6 ways to dress for less as prices rise and workers return to the office

Twice a year, Lorri Talberg buys 25 garments to update her work wardrobe for her job in corporate communications at Ameriprise Financial.

Even as prices rise for gas and groceries, she recently purchased those 25 pieces for around $250. She shops at thrift and consignment shops, even using a free personal shopper at Arc's Value Village to streamline the process so she doesn't have to hunt through racks of clothes.

"I like to be up on the current fashion and this allows me to do it and be sustainable," Talberg said.

After two years of yoga pants and shirts designated for Zoom meetings, dressing for work is back as more workers are called into offices.

We asked a pair of Twin Cities shopping experts — Sara Rogers, a Mall of America trend specialist, and, Sarah Colvin, a personal shopper for Arc's Value Village — for some tips about rebuilding your work wardrobe at a moment when inflation is hitting household budgets hard. Here's what they said:

Shop your closet

Many of us have a closet of clothes that have hardly been worn since the pandemic began. Take inventory of what you have. Make sure clothes fit, are clean, pressed and have no tears or frays. Polish shoes. Think about the different pairings you can create.

But don't feel pressured to clean out your closet even if you've gained weight or have been binge-watching "Tidying Up With Marie Kondo" and have taken her motto, "Keep only what sparks joy," to heart.

"There's all kinds of closet cleanout rules like 'If you haven't worn it in a year, donate it,'" Colvin said. "But this is not a regular time. A lot of us haven't been seeing people so I wouldn't get rid of things too soon."

Meet new bosses and colleagues in person before major purchases

Learn, or relearn, the office culture before spending a lot of money shopping.

"There's a lot of people who changed jobs during the pandemic and now they're meeting co-workers in person," Colvin said. "See what your co-workers are wearing in a new workplace before buying a new wardrobe."

What's more, many businesses may allow jeans and other casual dress to keep employees happy as they return to the office. The exception may be industries like law, finance or banking, where business formal suiting is traditionally the rule.

Talberg, 57, who has been going into her Minneapolis office a few times a week, notices less formality downtown these days. "You see a lot more casual and a range of casual," said Talberg. She once spotted someone wearing slippers instead of shoes.

If the dress code is business casual, Rogers warns against dressing for the weekend.

She advises only one element that would be considered casual to ensure that you won't be excluded from or embarrassed in a surprise meeting with clients or higher-ups. That might mean suiting with no tie for men or, for women, trousers and a good blouse.

And check out your bosses. "When in doubt, I always dress up," Rogers said. "I take inspiration from leadership."

Go for color or a new pair of shoes

If crunched for time, you can keep shopping simple by updating your wardrobe with five tops in varied colors or just a new pair of shoes.

"I am talking to my friends who were doing Zoom calls who are getting back into the office," Rogers said. "Stores are ready for them with color. That's the easiest way to update your wardrobe."

For men, that can mean varying the colors of dress shirts.

Women have more options. Try accessorizing with color. Pair color, especially this spring's greens and pinks, with neutrals in your closet. Get dresses in any color that celebrate your spirit and make you feel great, Rogers said. "You can have a dress in any color you like because you can pair it with a neutral shoe," she said.

Buy pieces that you can visualize wearing multiple ways

As you shop, Colvin suggests thinking of six to seven ways you can wear a garment with the other clothing in your existing wardrobe.

"Don't buy pieces that you can only wear in one way," she said. Keep in mind that you can wear trousers more than once a week with different tops and accessories without it being obvious.

Track your best looks

What Colvin has learned from clients who post their outfits to Instagram daily is the benefit of documenting what you wear.

Even if it's only on your own camera roll, those photos of your best looks will give you ideas for when you feel like you have nothing to wear and need to dress quickly to get out the door.

"I have a file of photos on my phone that I'll view and I'll think, 'I love that. I can wear that,'" Colvin said.

Beware of trends

To invest in your work wardrobe for the long run, don't buy lots of trendy items that may be out of style next year. While many tight-fitting or revealing looks might be on the racks, they're probably not right for most offices anyway.

"There are a lot of crop tops, which isn't going to work for the girls going back to the office," Rogers said. "Unless they're in retail."