time in the service and you may be starting completely fresh. That’s okay! That is why we’re here. If your everyday outfit before you exchanged your civilian clothes for your cammies consisted of a t-shirt and a pair of jeans, you may be struggling to even know where to look for clothes. No worries, we have some affordable options for you to begin reinventing your appearance today.
- Organize
Organization is key when it comes to launching your search for the perfect wardrobe. The suggestions listed above will help you get to the point where every piece that you own is useful and has a place. You will know exactly what you have, what you need, and where it belongs. Then you will be able to begin adding essential pieces (see next month’s article on adding essentials to round-off your professional wardrobe!) and shorten the time spent each morning looking for what to wear to impress your new boss.
- We’ve Started the Work for You – Outfit of month
For the modern office, you may or may not be required to wear a dress jacket. Different work environments have different expectations. However, it is universal that for the interview, you will dress your very best. So, to start, we’ve put together a formal outfit, which will be a great base for your new wardrobe. We know you’re looking for a good deal, so we’ve provided two inexpensive alternatives to brand-name attire. A quality suit is going to be a costly experience, but it is a necessary investment in your future. While you are interviewing, you should take note of what other employees are wearing and then you will have a good idea if the environment is more business professional or business casual. If you’re unsure of your suit size and would like to order an outfit online, check out this video for a quick and easy how-to: Measure for a Suit
The Kohl’s Breakdown: Total = $401.99
The JCPenney Breakdown: Total = $212.9
