STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

AbsolutPrep1981 · BCBG

Shopping After College

Starstuff · Kenneth Cole

I think it depends on where you live and what kind of work you do. Is your office casual, business casual, semi formal or business formal?

Regardless, I've gotten a lot of milage out of basics -- black skirt and good black pants, sweater sets in cashmere and wool. Not exciting, but accessories can jazz it up.

I'd look at Banana Republic and J Crew -- both stores have a good mix of suits and cute tops. HTH!

Kelly · Hermes

I don't have any specific store suggestions, but I think reading magazines targeted towards an older audience helps. If I know what kind of look I'm going for, I can still find some things in juniors departments, teen stores, etc. But that's only because I go in there with a thought of what I want, instead of just aimlessly shopping. Juniors departments/stores are usually cheaper than misses, anyway, so then you can use some money you save to buy other more grown-up pieces.

jaymiek · Coach

I agree with what's already been said. Mags are a great resource for me in terms of looking at what's in stores. I just have to add that you might also want to look at Anthropologie. It's a little pricey but you can find pretty good stuff at their sales.

mandajeanie · Nine West

Hi there! I totally agree with all of the above. I'm 23 and I've been working for a year and a half now. At first, I felt silly in all of my college clothes and bought a whole bunch of business-y stuff to sortof overcompensate. After about 6 months, I realized I was dressing Too old, haha. And my office is business casual/casual (I'm in publishing) so there was no reason for me to be wearing such dressy stuff. So now I try to do a mix. Good basics from Jcrew, Limited, Banana, etc plus fun pieces from Anthro, Urban, and some vintage stuff. I live in NYC so I can probably be a little funkier than most places, but I think if you try for a mix, you'll see that you can still wear some of your trendy/preppy stuff from college (I'm guessing based on the screen name

) and make it look a little "older."

Aurora · Marc Jacobs

I agree with the other suggestions. The easiest place to start out is the outlet mall for banana and gap to get really good work basics in the pants and skirt department. Sometimes they have good tops too. I also would check out French Connection during sale time. I have gotten some great sweaters and fun tops that are work appropriate but not boring. Zara if you have one is another good choice and even some Forever 21 stuff is great. I think you just have to put yourself in the mindset of how you want to dress and what you want your clothes to look like and then go on a shopping hunt to find it all.

lynnie · Chanel

i agree that i think your job and location will really influence how your style evolves. i live in nyc and my style is different in many ways than it was in college, for reasons such as:

1) i don't work in an office (work in a creative field), so pointy heel pumps, slacks, work blouses, etc- are essentially useless for me. I wear jeans all the time- so i'm working on slowly buying these, as well as warm cardigans.

2) i walk A LOT- so comfort WINS 100% of the time for shoes. I only really wear 5-6 pairs of shoes because of this- the others have been edited out and will probably end up on ebay =/ I am slowly trying to amass a collection of awesome vintage shoes that are comfortable.

3) weather- it gets pretty cold, so tights and a nice coat are a must. in summer- its really too sticky for a lot of things, so i like a lot of simple breezy cotton pieces.

4) neighborhood- i live in an artsy community- so i have more free reign. i'd stick out like a sore thumb (and i don't mean in a good way) in a nice chanel jacket and expensive bag- unless i made the look more downtown. Individuality is much more prized than how expensive your outfit costs. I'm also not at the place in my life where a $1000+ bag makes any sense, unless it is a deal i cant refuse (my roommate just got a job at hermes!) It would be more frowned upon than accepted. So I buy a LOT more vintage than i used to.

5)City- on the other hand- i DO live in a really fashion conscious city- so i buy a few really nice boutique pieces to mix in w/my grungier stuff and pull it together. I also wear a lot more neutrals, dark colors, simple and easy silhouettes, and nice accessories.

So, I think you should move slowly, maybe starting w/accessories (nice bag, boots, purse, watch, whatever..) and see where exactly life takes you next before you invest in a wardrobe overhaul. When i first got out of college, I bought some basics that i thought i'd need for work, and i never wear them. Also, hair, makeup, attitude and just the way you carry yourself are really important in seeming older, if that is your major concern. I think the A & F (well, maybe more on the jcrew/ralph lauren side...) look can be really luxurious and fashionable- riding boots, nice blazers, cashmere sweaters...

-- Edited by lynnie at 19:51, 2006-11-10

honey · Gucci

i completely agree with lynnie. my style changed a lot the first couple of years out of college, as my lifestyle and budget changed. i honestly think i have very little of the stuff i purchased the first year out of college.

if you really want to get some new stuff i would follow starstuff's advice and pick up a few basics from places like br & j.crew. essentially i would start with a great pair of pants in a neutral color, and a nice skirt or two. you can mix these in with the stuff you already have to make it more adult. i wouldn't go crazy buying a ton of new stuff until you really start to get a better sense of how you want to present yourself.

i also suggest taking cues from people around you and looking at what they wear and how they wear it. a lot of times, with a little effort you can recreate looks with the stuff you already own.

Lilykind · Hermes

I know what you mean...I'm 21 and am trying to navigate post-college shopping myself. I'm drawn to the cartoonishly eclectic so that can get difficult sometimes. I just can't get enough of heart shapes and nostalgia almost always get the best of me.

I think a lot is determined by your workplace dress code (or lack thereof)...when I graduated from college, I was working in a business casual workplace but in an inherently creative industry so I always tried to have more fun and push boundaries with my wardrobe. Now I work in an office that is populated by the Cargo Pant Brigade. Heck, I'm wearing a pair right now. It's one of those workplaces where dressing nicely is to some extent frowned upon, depending on your position.

I'm also with lynnie...the A&F preppy look (especially when it comes to sweaters) can be very stylish when done correctly. I even have a super soft spot for the destroyed A&F denim mini, which I think can look really cool when worn with really refined items and the right accesories.

stores I like

Ruehl...it's the big sister of Abercrombie so it feels similar, but the stuff is nicer quality, the colors are less likely to be garish and the store doesn't feel teenybopperish at all.

Anthropologie (on sale...you can get so much of it on sale that it's silly to pay full price IMHO)

Urban Outfitters

Club Monaco (the basics feel sleeker than say, Gap, IMHO)

J. Crew (for basics)

Zara

NCshopper · Hermes

I'm 25 and the first few years out of college have been interesting, style-wise. I don't feel that my style had changed immensely, but it's been a few subtle tweaks here and there that have made my wardrobe more focused and more adult.

I agree that a lot of it has to do with where you live and what you do for a living. The work environment is going to dictate a lot of what will work for you and what won't. But regardless, here are a few things I've noticed since graduating college and entering the work force:

I buy fewer graphic tees (they can be okay in some work environments and on weekends, but overall, I have less of them)
I buy less denim
I buy more accessories, like cool bracelets, necklaces, shoes, scarves, tights
I buy more cardigans and blazers because there's a lot I can do with them

Most importantly, the biggest thing I've noticed is that when I shop, I focus more on the fit of the piece and how to work it into my wardrobe and less on the novelty of the specific item.