Back to Work Shopping

It's hard to believe, but I'm re-entering the work force for good. No more schooling for me. I'm done. Reality is setting in.

A couple of days ago, I was in a bit of a panic. I realized that I had nothing to wear for work. When other people say they have nothing, they often mean they have nothing they liked. I was pretty serious when I said I had nothing--sure, I had a few business-casual things, and I have quite a few suits, but the firms I worked at were more on the casual side of the dress code. I need enough items that would last me for at least a week. To make matters worst, my favorite pair of kitten heel black pumps from Target--the pair that served me faithfully for 3 years--have finally been worn to the hilt. It is simply not worth paying a cobbler to have the heel caps replaced.

So I spent Labor Day weekend wandering throughout the mall in search of dress shirts. And wouldn't you know it, the stores with shirts that fit me the best (Gap and Express) were also the most expensive. There was no way I was going to plunk down $45 for a single shirt. No luck with shoes either. I felt like Goldilocks--the heels were either too high, too flat, or too uncomfortable. Nothing was just right.

I'm still in search of the perfect replacement shoes, but my search for dress shirts is more or less over. Target was the perfect place to stock up. I bought a dark blue dress shirt with a satiny sheen for (gasp!) full price! Of $18, as opposed to twice as much. I found a 3/4 sleeve white dress shirt for a little over $8 on the clearance rack. Finally, I picked up a simple black top for a few bucks; I can wear it for work or casual times, which is great.

Tomorrow I need to go get a cheap (but good) haircut.